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Stefan Velkov Guitar Recital
2018-04-19

19 April 2018

Odeion

19:30

Bulgarian-born Stefan Velkov was introduced to music since earliest childhood. His official training in music theory, piano and guitar started at the age of seven.

Stefan received his first music degree as a guitar and light music performer from the Bulgarian State Conservatoire (later renamed to Bulgarian Academy of Music). At this stage (the late seventies of the 20th century) the guitar in Bulgaria was still regarded mostly as a light-music instrument. That is why it was included as a study subject only within the Light Music Department of the Conservatoire. The interest and the knowledge of the classical guitar was still at its infancy, but its popularity was growing fast. This made it necessary for the Bulgarian Ministry of Culture to make a historic decision: for the first time in Bulgarian music history, a decision was made to send a young Bulgarian guitarist to Germany to receive a proper music degree in classical guitar and to return to Bulgaria and introduce classical guitar as a subject at the Bulgarian Academy of Music.

After competing with all the most talented guitarists of the country, Stefan won the competition which enabled him to receive a master's degree in classical guitar from the Berliner Hochschule fur Musik Hanns Eisler. He completed his studies in guitar, piano and composition with a special reward of the Hochshule as one of the five best students. During his studies he also won the competition for the best guitar composition.

During his studies abroad (1981 - 1988) Stefan met and had masterclasses with most of the best guitar professors and guitar maestros of our time: Maria-Livia Sao Marcos (Switzerland/ Brazil), Costas Cotsiolis (Greece), Dieter Kreidler (Germany) and Leo Brouwer (Cuba).

In 1986 he was appointed as the first classical guitar lecturer at the Bulgarian Academy of Music and chairperson of the guitar festivals and competitions. This was the time when his own active concert career began. Stefan's repertoire includes most of the great masterpieces ever written for this instrument, but he became more and more known for his own compositions for guitar which, according to critics, outshine the best known masterpieces created for classical guitar.

Stefan’s arrival in SA (1991), coincided with the search of the Free State Musicon for a qualified guitar lecturer in order to introduce the subject classical guitar as part of its music training programme. He was offered the position of senior guitar lecturer at the Musicon which he holds until present day. During this time he also taught at the University of the Free State (1992 - 1999).

Stefan has given concerts in Bulgaria, Poland, Germany, Czech Republic, England and South Africa.

PROGRAMME

  • Velkov: Summer Dream
    From the golden heritage of the classical guitar:
    • Villa-Lobos: Prelude
  • Two Magnificent Arpeggios
    • Giuliani
    • Brower
  • Two Romantic Pieces:
    • Velkov: Serenade
    • Velkov: Adagio (The Magic Of Love)
  • Velkov: Bulgarian Suite for Guitar
    • I Bulgarian folk dance
    • II Bulgarian folk-singing
    • III Bulgarian folk dance in 7/8
    • IV Bulgarian folk-song
    • V Bulgarian folk dance in 9/8
  • Velkov: Tango
  • Velkov: Two Modern Dances
  • Velkov: The Wild Horse

ADMISSION

  • R120 (adults)
  • *R80 (pensioners)
  • *R70 (UFS staff)
  • *R50 (students, learners and block bookings of 10+)

Tickets available at Computicket or online at http://online.computicket.com/web/

*Please note that tickets for pensioners, students, learners and UFS staff can only be purchased at a Computicket outlet (Shoprite Checkers) or at the doors since a valid card or ID has to be presented to qualify for the above mentioned discount.

ENQUIRIES
Ninette Pretorius (tel. 051 401 2504)


Back
Zoë Beyers (violin) & Francois du Toit (piano

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)
 

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