Sofia Nizharadze

Sopho “Sofia” Nizharadze, a Georgian singer, actress, and songwriter of notable descent, embarked on her musical journey at a tender age. Her great-grandmother, Dürye, of Turkish origin, migrated to Tsarist Russia during the Ottoman Empire and later settled in Georgia after marrying a Georgian professor’s son. Born in Tbilisi, Georgia, Nizharadze was nurtured into the arts early by her mother and exhibited prodigious talent from the start.

At three years old, Nizharadze began performing professionally, captivating audiences with her talent. By seven, she joined a children’s music studio at the invitation of Jansug Kakhidze, a celebrated Georgian conductor, taking a leading vocal role in various shows and TV projects. Her performance of “Sous le ciel de Paris” at the French Embassy at eleven caught the attention of journalist Bernard Pivot, who invited her to appear on his TV5 program.

Throughout her adolescence, Nizharadze amassed accolades in international young singer contests, such as “Bravo, Bravissimo!” in Mini La Scala, Italy, “Crystal Note” in Moscow, Russia, and “Crystal Fur-tree” in Borjomi, Georgia. She further honed her craft by participating in festivals across Russia, Turkey, Italy, Latvia, and Georgia, ultimately winning several contests by the age of 17.

Her academic achievements paralleled her musical ascension. Nizharadze graduated with honors from the Musical Academy under the Tbilisi State Conservatory, where she studied piano and vocals, before continuing her education at the Academy of Theatre and Arts in Russia (GITIS) and earning honors from the Gnessin State Musical College in Moscow.

Transitioning to more mature roles, Nizharadze took leading parts in musicals and, by 2004, landed a main role in Gerard Presgurvic’s musical in Moscow. Her performance prowess led her to the finals of the New Wave Festival in Jūrmala, Latvia, in 2005. However, the 2008 conflict between Russia and Georgia prompted her return to Georgia, where she performed “The Star-Spangled Banner” during Vice President Joe Biden’s visit.

Nizharadze’s international profile soared in 2010 when she represented Georgia in the Eurovision Song Contest with the song “Shine,” having been selected through a national final where her song was chosen from over 100 entries. This period of her life not only heightened her international appeal but also led to a suggestion by President Mikheil Saakashvili for her consideration as Georgia’s Minister of Culture.

In the years following Eurovision, Nizharadze’s career flourished. She performed across Europe and Asia, collaborating with artists like José Carreras, Andrea Bocelli, Chris de Burgh, and Julio Iglesias. In 2013, she released a single “When We Danced,” followed by an album in March 2014 that included “Shine.” Her talents and insights as a seasoned artist were further recognized in 2016 and 2017, when she served as a judge on the Georgian format of X Factor. In July 2016, she released the song “Mapatie”. In 2017, she was a judge at Georgia’s got Talent.

In January 2017 she teamed up with Ursa to record an old Georgian folk song, “Svanuri”, and release a video of it. At the Golden Wave music awards she was voted Best Female Artist. At the BAMA Music Awards she was voted best Georgian Act. In 2018 she was also one of the judges of Mkholod Kartuli (Georgian Idol). Again she won the prize for best female artist at the Golden Wave music awards in 2018, something she also did in 2019 and 2020. In May of that year she teamed up with Giorgi Kelaptrishvili for a duet: “Dzveli hangi”. The song reached over a million views on YouTube. She also won a Wave music Award again, now for Best Remake.

In 2023, Sofia had a role in the musical “Zekrat”, playing in Batumi, Georgia in july.