Years
2019 2018
Antonio Pompa-Baldi
2018-05-24

24 May 2018

Odeion

19:30

Born and raised in Foggia (Italy), Antonio Pompa-Baldi won the Cleveland International Piano Competition in 1999 and embarked on a career that continues to extend across five continents. A top prizewinner at the 1998 Marguerite Long-Jacques Thibaud Competition in Paris (France), Antonio Pompa-Baldi also won a silver medal at the 2001 Van Cliburn International Piano Competition.

Antonio appears regularly at the world's major concert venues including New York's Carnegie Hall, Paris' Salle Pleyel, Milan's Sala Verdi, Shanghai's Grand Theatre, and Boston's Symphony Hall. He performed in London, Tokyo, Seoul, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, Kiev, Auckland, Hong Kong, and Beijing, and conducted masterclasses at the China National Conservatory. Pompa-Baldi has played with the Houston Symphony, Berliner Symphoniker, Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France, Boston Pops, and Colorado Symphony, among many others. He has collaborated with great musicians and conductors such as Hans Graf, James Conlon, Louis Lane, Keith Lockhart and Miguel Harth-Bedoya.

His extensive recording catalogue features 20 CDs and is constantly growing. They include the entire piano repertoire of Grieg in twelve CDs, a live recital of his award-winning Cliburn Competition performances and “The Rascal and the Sparrow - Poulenc meets Piaf” piano arrangements of songs by Francis Poulenc and Edith Piaf. His CD, “After a reading of Liszt”, is a tribute to Liszt, and other recordings include an all-Schumann disc, an all-Rachmaninoff CD, as well as the Rheinberger Piano Sonatas. Pompa-Baldi is now recording the complete Hummel Piano Sonatas.

In May 2014 Pompa-Baldi completed live performances of all the Rachmaninoff Concertos and Paganini Rhapsody with the CPO. In January 2015, he performed a recital at the First Lang Lang International Piano Festival in Shenzhen (China). In March 2015, he performed all the Beethoven Concertos in Fresno (CA). Other recent notable engagements include the Cheyenne Symphony (Respighi Piano Concerto), Nova Scotia Symphony (Rachmaninoff Second and Third Piano Concertos), and recitals in Wenzhou and Xiamen (China), San Jose (CA), Ravello Festival, Todi International Music Masters festival and the island of Sardinia (Italy).

A Steinway artist, Pompa-Baldi is on the piano faculty of the Cleveland Institute of Music. He is the founder and faculty member of Todi International Music Masters (Italy), and sits on the juries of the most prestigious piano competitions of the world, including the Cleveland International Piano Competition, the Hilton Head Piano Competition, the International Edvard Grieg Piano Competition in Bergen (Norway) and the San Jose International Piano Competition.

www.pompa-baldi.com

PROGRAMME

  • Johann Nepomuk Hummel: Sonata Op.13 in E flat
  • Five French songs of Poulenc and Edith Piaf
  • Francis Poulenc: Napoli Suite
  • Giuseppe Martucci: Fantasia Op. 51
  • Nikolai Medtner: Sonata Tragica
  • Roberto Piana: Improvisations on Neapolitan Songs

ADMISSION

  • R140 (adults)
  • *R100 (pensioners)
  • *R80 (UFS staff)
  • *R60 (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
Morgan Szymanski in concert

with

the Odeion String Quartet

Samson Diamond, Sharon de Kock, Jeanne-Louise Moolman & Anmari van der Westhuizen

 

22 October 2015

Odeion

19:30

 

Mexican guitarist, Morgan Szymanski, is teaming up with the Odeion String Quartet to present an exhilarating programme consisting of solo guitar and chamber music works by Vivaldi, Boccherini, Paganini, De Falla, Piazzolla and Ponce. 

 

Described as ‘a player destined for future glories’ (Classical Guitar Magazine) Morgan Szymanski has been highlighted as ‘One to Watch’ by both Gramophone Magazine and the BBC Music Magazine. A featured artist on the cover of Classical Guitar Magazine, Morgan Szymanski was recently selected as a finalist for the ‘Outstanding Young Artist Award’ by MIDEM Classique/IAMA.

