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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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Anmari + Ilse in concert

Anmari van der Westhuizen (cello) & Ilse Schumann (piano)

Wednesday, 26 February 2014

Odeion

19:30

Anmari van der Westhuizen is one of the most sought-after cellists in South Africa, both as soloist and chamber musician. After she obtained a BMusHons degree with cum laude at the University of Stellenbosch, she furthered her studies at the Mozarteum in Salzburg under Heidi Litschauer and was awarded the Grosses Konzertdiplom with distinction. At the Hochschule für Musik in Cologne she received the Konzertexamendiplom under Maria Kliegel.  During her stay in Europe from 1988 to 1996 she appeared as soloist and chamber musician in such groups as the Ensemble music-on-line, Vienna (specialized in the performance of contemporary music), Koehne String Quartet Vienna and the Wiener Streichorchester.

She also performed at international festivals in Austria, Italy and Spain. As a young musician she was the winner of several national competitions such as the ATKV Forté, SABC and the Oude Meester competitions. Anmari has made several CD recordings. From 1999 until 2008 she was the conductor and director of the UCT String Ensemble and the violoncello lecturer. She was a founding member of the UCT Trio, the Collage Ensemble and I Grandi Violoncellisti. Since 2008 she is appointed as senior lecturer and cellist of the Odeion String Quartet at the University of the Free State and since January 2013 she has been appointed Head of the String Department as well as the Odeion String Quartet.

 

Born in Cape Town, Ilse Schumann studied at the College of Music (UCT) where she received her BMus degree with distinction in 1986. In the same year she also obtained the Performers' Diplomas from UNISA and the Royal Schools of Music. She made her debut at the age of thirteen with the Capab Orchestra, and performed as soloist with the CTSO, the Johannesburg Symphony Orchestra and the National Symphony Orchestra. After working as vocal coach at the Artscape Opera House in Cape Town for one year, she continued her studies in Chamber Music and Lied Accompaniment at the Konservatorium Wien Privatuniversität in Vienna (Austria). From 1990 to 2002, she was active as vocal coach at the Konservatorium Wien Privatuniversität. At present she works as vocal coach and accompanist at the Universität für Musik und Darstellende Kunst in Vienna.

She has taught masterclasses in accompaniment in Stellenbosch and piano masterclasses in Tirana (Albania), and since 2009 she teaches chamber music masterclasses in Burg Feistritz (Austria). Since living in Europe, she has performed extensively as chamber musician and Lied accompanist in most European countries, Japan, South Africa and Turkmenistan. She has given recitals with notable singers like Mimi Coertse, Walter Berry, Johan Botha, Clemens Unterreiner, Rebecca Nelsen and Hermine Haselböck. She has concertized with world class cellists such as Maria Kliegel and Robert Nagy and performed with the Ensemble Wien in the Musikverein in Vienna. She has performed as soloist with the Lyon Orchestra, Die Reihe Orchestra and the Johann Strauss Ensemble Wien.

CD-recordings of IIse Schumann with the tenor Michael Knapp, Anmari van der Westhuizen, soprano Noriko Motoyoshi and works by the Austrian composer Hannes Heher have been released. Her latest CD with tenor Robert Wagner and the Color Quartet was released in May 2013.

Admission:

R130 (adults)

R90 (pensioners)

R70 (UFS staff)

R50 (students & learners)

R50 (block booking of 10+)

Programme:

Beethoven: Sonata for cello and piano No.3 in A major, Op. 69

Schnittke: Sonata for cello and piano (1978)

Popper: Fantasy on Small Russian Songs

Rachmaninoff: Sonata for cello and piano, Op.19

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