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luis@luismagalhaes.com

Described as possessing a “wonderfully full sound” (American Record Guide) and a “polished, refined technique” (Allmusic.com), Stellenbosch-based pianist Luis Magalhães has achieved critical acclaim as both a soloist and a chamber musician. In addition to numerous performances in South Africa and his native Portugal, Switzerland, amongst others. Beyond Europe, he has appeared on stages in Brazil, South Africa, China, Japan, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, and on numerous occasions, the United States.

Luis is active as a studio musician, and has collaborated with many remarkable recording artists including Frank Stadler (violin), Daniel Rowland (violin), Madeline Adkins (violin), Priya Mitchell (violin), Gareth Lubbe (viola), Julian Arp (cello) Peter Martens (cello), and James Austin Smith (oboe). The recording with Martens, featuring the complete cello sonatas of L. v. Beethoven, was awarded a coveted South African Music Award (SAMA) in 2011, while both violin recordings have received glowing reviews in The Strad. From 2000 to 2021 he formed part of TwoPianists Piano Duo and released four critically acclaimed CDs. This collaboration with the pianist Nina Schumann has been compared to the celebrated Ashkenazy- Previn and Argerich-Freire duos (American Record Guide). Furthermore, he has engaged in more frequent duo collaboration with the violinist Alissa Margulis rendering rave reviews.

Luis was awarded a DMus from the University of Cape Town in 2011, and currently holds aN Associate Professorship at the University of Stellenbosch. Luis has also given extensive masterclass tuition including lessons at New York’s fabled Juilliard School and numerous universities across Europe, Asia and the United States. As an expert pianist and educator, Luis has also served in the jury of many competitions including the prestigious Tchaikovsky International Piano Competition for Young Musicians (2012). Luis is a Yamaha International Artist.

nina@twopianists.com

Nina Schumann was born into a musical family, receiving her early music tuition from Rona Rupert and Lamar Crowson. Her first appearance with an orchestra was at the age of 15 and her talent soon captured the attention of the public when she won the Fifth National Music Competition for high school pupils in 1988. She went on to win the Oude Meester Music Prize (1989), the Forte Competition (1990) and during 1991 both the Wooltru Scholarship and the Adcock-Ingram Music Prize.

She has over 140 concerto performances with orchestras in South Africa, Germany, Portugal, Scotland, Armenia and the United States to her credit, and some 40 concertos in her repertoire.

In 1993 Schumann won the SAMRO Overseas Scholarship Competition and was awarded the Jules Kramer and Harry Crossley Bursaries for Overseas Study by the University of Cape Town. She crowned these prizes by winning the sought-after SABC Music Prize as well as the Oude Meester National Chamber Music Competition.

International accolades followed: she won prizes for the Best South African Pianist in the 1993 UNISA International Piano Competition, Finalist and Special Prize Winner at the Shreveport Concerto Competition (1996) and Third Prize in the Casablanca International Piano Competition (1997).

After completing her MMus at the University of California, Los Angeles, Schumann enrolled for a Doctorate of Music at the University of North Texas under the tutelage of Van Cliburn-winner, Vladimir Viardo. She received several academic prizes: Dean’s Medal (UCT), Best Performer (UCLA), Best Performer (UNT), Best Pianist (UNT) and Best Doctoral Student (UNT).

Following her appointment as Associate Professor and Head of Piano at the University of Stellenbosch in 1999, Schumann transferred her Doctorate to UCT, where she graduated in 2005. In 2009 she was awarded the UCT Rector’s Award for Excellence in recognition of her contribution to music.

Solo career and academic life aside, Schumann has formed a critically acclaimed duo with her husband, pianist Luis Magalhães, simply titled TwoPianists. Their CD’s have received rave reviews from international publications such as Diapason, International Record Review and Allmusic.com. In 2011, American Record Guide named their second CD it’s Editor’s Choice.

 Together with Magalhães, Schumann is a founder and director of TwoPianists Records, which is distributed worldwide by Naxos, thereby ensuring immediate international market access for the artists they are committed to record. For two consecutive years, TwoPianists Records won the South African Music Award for the Best Popular Classical Album. Schumann’s first recording with mezzo-soprano Michelle Breedt, Shakespeare Inspired, also received the German Critics’ Choice Award.

Schumann has given master classes worldwide at prestigious international institutions and music schools such as the Juilliard School of Music. During the 2013/2014 season, she made her much-anticipated Wigmore Hall and Zürich Tonhalle debuts.

In May 2014 Nina Schumann became Yamaha International Artist.

mariansteyl@mweb.co.za

Marian was awarded the degree MMus (cum laude) in 2018 at Stellenbosch University, with the late David Muller as her piano lecturer and Boudewijn Scholten as her organ lecturer. Since 1984 she has been teaching piano, recorder, music theory and music history, and also organ since 1987. In 1989 she obtained the BA (Hons) degree in History of Music under Professor Walton at the University of the Witwatersrand. Marian has held organ posts in the Northern Suburbs since 1988 and taught various organ students who are now active as church organists. She resumed her organ studies in 2011 under Mario Nell and obtained the Trinity College Performer’s Licentiate in organ in 2013. Since 2010 she teaches organ at the SU Department of Music.

lind.amuse@hotmail.com

Linda Claassen was awarded the degrees BMus (Hons) and MMus (cum laude) both from Stellenbosch University and performer’s licentiates in piano and organ at Unisa. She studied under John Antoniadis, Adolph Hallis and Lamar Crowson and was a participant of the first two international piano competitions presented by Unisa.

Under her leadership, the school choir of Tygerberg High School (1994-2010) received numerous national awards and an international second place. From 2007 to 2012 she was the founder and conductor of Tygerberg Camerata, who won their categories at the Suidoosterfees and US Woordfees and performed at Cultivaria, the US Choral Symposium and Afri-Klassiek, amongst others. In 2011 she acted as choirmaster of Cape Town Opera’s production Brundibar at the Artscape Theatre. Tygerberg Charité is an annual musical production in aid of charity that she presents with the South African Navy Band and choirs in Cape Town City Hall. She has received a Paul Harris Award from the Bellville Rotary Club for her community service. She has been a part-time lecturer in organ at SU since 2012 as well as the conductor of the Tygerberg City Choir. She was the chief judge of the ATKV Animato Choir Competition in 2016.

Linda is head of Tygerberg High School’s music department, organist at the De Tyger Dutch Reformed Church and part-time piano teacher and accompanist at the Hugo Lambrechts Music Centre.