Tamar Sanikidze

Dr. Tamar Sanikidze is a “technically nimble and supportive pianist” (New York Times) with a distinguished career spanning performance, coaching, and leadership in the opera world. She currently serves as Sarah and Ernest Butler Endowed Professor in Opera at the University of Texas at Austin, where she is also Director, Producer, and Principal Coach of the Butler Opera Center and Director of the Butler Opera International Competition. In these roles, Dr. Sanikidze plays a pivotal part in shaping the next generation of opera professionals through mentorship, education, and performance.

Dr. Sanikidze is a graduate of renowned young artist programs, including the Cafritz Young Artist Program at Washington National Opera and the Adler Fellowship at San Francisco Opera. She has held key music staff positions in prestigious opera houses both in the U.S. and abroad.

As an official pianist and Chorus Master for Operalia, the World Opera Competition, Dr. Sanikidze has performed on some of the world’s most celebrated stages, including La Scala in Milan, the Royal Opera House in London, the Hungarian State Opera House in Budapest, Teatro Filarmonico in Verona, Artscape Theatre in South Africa, the Latvian National Opera in Riga, and the National Theatre in Prague, among others. Dr. Sanikidze’s global performances across Europe, Asia, and the Americas have earned her a reputation as a sought-after accompanist, assistant conductor, and collaborator, and as an avid recitalist, she has worked with internationally renowned vocalists, including an honor of performing at the White House for President George W. Bush and First Lady Laura Bush.

In addition to her performance career, Dr. Sanikidze is a respected coach and educator, regularly collaborating with distinguished young artist programs such as Merola Opera Program, Wolf Trap Opera Center, Washington National Opera, San Francisco Opera, and Los Angeles Opera. Since 2015, she has been a faculty member at the Music Academy of the West, where she serves as Head of the Vocal Piano Program at the Lehrer Vocal Institute and as an Audition/Casting Judge.

Dr. Sanikidze is the recipient of the Marilyn Horne Foundation Award for Excellence in Vocal Accompanying. She holds a Doctor of Musical Arts (DMA) from the University of Maryland, College Park and is an alumna of several prestigious programs, including Wolf Trap Opera Center, Merola Opera Program, Music Academy of the West, Aspen Opera Center, Cleveland Art Song Festival, and SongFest.