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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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Lamont & Friends

In “All Beethoven”

16 May 2019 ~ Odeion ~ 19:30

The Odeion School of Music invites you to “Lamont & Friends” with a special all Beethoven programme.

Anneke Lamont started her career at the age of twelve years and was a pupil of Josias van der Merwe. She won the UNISA Overseas Scholarship and continued her studies in Hannover (Germany) under Arie Vardi. She was also taught by Lamar Crowson, Joseph Stanford, Albie van Schalkwyk and Madeleine Buffler. She received a PhD from the UFS in 2006. Anneke is an active performing artist, and Head of Piano studies at the OSM since July 2018. She has served on screening panels for UNISA Piano International Competitions. She has made several recordings and in collaboration with various artists; she has also performed on the national and international stage. Anneke invited the following guest musicians to join in this all Beethoven programme: Albertus Engelbrecht (tenor), Anmari van der Westhuizen (cello), Pieter Joubert (violin), Matthew Eshun (violin) and Danrè Strydom (clarinet).

Albertus Engelbrecht was appointed in opera houses of Nürnberg and Passau (Germany) for a total of seventeen years where he sang a diversity of leading roles such as Orfeo in Monteverdi's L'Orfeo, Ulisse in Monteverdi’s Il Ritorno d’Ulisse in Patria, Nerone in Monteverdi’s L’incorronazione di Poppea (all three operas under direction of Kobie van Rensburg), Ramiro in Rossini's La Cenerentola, Duca in Verdi's Rigoletto, Belmonte in Mozart's Die Entführung aus dem Serail. Guest contracts have taken him to Luzern (Switzerland) and Los Angeles (USA). As concert singer, he performed regularly in Berlin, Frankfurt, Mainz and Vienna. A highlight of his career was concerts of Medelssohn's Walpurgisnacht in the Teatro San Carlo (Naples, Italy). Since 2016 Mr Albertus Engelbrecht is lecturer in singing at the OSM.

Danrè Strydom has established herself as one of South Africa’s premier solo, chamber and orchestral musicians through her global concert experience. She began her musical training in Namibia and after attending the Interlochen Arts Camp (USA), she began her formal studies with Heinrich Armer (UFS). She furthered her studies at Indiana University’s Jacobs School of Music, where she worked with renowned clarinetists Eli Eban and Eric Hoeprich. She holds two master’s degrees in Clarinet and Bass Clarinet Performance from the Royal Conservatory (Ghent University) and recently completed her PhD at the OSM. Danrè studied conducting with various established conductors, including the late Chris Dowdeswell and Dirk Brosse. After playing clarinet/bass clarinet for the award-winning Brussels Philharmonic from 2009 to 2013, she accepted a position as woodwind lecturer at the OSM.

Pieter Joubert is a Gr. 11 learner at Sentraal High School and receives lessons from Francois Henkins. In 2017-8 he was chosen as the best senior string player at the Bloemfontein Eisteddfod. In 2017 he performed as soloist with the FSSO during their concerto festival. He is concertmaster of the FSYO and regularly performs with the SMA Sinfonietta. During the 2017-8 Stellenbosch International Chamber Music Festival, he was selected as member of the Festival Orchestra. He also took part in the Gauteng and Franschhoek Chamber Music Festivals.

Matthew Eshun is a student from Ghana studying towards a BMusHons degree in violin performance with Samson Diamond as well as Cultural Musicology at the OSM. He is currently the principal second in both the OSM Camerata and and FSYO and has received masterclasses from David Bester. He is also a research assistant at the OSM.

Anmari van der Westhuizen graduated from the University of Stellenbosch (BMusHons), from the Mozarteum, Salzburg (Grosses Diplom), and from the Hochschule für Musik (Cologne) with Maria Kliegel (Konzertexamen). In 2013 Anmari received her PhD from the University of Pretoria. She has won prestigious competitions including the ATKV Forte Competition, the SABC Competition and the Oude Meester Competition. Anmari has performed in Australia, Austria, Belgium, Faroe Islands, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Japan, Poland, South Africa, Spain, Switzerland, Turkey, United Kingdom, USA, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

PROGRAMME

  • Ludwig van Beethoven (1770 – 1827)
    • Adelaide, Op. 46
    • Sonata in F major (Spring Sonata), Op. 24 No. 5
    • Sonata in A minor, Op. 23 No. 4
    • Sonata No. 3 in A major, Op. 69
    • Clarinet Trio in B flat major, Op. 11
    • Rondo e capriccio Op. 129 for piano

ADMISSION

  • R130 (adults)
  • *R70 (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.

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