Fiona

The Stellenbosch University Jazz Band held a Legacy Celebration Concert on 11 May to celebrate two heroic South African icons – Nelson Mandela and Hugh Masekela – as part of the institution’s centennial celebrations. The Fiesta Award winning SU Jazz Band, one of the ensembles of the Music Department’s Certificate Programme, took centre stage under the direction of Felicia Lesch with esteemed vocal soloists Sima Mashazi, Babalwa Mentjies and Mynhardt Kruger.

The evening was specifically dedicated to launching the new Social Impact initiative of the Music Department under it’s new umbrella name Roots@SU. Roots@SU encompasses a network of programmes and projects that the Music Department is involved with through the Certificate Programmes, Rural Engagement Programme, Service Learning Programme, Stellenbosch International Chamber Music Festival, Endler Concert Series and many off-site partnership programmes. Special guests for the concert included SU Music Department community partners from areas such as Mitchell’s Plain, Athlone, Kuilsriver, Khayelitsha, Ceres, Mamre and Cloetesville. One of the highlights of the evening was when some of the learners from these community projects joined the SU Jazz Band on stage to perform Abdullah Ibrahim’s Nelson Mandela. Impressively, the kids stood up to take solos, much to the delight of the audience.

The evening also served as the launch event of the partnership between Stellenbosch University Music Department and the e’Bosch Heritage Project. Representatives from e’Bosch attended from the communities of Cloetesville, Idas Valley, Jamestown, Khayamandi, Klapmuts, Pniel, Kylemore, Raithby, Vlottenburg and Stellenbosch Central as well as music teachers and school principals from these communities.

Many of the songs performed were either composed by Masekela, such as Grazin in the grass and Thuma Mina (Send me) or powerful struggle songs such as Mayibuye. As the evening came to an end, the audience collectively danced to the well-known struggle song, Meadowlands as a tribute to Masekela, Mandela and all who wish to play a part in building a society of our dreams.

A group of nine talented young South African pianists will participate in the 2018 Hennie Joubert National Piano Competition, starting on Monday 12 March. Presented as part of the Stellenbosch International Piano Symposium, the competition is one of the most prestigious platforms in the country for young pianists.

The biennial competition, presented at the Stellenbosch University (SU) Konservatorium, was started in 1984 with Virginia Fortesque, Bennie van Eeden and Cecilia Lourens as judges, and many of the finalists have gone on to become well-known musicians. Recent former winners include Louis Nel (2016), Roelof Temmingh (2014) and Sulayman Human (2012).

This year, nine finalists have been selected as competition participants. The initial rounds will be held on Monday 12 March and Tuesday 13 March. Thereafter the judges will select five pianists to compete in the finals on Friday 16 March. Each of these five finalists will perform a movement from a piano concerto with the Cape Town Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by Corvin Matei.

The nine 2018 finalists are Qden Blaauw (13) from Durbanville, Beate Boshoff (16) from Bethlehem, Daniel Brodie (18) from East London, Leo Huan (14) from Pretoria, Gerhard Joubert (17) from Stellenbosch, Andrew Raney (16) from Johannesburg, Milano Reynecke (15) from Pretoria, Mike Wang (11) from Cape Town, and Simon Wu (17) from Cape Town.

Louis Nel (17), the most recent winner, says receiving the first prize in 2016 was a great moment in his life. “I was quite surprised because, at 15-years-old, I thought that I was too young and inexperienced for the competition. Many of the competitors had the experience of participating in previous years, and you never know how well they have progressed.”

For Louis, who hails from Pretoria, the most enjoyable part of the competition was preparing his concerto for the finals with the Stellenbosch University Symphony Orchestra. “It was also great to get to know the other competitors. Also, I learned such a lot from the master classes that was presented by the Stellenbosch International Piano Symposium.”

As part of his prize, Louis gave a piano recital in Wellington. “This was very special for me. The competition has taught me that you should never underestimate yourself, and it helped me to improve my standard of playing and to be more at ease on stage,” says Louis.

