Ben Schoeman is one of South Africa’s foremost pianists and the winner of the 2011 Standard Bank Young Artist Award for Music. In 2008 he became the first South African in history to win the first grand prize in the 11th UNISA Vodacom International Piano Competition in Pretoria. In 2009 he also won the coveted gold medal and first prize in the Royal Overseas League Music Competition in London.

 

He regularly performs concertos with the leading South African symphony orchestras and gives solo and chamber music recitals throughout South Africa. His recent nationwide tour of 23 concerts received rave reviews and he was praised for his “dazzling virtuosity” (Pretoria News) as well as his “magical music-making” (Classic Feel Magazine). His performance with the Cape Philharmonic Orchestra of Brahms’s Piano Concerto no. 2 was described as “powerful…with enormous musical insight and pianistic ability” (Die Burger).

 

Ben Schoeman gave performances across Europe, Canada and the United Kingdom. He played in prestigious concert halls, such as the Wigmore Hall and Queen Elizabeth Hall (London), the Grande Auditorio of the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation (Lisbon), the Romanian Atheneum (Bucharest), the Teatro del Giglio (Lucca), the Paleis Het Loo (the Netherlands), Schloss Moritzburg (Dresden) and the Konzerthaus (Berlin). He also gave recitals at various international festivals, among others the Chester, King’s Lynn and Edinburgh Fringe Festivals (United Kingdom), the Festival da Bach a Bartók and the Festival Pianistico “Mario Ghislandi” (Italy), the Ottawa Chamber Music Festival (Canada) and the Crans-Montana Semaines Musicales (Switzerland).

 

He obtained a Masters in Performing Arts (cum laude) from the University of Pretoria, as well as a Master Diploma from the Accademia Pianistica ‘Incontri col Maestro’ in Imola, Italy. He is currently undertaking a Doctor of Musical Arts degree at City University of London and the Guildhall School of Music and Drama. He has studied with well-known musicians, including Joseph Stanford, Michel Dalberto, Louis Lortie, Boris Petrushansky and Ronan O’Hora.

 

In 2008 he received the prestigious Laureate Award from the University of Pretoria Alumni Association for his achievements as well as his contribution to music in South Africa. Salon Music and UNISA recently launched his DVD-recording of concertos by Mozart and Tchaikovsky. His solo album with works of Franz Liszt (sponsored by Standard Bank) is set for release in April 2011 under the TwoPianists label.

 

PROGRAM: Works by Franz Liszt (1811-1886):

Variations on a theme from JS Bach's Cantata no. 12, Weinen, Klagen, Sorgen, Zagen, S.180

Ave Maria, die Glocken von Rom (für die große Klavierschule von Lebert und Stark), S. 182

Les Jeux d'eaux à la Villa d'Este, From Années de Pèlerinage, Troisième Année, S. 163

Venezia e Napoli, S. 162 (Gondoliera, Canzone, Tarantella)

Sonata in B minor, S. 178

 

R120 (adults)

R80 (pensioners, students and learners)

Tickets available at Computicket (at all Shoprite / Checkers shops, Mimosa Mall information desk) and at the doors.

Ninette Pretorius (Tel. +27 (0)51 401 2504)