Musical artist Regina Shamvili was the special guest of US Consul General and Mrs. Gregory W. Slayton in a pre-Christmas gala at the Official Residence recently. Originally from Russia but now living in New York, Ms Shamvili has played in over 100 countries around the world.

As part of the Department of State's cultural exchange programme, Ms Shamvili has shone at numerous embassy functions, most recently at the US Embassy in Paris but also in Jamaica, Honduras, Tunisia and — now — Bermuda. Her 30-minute Bermuda programme included Chopin's Mazurka in A Minor Op. 17 No. 4 and Michael Glinka's Cycle of Piano Miniatures.

Ms Shamvili, who began playing the piano at the age of six, gave her first public performance at ten and graduated from the Tbilisi and Tchaikovski conservatories. She is equally at home in prestigious concert halls as in private diplomatic receptions.

Consul General Slayton described Ms Shamvili's private performance last week as "riveting and spectacular".