He won a total of R22 000 in prize money, as well as three recital engagements.

First held in 2006, the Stellenbosch International Piano Symposium will run from 14 to 18 March at the SU Konservatorium, following the Hennie Joubert Competition. It brings together teachers, performers and students for a programme consisting of recitals, master classes and lectures. This year, three internationally acclaimed pianists – South African Jan Hugo, Israeli Aviram Reichert and the Russian-born German Jura Margulis – will be the guest artists of the Symposium.

The three pianists will each give a recital in the Konservatorium’s Endler Hall. Hugo will perform music by Beethoven, Debussy and Liszt on Wednesday 14 March; Reichert will play works by Brahms and Schubert on Thursday 15 March; and Margulis performs a programme of works by Scarlatti, Tchaikovsky and Rachminoff on Saturday 17 March.

• Concert tickets are available from Computicket. Symposium passes can be purchased on the Symposium website, pianosymposium.co.za. The full Symposium programme is also available on the website, or call 021 808 2358 for more information.

Three acclaimed pianists will be the guest artists at the seventh Stellenbosch International Piano Symposium, which will be held from Monday 12 March to Sunday 20 March 2018. The biennial Symposium, presented by Stellenbosch University (SU) at the Konservatorium, has as its goal to promote piano teaching and performance.

The Stellenbosch International Piano Symposium, first held in 2006, provides teachers, performers and students with a platform for performance, education and the sharing of knowledge. The weeklong programme consists of recitals and master classes, a series of lectures, as well as a national piano competition.

This year, guest artists South African Jan Hugo, Israeli Aviram Reichert and the Russian-born German Jura Margulis will each give a piano recital during the Symposium. Reichert and Margulis will also present master classes at the Symposium.

Born in 1991, Hugo studied at the Hochschule für Musik in Leipzig, Germany, as well as in Italy. Most recently, in 2017, he was a semi-finalist in the Liszt International Piano Competition in Utrecht. For his Symposium recital on Wednesday 14 March, Hugo will perform works by, among others, Beethoven, Debussy and Liszt.

Reichert, praised for his intelligent interpretations, technique and tone, have won several major competitions in the Far East, France and Germany. He is a frequent soloist with the leading orchestras in his native Israel. On Thursday 17 March, Reichert gives a recital that includes works by Brahms and Schubert.

The final recital on Saturday 19 March will see Margulis performing a programme of works by Scarlatti, Tchaikovsky and Rachmaninov. Margulis has been internationally recognised for his compellingly communicative and emotional performances, as well as for the range of his tonal palette and his consummate virtuosity.

On the last evening of the Symposium, the popular Piano Extravaganza will be held, in which ten pianos and ten pianists will be on the Endler Hall’s stage.

“We are looking forward to a great 2018 Symposium. Lovers of piano music will get to hear great artists in our three special recitals, while piano teachers and students can learn and share knowledge in an environment where we all have the same passion,” says acclaimed pianist and SU piano lecturer, Prof Nina Schumann.

This year, about 50 piano students, ranging between the ages of 11 and 28, will attend the Symposium, as well as approximately 50 observers from across South Africa. Some of the student participants also perform in lunch-hour concerts.

The Symposium also presents the biennial Hennie Joubert National Piano Competition. This competition was started in 1984 with Virginia Fortesque, Bennie van Eeden and Cecilia Lourens as judges. Some of South Africa’s foremost pianists count among the finalists.

Recent former winners include Louis Nel (2016), Roelof Temmingh (2014), Sulayman Human (2012), and Dr Grethe Nöthling (2000), who will present a lecture at this year’s Symposium.

On the first two days of the Symposium, 12 and 13 March, competition participants will compete for the five finalist positions. These five pianists will then perform in the finals on Friday 18 March with the Cape Philharmonic Orchestra under the baton of Corvin Matei. Each of the finalists will play a movement from a piano concerto.

• Concert tickets are available from Computicket. Symposium passes can be purchased on the Symposium website, pianosymposium.co.za. The full Symposium programme is also available on the website, or call 021 808 2358 for more information.