Erekle Getsadze

Erekle Getsadze is a Georgian composer, producer, sound designer and live performer. He has composed music and created sound for theatre productions, while also releasing his own music and performing live. Born and raised in Tbilisi, he has received recognition both in Georgia and internationally. Erekle was selected for Forbes 30 Under 30 in the Arts, Culture and Style category, won the Electronauts Grand Prize, and was included by IMPALA in its list of 100 artists to watch. His album Frankfurt was named Album of the Year, while his track “Tsintskaro on My Mind” won the People’s Choice award in the British Council’s Selector Radio competition. His theatre work has included productions presented at Wiener Festwochen and award-winning Biennale projects, as well as collaborations with theatres and directors in Georgia, Germany and Italy.

Alongside his musical career, Erekle became involved in political and social field through his art. As Georgia entered a period of growing political tension following the government’s decision to suspend the country’s European integration process in November 2024, he began using his social media platforms as an artistic space for political expression. His Instagram videos transformed statements and appearances by Georgian politicians into short musical works, combining satire, electronic composition and visual editing. Georgian media described the series as a form of musical commentary on current political events, in which Erekle used music to expose the absurdity and contradictions he saw in public political discourse.

On 24 May 2025, during his performance at Tbilisi Open Air, Erekle made a public statement against Russia’s war and occupation of Georgia, using a Russian flag as part of the performance. The gesture against the flag drew significant attention and the reaction was immediate and escalated across borders. Russian media and Telegram channels reported on the performance as an alleged desecration of the Russian flag. The spokesperson for the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, publicly condemned Erekle and stated that Russian law enforcement would give the act an “appropriate assessment.” The Russian Investigative Committee subsequently opened an official investigation into the incident. Russian political figures also publicly targeted Erekle while Russian parliamentarians issued threats and called for consequences against him. According to some Telegram channels, the commander of a unit associated with Chechen Republic went further, publicly taking responsibility for pursuing him. What had begun as a political artistic statement on a concert stage had therefore developed into direct attention and threats from Russian political and security-linked figures. The reaction also came from inside Georgia. Senior Georgian government officials and members of the ruling Georgian Dream party publicly condemned Erekle and his performance.

In the days following the performance, Erekle documented the escalating reactions and threats through social media. His politically critical creative work subsequently disappeared from platforms on which it had previously been available. The public discussion around him became increasingly hostile, while many people who personally supported him were unwilling to do so publicly; friends, colleagues and members of the artistic community were concerned that openly supporting him could expose them to political or other consequences.

Couple of days after the Tbilisi Open Air performance, Erekle left Georgia. His departure was not planned as an ordinary relocation for professional reasons. It came after the escalation of threats and the opening of an official investigation in Russia, alongside public condemnation from Georgian officials. Leaving Georgia meant abandoning not only his home but an established artistic environment and professional network.

Today, Erekle is based in EU and continues to work internationally as a composer, producer, sound designer and live performer.