Gibbons, a pianist and piano lecturer in the University of the Free State Odeion School of Music, titled the Madrid recital Midsummer Night's Dream. The programme brought together a selection of Glass's Piano Études, Nos. 2-7, 9, and 10, alongside one of his best-known solo works, Mad Rush. It took place in the Chamber Music Hall at HR Recordings, tucked into a narrow street in Madrid's historic La Latina district, and doubled as the launch of Gibbons's new album, Stained Glass. Sankie Mthembi-Mahanyele, South Africa's Ambassador to Spain, introduced the performance.
For Gibbons, the date carried an unplanned symbolism. Her recital fell on the same weekend as Madrid's Feast of St Juan, which marks the summer solstice – she reflects that this was ‘a happy coincidence’, one that added an extra layer of resonance to an evening built around music that many listeners already describe as meditative.
Her connection to Glass
Born in Bloemfontein, Gibbons began her musical education at the University of the Free State before further study at the University of Cape Town, the Royal College of Music in London, and the University of Cambridge. Nearly three decades of performing, composing, and teaching in the United Kingdom followed, before she returned to South Africa and rejoined the Odeion School of Music – this time as a lecturer.
Her connection to Glass's music runs deeper than a single programme. She describes a deep obsession with his piano writing, and particularly with the discipline it demands of a performer who had to learn to play very differently. Gibbons explains that mastering this repertoire means unlearning old habits. "One has to unlearn many physical habits of piano playing, and remain in a completely equanimous state," she explains.
The notation looks simple on the page, she notes, yet playing it convincingly requires a pianist to hold two seemingly opposite qualities at once. "There is a mechanical aspect to it, yet it is a personally touching music," she observes. She locates the appeal of Glass's style in comparison with the natural world. The compositional principle, she argues, is repetition with change, unfolding much the way that patterns repeat and shift in nature itself – an idea that tends to leave listeners with an unexpected sense of calm.
The recording process
Stained Glass, the album that the Madrid recital helped launch, was recorded by South African sound engineer John Smit, a longstanding collaborator whom Gibbons credits for his technical expertise as much as his musical ear. Produced by HR Recordings in Madrid, the album is scheduled for international release later in 2026, distributed by Naxos of America across more than 30 streaming platforms worldwide.
Gibbons maintains that the transparency of Glass's textures made the sessions a demanding process. "There is nowhere to hide, as the textures are so transparent. Any small blemish shows up immediately," she maintains. Committed to preserving the integrity of each performance, she chose to record from memory, largely in single takes with minimal editing, and points out that Smit's calm demeanour in the control room mattered as much as his ear.
Gibbons arrived in Madrid in the middle of a severe European heatwave – a sharp contrast to the South African midwinter she had left behind. She calls the opportunity to introduce this repertoire to a new audience a privilege, adding that the recital was extremely well received.
For the University of the Free State, Gibbons's journey from the Odeion to a chamber hall in Madrid reflects something the institution holds dear: academic excellence and African identity and pride, carried from its own campuses onto an international stage.