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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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Recital by Australian organist, Martin Rein

Thursday, 25 April 2013
Odeion
19:30

Martin Rein began his career with extensive studies in Choral Conducting and Sacred Music at the Berlin School of Music with Prof. Martin Behrmann.  He completed his B.Mus. in 1996.

He then undertook further postgraduate studies at the Music Academy in Detmold and graduated in December 2000 with First Class Honours in Organ Performance, and in June 2001 with an M.Mus. degree, majoring in Choral and Orchestral Conducting.  In his graduation recital in December 2000, he performed amongst other works, the Chromatic Fantasy and Fugue Op. 57 (Inferno) by Max Reger - one of the most challenging compositions within the organ repertoire. 

In Europe he studied organ and piano performance with Prof. Gerhard Weinberger (Munich-Wurzburg) and Dr Ewald Kooimann (Amsterdam) as well as organ improvisation with Prof. Renate Zimmermann (Berlin-Frankfurt-Heidelberg).  He also studied with Dame Gillian Weir in England.  Since then he held several positions at e.g. the Stiftskirche St John's (Germany), at St. Mary's Monastery (Lehnin, Germany) the Alte Kirche (Essen, Germany), conducted the Australian Chamber Singers, was Director of Music at St. John the Evangelist Notting Hill, resident College Organist and Educator at Bearwood College and the Royal Merchant Navy School (Berkshire), and in 2010 Martin accepted the post of Head of Performing Arts and Master of the Choristers at The King's School Sydney (Australia).

As an organist, Martin has performed in Australia, the USA and many European countries in venues such as Westminster Abbey and Westminster Cathedral, both Cathedrals of Berlin (Germany), the Great Hall at Sydney University (Australia), King's College Boston, St Mark's Baltimore, Gloria Dei (Philadelphia) and Carthage College (USA). His recital at Sydney University was broadcasted by 2MBS-FM 'Colours of the King' in July 2005.  Recently he has given concerts in St Martin-in-the-Fields in London, the Cathedral of St John-the-Evangelist in Hong Kong, St. Andrew's Cathedral (Sydney) and the Cathedrals of Auckland and Dunedin (New Zealand).  His special interest in historic organs - many of which he has performed on - is compiled in his book on Baroque organ builders in Germany.

Programme:

  • J.S. Bach - Prelude and Fugue in G, BWV550
  • J.S. Bach - Chorales from the Third Part of the Clavierubung (1739)
  • M. Duruflé - Scherzo, Op. 2
  • M. Reger - Introduction, Passacaglia and Fugue in E minor, Op. 127
  • M. Rein - Improvisation

Admission:

R130 (adults), R90 (pensioners), R50 (students and learners)
Tickets available at Computicket.

Enquiries:

Ninette Pretorius (tel. 051 401 2504)

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