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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)


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Stefans Grové 90 years - A Festival & Symposium

10 - 12 August 2012
Odeion School of Music

Internationally acclaimed South African composer, Stefans Grové, celebrates his 90th birthday this year. In honour of his long and distinguished career, the Odeion School of Music (University of the Free State), in collaboration with the Documentation Centre for Music (DOMUS) at the University of Stellenbosch, is proud to present a weekend-long festival in Bloemfontein from 10 to 12 August, which will include concerts of his music, a symposium of musicological reflection, as well as commentaries on his work by the composer himself.

The programme starts off on Friday 10 August with a talk given by Prof Grové (18:00) to introduce the evening’s concert. The concert at 19:30 will include Grové’s “Tweespalt” and “Sanguinies” from Piano Pieces (1975) Nonyana, the ceremonial dancer (1994), Afrika Beelde (1999) and Dance Song for the Nyau Dance (2003). Pianist Ben Schoeman is the soloist for this part of the programme. After the interval the set of Five Ingrid Jonker songs, Pan and the Nightingale and Sielvoël will be performed. The artists are Helen Vosloo (flute), Anmari van der Westhuizen (cello), Lesley-Ann Mathews (piano) and Matildie Thom Wium (mezzo soprano).

On Saturday 11 August the Documentation Centre for Music will present a symposium (9:00 – 13:00) on Grové’s music, including papers by such distinguished scholars as Gregory Barz (via video), Hannes Taljaard and Izak Grové, and a lecture demonstration by Ben Schoeman.
With the concert (19:30) Grové’s Afrika Hymnus II, the première of My Jaargetye (commissioned by the Odeion School of Music for Schoeman), Conversations for organ and piano as well as the première of Grové’s recently composed Piano Quintet – “A Venda Legend”. During this concert the FAK will present an award for exceptional cultural achievement to Stefans Grové and the Suid-Afrikaanse Akademie vir Wetenskap en Kuns will present a citation to the composer. This concert will be preceded by an interview with Grové conducted by Ben Schoeman on the subject of Grové’s piano music (18:00).

The concluding concert of the festival will take place on Sunday 12 August and will feature the ensemble work Musa, for flute (Helen Vosloo), viola (Jeanne-Louise Moolman), violoncello (Anmari van der Westhuizen), piano (Piet Moolman) and a narrator (Marli van der Bijl). Other works on Sunday afternoon’s programme include Grové’s Sonata for Viola and Piano and the Elegy for String Orchestra which will be performed by the OSM Camerata.

We sincerely thank the following OSM partners who have contributed to make these special events possible: DOMUS, Die Suid-Afrikaanse Akademie vir Wetenskap en Kuns, the FAK, ATKV & ATKV-Muziq and Xerox (UFS Campus).

ADMISSION:
R70 (adults), R50 (pensioners, students and learners)
Special Package: R120 for the three concerts (i.e. R40 per concert!)
Tickets available at Computicket

Admission to the seminar and pre-concert talks are free of charge.

ENQUIRIES:
Ninette Pretorius (tel. 051 401 2504)
 

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