We recently had the chance to connect with Ralitsa Georgieva and have shared our conversation below.
Ralitsa, it’s always a pleasure to learn from you and your journey. Let’s start with a bit of a warmup: Are you walking a path—or wandering?
I believe I am walking a path. Becoming an educator and performer I realize is a very powerful profession. Because your personal life and professional life join as one. Your friends are your collegues and your collegues are your friends. And you find your life in a a very unique and powerful community of educators and performing artists. And then the path starts to shape and follow the map of my many beliefs and deams.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
I am Ralitsa Georgieva and I am a bulgarian born pianist at the Collaborative piano department at the Cleveland Institute of Music, and I am a piano teacher. Along with that I am actively performing solo and chamber music with my friends and collegues from CIM and the Cleveland Orchestra, the Cleveland Ballet, Piano Cleveland, at many Cleveland performance venues from CIM Mixon Hall to Cleveland Museum of Art and Playhouse Square.
During pandemic I created a program, called Songs of the Books. I bring it to the children at the Providence House Crisis Nursery and the families at the Ronald Mcdonald Charity House. I play on the piano, solo, or chamber music with friends and collegues, followed by reading stories to the young children at Providence House.
Thanks for sharing that. Would love to go back in time and hear about how your past might have impacted who you are today. What was your earliest memory of feeling powerful?
When I decided to start teaching and observed the strong power, independence, the mastery, teachers give to their students by educating them.
Another m9ment of feeling powerful was when I decided to dedicate a lot of my work to support unprivileged children and youth. For first time in November 2014 I organized and performed my first fundraising performance in support of UNICEF. Me and collegues and friends from the Cleveland Orchestra and Cleveland Institute of Music shared the stage to raise funds for the most vulnerable of us- the children and youth. Seeing the outcome that very day, between the funds we raised, and witnessing the power of live performance, how it can bring our community together, at one place at the same time was what showed me the power I can use as a musician to change lives.
Then I turned this project into series of performances for the years ahead, in support of international and local organizations such as UNICEF, Cleveland’s Bessie’s Angels- helping young women coming out of foster care, Providence House Emergency Crisis Nursery and Ronald Mcdonald Charity House.
What did suffering teach you that success never could?
To always pay full attention to people around and look beyond the obvious. Search in the eyes, listen to the words, observe the body language, try to see through and when you find pain and suffering, offer a moment of peace and gentle healing.
Alright, so if you are open to it, let’s explore some philosophical questions that touch on your values and worldview. What’s a belief or project you’re committed to, no matter how long it takes?
Exploring new alleys, for education and the art of music, and all arts really, to enter the life of anyone!
Developing these new paths for anyone to walk into that magic world and find their unique place that is waiting for them- music, dance, drama, painting, writing, any art really.
Okay, we’ve made it essentially to the end. One last question before you go. When do you feel most at peace?
When I look at people’s eyes after a performance, and I see in them that we shared a world together, I opened my hand, my audience took ot and walked into the magic world of sound and imagination together, we spoke to each other without words, we shared our feelings of love, happiness, sadness, fears, care. We gave a gift to each other through our presence.
Contact Info:
- Facebook: Ralitsa Georgieva-Smith
Image Credits
Gregory Wilson photographer
