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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
Mandie de Villiers-Schutte (soprano) & Waldo Weyer (piano)

Photo: Kobie van Rensburg

Mandie de Villiers-Schutte (soprano) & Waldo Weyer (piano)
Poulenc: The Human Voice (La Voix Humaine)
19 May 2011
Odeion
19:30

Mandie studied at the North-West University under Prof. Werner Nel where she received her B.Mus. and M.Mus. degrees (cum laude). She completed part of her master’s degree studies at the Academy of Music in Oslo (Norway) under the guidance of Svein Bjørkøy and Håkan Hagegård. She was a finalist and semi-finalist in various national competitions and a prize winner in the 2006 South African Student Opera competition. She has received master classes from Maarten Koningsberger, Kobie van Rensburg, Mimi Coertze, Lena Lootens, Roger Vignoles and Lawrence Zazzo. She has performed in various opera productions such as L’elisir d’amore (Gianetta), Rita (Rita), Zauberflöte (Pamina), Le Nozzi di Figaro (Susannah), Hänsel und Gretel (Gretel) and Fledermaus (Adele). She also sang in various oratorios like, the St John’s Passion, Vivaldi’s Gloria and Haydn’s Creation (Schöpfung). Mandie frequently performs at South Africa’s National Arts Festivals. Since 2009 she has been traveling with Cape Town Opera with their production of Showboat to Sweden (Malmö) and France (Paris). In the same year she was invited as guest soloist at the Landestheater Niederbeyern in Passau (Germany) to sing Poppea in Monteverdi’s L’incoronatione di Poppea. In 2011 she was touring to Germany, Switzerland, Austria and Luxemburg with the ensemble Cosi Facciamo - Ensemble für Alte und Neue Musik to sing Ginevra in their production of George Frideric Handel's Ariodante.

Waldo studied B.Mus. at the then Potchefstroom University under Prof. G.W. Koornhof. From 1993 he continued his studies at the Royal Academy of Music (London) where he received his B.Mus. degree in piano performance under Hamish Milne and Patsy Toh as well as his LRAM (with distinction). In 2003 he received his M.Mus. degree (cum laude). As accompanist he has received several positive reviews for performances at the Standard Bank National Arts Festival in Grahamstown and Aardklop from 2000-9 as well as the lieder concert series of Mimi Coertse. In 2005-6 he was the official accompanist for the UNISA national and international Voice Competitions. Waldo received master classes from, amongst others, Helmut Deutsch (Germany), Frank Heneghan (Ireland), Tim Ehlen (USA), Thomas Hecht (NZ), Caroline Oltmanns (USA) and Joseph Banowetz (USA). He has performed as soloist with the Pro Musica Orchestra and COSA (Chamber Orchestra of South Africa). He is since 2000 lecturer in piano and pedagogy at the University of North West.

 
 

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)
 

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