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Symphony Concert
2018-09-22

FSSO’s 4th Symphony Concert presented in collaboration with the OSM:

International guest pianist and FSSO virtuosi promise an evening of musical poetics

Conductor: Alexander Fokkens
Soloists: Vitaly Pisarenko (piano),
Odeion String Quartet,
Paul van Zuilenburg (trumpet),
Kobus Malan (oboe),
Danrè Strydom (clarinet),
Brahm Henkins (bassoon) and
Shannon Armer (French horn)
Date: Saturday, 22 September 2018
Time: 19:30
Venue: Odeion, UFS

On Saturday 22 September 2018, the Free State Symphony Orchestra’s (FSSO’s) fourth symphony concert of the year brings to the stage international piano virtuoso, Vitaly Pisarenko, and places a spotlight on the local talent of the Odeion String Quartet as well as a number of the FSSO’s principal players.

Regarded as one of the finest young musicians of his generation, Pisarenko has been dubbed as a ‘poet at the piano’ and is performing as guest piano soloist with the FSSO as part of the South African leg of his current world tour. After performing in a series of recitals and concerts with local orchestras, he moves on to the UK, Belgium, Hong Kong and Argentina. The concert in Bloemfontein will be his second last performance in South Africa.

Described by the New York Times as an “immensely gifted pianist… with prodigious technique, myriad shadings and scrupulous accuracy”, the Russian-born pianist already had his first public recital at the age of six. After winning the 8th International Franz Liszt Piano Competition in 2008, he took his place in the musical world as a pianist “of unusually soft touch and captivating expressiveness”, rapidly gaining worldwide recognition. His style has prompted more than one critic to compare his playing to that of “a young Franz Liszt”.

This evocative pianist will perform Shostakovich’s Concerto for Piano, Trumpet and Strings, Opus 31 with the FSSO’s Paul van Zuilenburg as the trumpet soloist. Shostakovich originally composed the concerto as an experimentation with a neo-baroque combination of instruments. Despite the title, the work might more accurately be classified as a double concerto rather than a piano concerto in which the trumpet and piano command equal prominence. The trumpet parts frequently take the form of sardonic interjections, leavening the humour and wit of the piano passage work.

The Odeion String Quartet with Samson Diamond (violin), Sharon de Kock (violin), Jeanne-Louise Moolman (viola) and Anmari van der Westhuizen (cello) are the soloists in Elgar’s masterpiece, Introduction and Allegro for String Quartet and Strings. Scored for a string quartet and string orchestra, Elgar originally composed it to show off the players’ virtuosity. The score soon came to be recognised as a masterpiece and is likened to a multi-layered symphonic poem for string orchestra.

The programme concludes with Mozart’s Sinfonia Concertante for Four Winds in E-flat major which is scored for solo oboe, clarinet, horn and bassoon. The soloists for the Sinfonia Concertante will be four principal players of the FSSO: Kobus Malan (oboe), Danré Strydom (clarinet), Brahm Henkins (bassoon) and Shannon Armer (French horn).

When asked how he felt about joining the FSSO for this concert, Pisarenko responded by saying that this performance would represent a number of firsts for him: “Although this is my third visit to South Africa, it will be the first time that I perform in Bloemfontein. I’ve also always loved Shostakovich’s piano concerto and have wanted to play it for a long time. It is such a beautiful and expressive concerto, and I’ll be playing this fantastic piece for the very first time with the FSSO.”

Alexander Fokkens, CEO and Creative Director of the FSSO, concludes: “It’s very exciting to be able to showcase our immensely talented local orchestral musicians alongside a musician of Vitaly’s calibre. The programme for the evening will not only show off individual talent, but create an orchestral experience that will feel musically varied and poetically moving.”

Fokkens will also be conducting the concert on the evening. The FSSO’s fourth symphony concert for this year is presented in collaboration with the Odeion School of Music.


Admission:

Ticket prices are as follows:
Adults - R150; Pensioners and block bookings of 10 and more - R100; Children 3 to 18 years - R50.

Tickets are available at any Computicket outlet or online at online.computicket.com. For enquiries, contact Ella Kotze at the FSSO on 051 401 2342, Ninette Pretorius of the OSM on 051 401 2504, or visit the FSSO’s Facebook page (@ Free State Symphony Orchestra) for more information and regular updates.

For media enquiries and visuals, contact Daphney Teffo on 082 506 3551 or e-mail rdteffo@gmail.com


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Nöthling Strydom Duo

Nöthling Strydom Duo

7 September 2017

Odeion

19:30

South African musicians, clarinetist Danrè Strydom and pianist Grethe Nöthling has started a fresh and very exciting collaboration. After recently returning from several years abroad, these two young musicians aim to provide audiences with exhilarating performances of not only well-known and loved repertoire, but also of more underplayed and unknown repertoire.


