Maria Kliegel cello recital
with Albie van Schalkwyk (piano)
13 October 2011
Odeion
19:30

“She has at her disposal all the necessary attributes: a fantastically light, yet not perfectionistically moribund technique, entrancing intensity, glamorous and nonetheless endearing charisma.”
- Der Tagesspiegel / Berlin

After studying with Janos Starker at Indiana University in Bloomington (USA), Maria Kliegel won, amongst others, the 1st Grand Prix of the Concours Rostropowitsch Paris (1981). Mstislav Rostropowitsch thereupon engaged the services of his prize winner as a soloist with the Orchestre National de France for several tours through France and invited her to his orchestra in Washington D.C. He became one of her most important mentors. Maria Kliegel – La Cellissima – since then an artist in demand throughout the world - started in 1991, alongside her stage triumphs, an unusually successful record career on the Naxos label.

In this way, her recording of Dvorák’s and Elgar’s cello concerts with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra (London) has been maintaining its success as a bestseller for many years now. Or the composer Alfred Schnittke declared her recording of his First Cello Concert his reference work in 1992. In reviews and essays, the international trade press is constantly confirming the top quality of this violoncellist and praises many of her interpretations as exemplary and directional.

Frequent honours followed, including two Grammy nominations. In the meantime, Maria Kliegel leads the market in cello literature with some one million CDs sold throughout the world. In her multimedia book and DVD project Schott Master Class – Cello: Mit Technik und Fantasie zum künstlerischen Ausdruck about cello techniques and “famous – infamous” passages (played and analysed) published in 2006, she pursues completely new paths, and within the shortest time received prestigious prizes for it: in Duesseldorf the special Digita prize (Best German Educational Software) and in Berlin the European Media Prize Comenius EduMedia –Siegel. This was the starting point for the production of the English version Cello – Master Class “Using Technique and Imagination to achieve Artistic Expression”, released on the Naxos label in 2010.

Contemporary composers like to dedicate their works to the cellist. Wilhelm Kaiser Lindemann, for example, composed, at her request, Hommage á Nelson M. for cello and percussion. This musical reference to the civil-rights activist, Mandela, finds great attention internationally. After the première of this work in Cape Town in 1997, president Nelson Mandela reacted profoundly emotionally by inviting the artist to a private concert in his residence.

For her spontaneous commitment to the Nelson Mandela Children´s Fund and her untiring efforts for other relief projects, in 1999 La Cellissima received the Order of Merit of the State of North-Rhine Westphalia from the hands of the First Minister at that time, Wolfgang Clement.

Since 1986 she has been professor at the Cologne Academy of Music and in 2001 established with Ida Bieler (volin) and Nina Tichman (piano) the Xyrion Trio, which undertook the artistic supervision of the Andernach Music Festival at Namedy Castle in 2007.

Maria Kliegel plays a cello made by Carlo Tononi (Venice, ca. 1730).

Albie van Schalkwyk has established himself as performer in a number of fields over the past 30 years. After completing his B.Mus. degree at the University of Cape Town with Lamar Crowson, he spent five years in London studying with Geoffrey Parsons, Gwenneth Pryor and Martino Tirimo. During this period he won the UNISA Overseas Scholarship as well as first prize in the SABC Music Prize Piano Competition. Upon his return to SA he took up a position as Official Accompanist and Producer at the SABC in Cape Town and became the regular partner of many South African singers and instrumentalists.

His partnership with Austrian cellist, Heidi Litschauer, has produced two major tours through South Africa as well as annual visits to Austria where he is invited to play concerts and work as repetiteur at the summer school of the International Neuberg Kulturtage since 1988. He has also performed all over South Africa with visiting overseas artists such as Elly Ameling (soprano), Maarten Koningsberger (baritone), Peter-Lukas Graf (flute), Emma Johnson (clarinet), Christian Altenburger (violin) and Raphael Wallfisch (cello).

Programme:
Bach-Kodaly: 3 Preludes
Schubert: Sonata in A minor (Arpeggione)
Schumann: 5 Stücke im Volkston
Messiaen: 5th movement from Quartet for the End of Times (Louange a l’ eternite de Jesus)
Shostakovich: Sonata in D minor

Admission:
R120 (adults)
R80 (pensioners, students and learners)
Tickets available at Computicket (at all Shoprite / Checkers shops, Mimosa Mall / Waterfront information desks) and at the doors.

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

Master classes:
Maria will also present master classes in the Odeion on Friday, 14 October 2011 from 9:00 – 12:00 and 14:00 – 17:00. Admission to attend the classes is R100 (payable at the door).