Zoë Beyers (violin) & Francois du Toit (piano)
17 February 2011
Odeion
19:30

Zoë Beyers was born in South Africa in 1982. Since her debut (aged eleven) with the Swedish Chamber Orchestra under Paavo Järvi, she has performed with many distinguished conductors in the UK and Europe. Since coming to study in London in 2001, she has been in demand as soloist and chamber musician in Europe and South Africa. She is gold medalist of the 2005 UNISA Vodacom National String Competition. Zoë was awarded an Associated Board International Scholarship to study at the Royal College of Music, where she was a pupil of dr Felix Andrievsky, Gabrielle Lester and Gordan Nikolitch. 

Zoë has given recitals at the Linbury Theatre, the Pitville Pump Room (Cheltenham), Wigmore Hall and the Purcell Room. She has performed at the St John's Smith Square, and with the Hebrides Ensemble, the Fibonacci Sequence, the Endymion Ensemble and the Solaris Quartet. She has also performed at the Cheltenham Festival, the City of London Festival, the BBC Proms, St Magnus Festival and Mendelssohn on Mull.

Acknowledged as one of South Africa's leading concert pianists and musicians, François du Toit is an associate professor of piano at the University of Cape Town. He is constantly in demand as accompanist for visiting artists from overseas. He completed his Honours degree at the University of Cape Town, studying under the distinguished pianist and teacher, Laura Searle. He also received the Solistendiplom from the Hochschule für Musik und Theater in Hannover (Germany) where he studied under the renowned pedagogue, Berndt Goetzke.

During his period of study abroad he distinguished himself in several important international piano competitions, taking top prizes in the 1991 Hannover Music Competition, the 1992 Rotterdam and 1993 Marsala Internationals, and the 1994 International Maria Callas Competition (Athens).

François has been appearing as an acclaimed soloist with orchestras (both locally and abroad) since the age of fifteen. He has over 30 concertos in his repertoire, ranging from Bach to Hendrik Hofmeyr and has performed with conductors including Bernhard Gueller, Victor Yampolsky, Omri Hadari, Alun Francis, Dawid de Villiers and Alexander Lazarev.

This performance forms part of Zoë’s nationwide tour and coincides with the launch of her debut CD. On this CD Zoë performs works by Mendelssohn with the Stellenbosch Camerata and pianist, Luis Magalhaes. This CD by the Stellenbosch production company TwoPianists Records, is distributed by Naxos to 56 countries and will be available to the public after this concert at the special price of R150.

Programme:

Bartók – Romanian Folkdances

Beethoven – Sonata No. 10 in G major, Op. 96

Debussy – Sonata for violin and piano in G minor

Prokofiev – Cinq Mélodies, Op. 35b

De Sarasate – Concert Fantasy on Carmen, Op. 25 Ia

Admission:
R120 (adults)

R80 (pensioners, students and learners)

Tickets available at Computicket (at all Shoprite / Checkers shops, Mimosa Mall information desk and the Waterfront Mall) and at the doors.

Enquiries:
Ninette Pretorius (tel. 051 - 401 2504)