Danrè Strydom

“...first-class performer and an impressive artist. Her total involvement with the music and unique ability to communicate makes her a very compelling player.”

“Her solo work was incredibly memorable....played with a lot of personality and refinement...”

Buffet-Crampon, the world-renowned instrument manufacturing company, has recently added Odeion School of Music woodwind lecturer Danrè Strydom to their select list of prestigious artists. Hailed as the “Steinway” of clarinet manufacturers, Buffet has selected Danrè as the first South African ambassador for the brand.

Danrè has been performing on Buffet clarinets since age twelve. She received her formative musical education at the Windhoek Conservatoire, before completing her undergraduate degree under the tutelage of Heinrich Armer at the University of the Free State. Her playing then won her several prestigious scholarships for overseas studies. She began her postgraduate studies at Indiana University’s Jacobs School of Music, where she worked with famous clarinetists Eli Eban and Eric Hoeprich. Further studies in Belgium with Eddy van Oosthuyse resulted in two separate Master’s Degrees in Clarinet – and Bass Clarinet Performance from the Royal Conservatory (Ghent University).

Except for winning various national competitions (Namibia) as a young musician, she has won numerous awards and scholarships, including the R. Muller Award for highest achievements in music and academics, the FAK music award, ATKV Cultural Diversity Award and the Old Presidency Award. During 2016 she was selected as the South African Chair of the International Clarinet Association.

Strydom has appeared globally as a concerto soloist with several renowned orchestras. As an avid chamber musician, she has performed with various musicians throughout Europe, including major tours to France, Spain, Switzerland, Italy and the Netherlands. Besides currently serving as principal clarinetist for the Free State Symphony Orchestra, she was a member of the esteemed Brussels Philharmonic (2009 – 2013). The spell with the Brussels Philharmonic included an Academy Award for the soundtrack to the motion picture “The Artist”.

Principal clarinetist of the Brussels Philharmonic, Eddy van Oosthuyse, describes her as “a remarkably talented and deeply motivated musician... who has established herself as a premier solo, chamber and orchestral musician through her global concert experience.”

Danrè is currently clarinet and saxophone lecturer at the OSM.


Grethe Nöthling

“..one performance was enough to win the hearts of music lovers..”

“Nöthling impresses as pianist with gravitas”

Grethe Nöthling started her musical career at age five. At age seven she made her musical debut performing as soloist with the Johannesburg Symphony Orchestra. She won several national music competitions, awards and bursaries including the Sanlam Music Competition (1994), ABSA National Music Competition (Piano Category, 1998), ATKV Prelude Competition (2000), Hennie Joubert National Piano Competition (2000), Lionel Bowman Beethoven Competition (2001) and UNISA Overseas Scholarship for Teachers (2003).

She has been a soloist with major orchestras in the country between 1989 and 2005 including the Cape Town Philharmonic, KwaZulu-Natal Philharmonic and the Chamber Orchestra of South Africa.

Between 2001 and 2004 she completed a Bachelors of Music (cum laude) at the University of Pretoria under Ella Fourie and Joseph Stanford. In 2006 she continued her studies abroad. She completed her Master’s of Music at the Cleveland Institute of Music (2008) and Doctorate of Musical Arts (2014) at the University of Iowa (US). Her teachers included Daniel Shapiro (CIM), Paul Schenly (CIM) and Uriel Tsachor (UIowa). In addition, she has received masterclasses from well-known piano pedagogues including Andrzej Jasinski, Lionel Bowman, Frank Heneghan, Joseph Banowetz, Adam Wodnicki, Eric Larsen, Enrico Elisi, Rebecca Penneys, Christopher Harding and Sean Duggan.

During her studies at the University of Iowa she was appointed as teaching assistant for three years. In addition to that she was the pianist for the University of Iowa’s New Music Ensemble during 2012, directed by composition professor David Gompper at the University of Iowa. The ensemble performed at several different universities in the United States, including the University of Minneapolis and the University of Kansas.

Grethe is also an avid chamber musician and has performed with guest artists and faculty of the University of Iowa, including Nicole Esposito, Anthony Arnone, Melissa Kraut, Larry Stomberg and Sarah Frisof.

In 2015 she returned to South Africa and in 2016 she was appointed as principal piano lecturer at the OSM.

Programme

  • J. Brahms Clarinet Sonata for Clarinet and Piano Op. 120 Nr. 1
  • R. Schumann Fantasy Pieces for Clarinet and Piano Op. 73
  • L. Bernstein Sonata for Clarinet and Piano
  • N. Burgmüller Duo for Clarinet and Piano Op. 15
  • M. Arnold Sonatina for Clarinet and Piano

Admission

  • R110 (adults)
  • *R70 (pensioners)
  • *R60 (UFS staff)
  • *R40 (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 door 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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