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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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Avigail Bushakevitz – Violin Recital with Ammiel Bushakevitz (piano)

7 June 2012
Odeion
19:30

Avigail Bushakevitz was born in Jerusalem (Israel) in 1988. She is currently studying violin with Sylvia Rosenberg at the Juilliard School of Music. In South Africa she studied under the guidance of Prof. Jack de Wet in Stellenbosch and Cape Town. She is the winner of the first prize in the UNISA National Strings Competition 2009. She was the only South African in the semi-finals of the 2nd UNISA International String Competition. In 2001 she was a finalist and category winner at the Sanlam Music Competition for Primary School Pupils. She has appeared numerous times as soloist in symphony concerts with various orchestras in South Africa. In 2002, 2004 and 2005 she was a finalist and winner of the strings category in the ABSA National Youth Music Competition. At the age of 16 she was the overall winner and youngest participant of the Huguenot Music Competition. In October 2006 Avigail won five prizes including 1st prize at the Unisa South African Music Scholarship Competition. Later that month she won the Pick 'n Pay/FMR music travel award, which enabled her to audition at, among other music institutions, the Juilliard School of Music. She regularly performs in recitals all over the country - often with her brothers, Benjamin and Ammiel.

Ammiel Bushakevitz was born in Jerusalem (Israel) in 1986. As recipient of the DAAD International Scholarship for Artists, he is currently studying under Phillip Moll at the Hochschule für Musik und Theater Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy in Leipzig (Germany). Ammiel has given performances as soloist and chamber musician in centres like London, Vienna, Rome, Berlin, Zurich, Bonn, Turin, Hamburg, Milan and Bayreuth. He has appeared as soloist with every professional orchestra in South Africa, including the Cape Town Philharmonic, Johannesburg Philharmonic, Durban Philharmonic and the Chamber Orchestra of South Africa. In addition to his studies in Leipzig, he also furthered his studies at the Franz Schubert Institute in Baden bei Wien (Austria) and at the European Academy of Music and Arts in Montepulciano (Italy). He holds B.Mus. and M.Mus. degrees in solo piano from the University of Pretoria (where he studied under Prof. Joseph Stanford). In 2008 Ammiel won the Unisa Music Scholarship Competition for Performers. Other competitions he has won, include the Musicon National Piano Competition (1st prize), the Philip Moore National Music Competition (1st prize) and the Lionel Bowman Beethoven Competition (1st prize).

Programme:
Bartók – Sonata No. 2 for violin and piano, Sz.76
Strauss - Sonata in E-flat major, Op. 18
Schubert - Sonata in A major, D.574
Lutoslawski - Partita
Wieniawski - Polonaise Brillante No. 2 in A major, Op. 21

Admission:
R120 (adults), R80 (pensioners, students and learners)
R50 (block booking of 10+)
Tickets available at Computicket.

Enquiries:
Ninette Pretorius (tel. 051 401 2504)
 

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