Years
2019 2018
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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OSM Sunday afternoon concert

“An Afternoon with Kreisler”

with Samson Diamond (violin) & Dana Cilliers (piano)

Sunday, 19 May 2013

Odeion

16:00

The Odeion School of Music cordially invites you to a free OSM Sunday Afternoon Concert with violinist, Samson Diamond and pianist, Dana Cilliers.    

They will perform works and arrangements by Fritz Kreisler.  The programme includes works like Caprice Viennois, Rondino on a theme by Beethoven, Tambourin ChinoisRecitativo & Scherzo Caprice for solo violin and Syncopation as well as as arrangements by Kreisler like Albeniz’ Tango, Op.165 No.2, Danse Espagnole by Granados and Londonderry Air - Farewell to Cucullain.

Samson, leader of the Odeion String Quartet, is a graduate of the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester (UK) where he obtained both the Bachelor of Music Honours degree First Class (2006) and his Master of Music Performance (2007) degree with distinction. Samson got his first taste of music in Soweto, where he studied with the founding director of Buskaid, Rosemary Nalden and in the UK with Richard Ireland, Pauline Nobes and Philippe Graffin. He has won many prizes, including the prestigious 2010 Standard Bank Young Artist for Music, the Charles Hallé Award; the RNCM Eric Nicholson Bow Prize, the RNCM Major Entrance Award, Edward Heaton Scholarship and the RNCM Philip Newman Violin Prize.

As a freelance orchestral player in the UK, Samson played in the Hallé Orchestra, the Academy of St Martins in the Fields, BBC Philharmonic Orchestra, Manchester Camerata, and the Academy of Ancient Music. He has been heard in concert in prestigious venues such as the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra in Berlin, Bela Bartok National Concert Hall in Budapest and the Musikverein in Vienna.  Samson has appeared as soloist with L’Orchestre Nationale d’France, the Buskaid Ensemble and prominent orchestras in South Africa, including the Cape Town Philharmonic Orchestra the Johannesburg Festival Orchestra and the Johannesburg Philharmonic Orchestra.

Dana Cilliers studied piano with Thomas Rajna at UCT. He completed a BMus and MMus degree.  As a student, he performed as a soloist with the Cape Town Symphony Orchestra, the CAPAB Orchestra and other ad hoc orchestras. He gave a number of public solo and ensemble recitals, and the SABC broadcast both solo recitals and orchestral performances on radio and television. In 1993, after teaching at schools in the Free State, he took a position as a lecturer in piano at the University of the Free State. In addition to numerous, regular solo and chamber recitals, notably as member of the Henkins-Cilliers Piano Trio. He has appeared as a soloist with orchestras in Bloemfontein, and he also performs regularly as an accompanist at local and national competitions. 

Admission: Free (no booking necessary)

Enquiries: Ninette Pretorius (tel. 051 – 401 2504)

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