The Minister of Education and Science of Georgia, Mikheil Chkhenkeli, hosted David Marshall, a graduate of the University of Notre Dame (USA), who is visiting the Giorgi Mtatsmindeli Ecclesiastical Higher School within the framework of the student exchange program.

The meeting held at the Ministry was attended by the General Director of the Georgian Chant Foundation and the Head of the Administration of the Giorgi Mtatsmindeli Church Chanting School, Nana Gotua and the Dean of the same school, Tamar Chkheidze.

Mikheil Chkhenkeli thanked David Marshall for his interest in Georgian polyphonic music and noted that Georgian polyphony is a truly unique phenomenon, which is a treasure of world importance.

It is noteworthy that the Giorgi Mtatsmindeli Church Chanting School has been implementing a student exchange program with the University of Notre Dame since 2018. The Minister discussed the issues of enhancing the existing cooperation with the representatives of the University and noted that it would be an important step forward if a Georgian polyphonic music course is introduced at the University of Notre Dame.

Within the framework of the exchange program, David Marshall underwent a practical as well as a theoretical course of Georgian singing at the Higher School of Chanting and received a certificate for its successful completion. Mikheil Chkhenkeli presented the guest with the book "Medieval Georgian Chants - Selected Hymns".

It is noteworthy that the student exchange program between the two institutions is funded by the American Maecenas Rex and Ellie Martin and Elizabeth Borger Charitable Foundations. The program is also financially supported by the Georgian Chant Foundation.

The University of Notre Dame is one of the most advanced, top-ranked universities in the United States where Catholic theological higher education is available. The University Ecclesiastical Music Program is one of the most advanced in the United States and around the world, where medieval church music is taught by the world’s leading professors.

Georgian Chant Foundation was founded in 2012 by Vano Chkhartishvili. The aim of the foundation is to support Georgian chant-song and other fields of traditional art, their development-popularization and to promote scientific research.