UFS Department of Music presents
Russian soprano EVGENIA GREKOVA and IRINA PURYSHINSKAJA (piano)
Thursday, 27 August 2009
Odeion
19:30

The Russian soprano Evgenia Grekova, born in Kurgan, visited South Africa for the first time in 2006 to compete in the Unisa Vodacom International Singing Competition in Pretoria. She won the concert category and four prizes in total.

Grekova studied music in Moscow and Karlsruhe in Germany, and attended master classes by some of the world"s most famous singers, including Elizabeth Schwarzkopf, Edith Mathis, Mirella Freni and Marilyn Horne.

While still a student she made her professional debut with the Stuttgart State Opera. In 2001 she joined the ensemble of the Nürnberg Opera for four years, and built a substantial repertoire in German opera houses, including operas by Bizet, Gluck, Humperdinck, Mozart, Nicolai, Offenbach, Nino Rota and Richard Strauss.

It was during this period, in 2002, that she was invited to make her debut in two Wagner roles (in The Ring and in Tannhauser) at the Bayreuth Festival, which prompted the Neue Zürcher Zeitung to praise her performance as “the vocal miracle of the evening”.

From 2001 she entered several international competitions and won numerous prizes – most recently in the Bido Sayao Competition in Sao Paulo (2009).

She has already sung under the direction of well-known conductors such as Philippe Auguin, Adam Fischer, Antonio Pappano, Helmuth Rilling, Wolfgang Sawallisch and Christian Thielemann. Grekova appeared in concert with top European orchestras, including the WD Rundfunk- and SW Rundfunk Symphonie Orchester, Nürnberger Symphoniker and the Bayrische Kammerorchester.

As a concert artist she was invited to the Richard Strauss Lieder Festival, and was immediately hailed by the press: “An important singer has arrived, in concert and opera.”

With this concert Evgenia will be accompanied by renowned solo and chamber pianist, Irina Puryshinskaja. After her studies at the Tchaikovsky Conservatory and in Germany, Irina gave several solo and chamber music concerts in Germany, Munich, Belgium, Austria, Switzerland, Italy, the former Soviet Union, the Middle East and China. In 1996 she received a special prize as best Lied pianist at the XII International Robert Schumann Competition (Zwickau) and also took several prizes in other international competitions. Irina has been professor of piano at the Conservatory of Vorarlberg (Austria) since 2000. She is currently professor in piano at the Landeskonservatorium Feldkirch (Austria).

PROGRAMME:
RICHARD STRAUSS
Stänchen
Traum durch die Dämmerung
Die Nacht
Hat gesagt – bleibt’s nicht dabei
Meinem Kinder
Schlechtes Wetter
Morgen!

LEONARD BERNSTEIN
“I hate music!”

FRANZ SCHUBERT
Suleika 1
Der Fluss
Auf dem Wasser zu singen
Gretchen am Spinnrade
Nach und Träume
Im Abendrot

SERGEI RACHMANINOV
U moego okna
Ne poj krasawitza pri mne
Siren’
Vocalise
Sdes horosho
Wesennie wody

ADMISSION:
R100 (adults)
R60 (pensioners, students and learners)
Tickets available at Computicket (at all Shoprite / Checkers shops, Mimosa Mall information desk) and at the doors.

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