 

Morgan Szymanski started playing the guitar at the age of six. Early studies at the National Music School (Mexico) and the Edinburgh Music School led to a scholarship to study under Carlos Bonell and Gary Ryan at the Royal College of Music (RCM) in London, graduating in 2004 with first class honours. During his studies he won all guitar prizes from the RCM as well as scholarships from the Tillett Trust, Countess of Munster Musical Trust, Leverhulme Trust, Wall Trust, FONCA and a scholarship to study at the Conservatorium van Amsterdam. He immediately went on to become the first solo guitarist to be selected by Young Classical Artist Trust and was the first guitarist to be awarded a Junior Fellowship at the RCM, where he completed his Masters with distinction.

 

A top prize-winner at international competitions, in 2002 Morgan won first prize at the National Guitar Competition in Mexico. Performances as a soloist and with orchestras have taken him to concert halls and festivals in Argentina, Austria, Belgium, Bermuda, China, Chile, France, Germany, Guatemala, Holland, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Mexico, Macedonia, Portugal, Spain, Switzerland, Scotland, UK, USA and Zimbabwe.

 

In recent years Morgan has given recitals at major UK venues and festivals including the Wigmore Hall, Cadogan Hall, Bridgewater Hall, Purcell Room, Queen Elizabeth Hall, King’s Place, The Sage Gateshead, Royal Opera House, Lichfield Festival, Salisbury Festival and London International Guitar Festival. He has appeared as a soloist with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Hallé, Northern Sinfonia, Orchestra of the Swan, Southbank Sinfonia, the Welsh Chamber Orchestra, Scottish Sinfonia, the Cervantes Choir and the Academy of St. Martin in the Fields. Morgan continues to build his international reputation with performances around the world.

 

Morgan’s devotion to chamber music has led to collaborations with artists such as John Williams, Celso Machado and Carlos Bonell (guitar), Mark Padmore (tenor), Alison Balsom (trumpet), Priya Mitchell (violin), Marcelo Nisinman (bandoneon), Adam Walker (flute), the Sacconi, Doric and Carducci Quartets, Phuong Nguyen (accordion), Adam Walker (flute) and Clara Mouriz (mezzo-soprano) amongst others.

 

Morgan’s first CD ‘The Unicorn in the Garden’, was released in 2005 including works by Iannarelli, Ritter, Ponce, Barrios and Alec Roth. Morgan’s second CD, ‘Songs in Time of War’ (Signum), is a stunning collaboration with Mark Padmore (tenor), Philip Honoré (violin), Alison Nicholls (harp) and composer Alec Roth. His recordings with his ensemble Machaca, ‘Mano a Mano’ and ‘Los Ambulantes’ on Sarabande Records, have been described as ‘a jewel’ by Gramophone Magazine.

 

Morgan’s latest project is a visual and auditory journey entitled ‘Sketches of Mexico’. Released on Sarabande, this is a unique collaboration combining Mexican music from Julio César Oliva and Manuel M. Ponce and the work of twenty visual artists from the UK, Mexico, Portugal and China. Gramophone Magazine has called it ‘a gorgeous and original tribute to Szymanski’s homeland, its artists and its music’ with Morgan’s playing ‘of the highest order.’  April 2013 also sees the release of ´Sometime I Sing´on the Signum Label, a new CD of the music for tenor and guitar by Alec Roth.

 

Morgan Szymanski plays on a guitar by the Chinese master guitar luthier Yulong Guo.

 

The Odeion String Quartet (OSQ) consists of Samson Diamond (violin), Sharon de Kock (violin), Jeanne-Louise Moolman (viola) and cellist Anmari van der Westhuizen.  Samson Diamond has been appointed as the first violinist and leader of the OSQ in January 2013.  Sharon de Kock has been a member of the OSQ and lecturer in violin at the UFS since 2008.  Jeanne-Louise Moolman was also appointed in 2008 at the UFS as violist of the OSQ and senior lecturer at the OSM. Anmari van der Westhuizen is Adjunct Professor and Head of the OSQ at the UFS. Visit their webpage at http://humanities.ufs.ac.za/content.aspx?DCode=588 to read all about their achievements, awards and more information on the members of the quartet.

 

Programme

Antonio Vivaldi: Lute Concerto in D, RV 93 (Ricordi) Dur

Luigi Boccherini: Quintetto IV in Re Maggiore Dur

Niccolo Paganini: Cantabile in D major

Manuel De Falla: Five Spanish Folk Songs

Manuel M. Ponce: Three Mexican Pieces – Cuiden su Vida - Estrellita – Scherzino Mexicano

 

Admission

R130 (adults), R90 (pensioners), R70 (UFS staff), R50 (students and learners), R50 (group bookings of 10+)

Tickets available at Computicket.

 

Enquiries

Ninette Pretorius (tel. 051 401 2504)

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