Josef Bardanashvili was born in 1948 in Batumi, Georgia. He studied at the Music Academy in Tbilisi under Aleksandr Shaverzashvili, where he graduated with a doctorate in composition in 1976.
Bardanashvili was Director of the Music College in Batumi (1986-1991), and Culture Vice-Minister in Adjaria (1993-1994), and in this capacity organized numerous international music festivals.
He settled in Israel in 1995.
Bardanashvili served as composer-in-residence of the Raanana Symphonette Orchestra in Israel from 1996-99 and Musical Director of the International Biennial for Contemporary Music "Tempus Fugit" in Tel-Aviv (2002, 2004,2006), and is currently composer-in-residence of the Israel Camerata Jerusalem.
He taught at Camera Obscura College, at Bar Ilan Universit