Playhouse Opera: every Thursday from 6 to 27 October.
The KwaZulu-Natal Philharmonic Orchestra’s 2022 Spring Season, featuring a stellar line-up of international and local talent, runs in The Playhouse Opera every Thursday from 6 to 27 October, each World Symphony Series concert starting at 19h30.
“We are always delighted to reconnect with our loyal family of music lovers for our four concert Spring Symphony Season,” says Bongani Tembe, KZN Philharmonic’s Chief Executive and Artistic Director. “In keeping with the proud traditions of our World Symphony Series, our guest roster features an array of international stars, who will team with our dedicated orchestral musicians to bring our audiences many hours of uplifting listening. The season dovetails with our ongoing work in the spheres of community engagement and skills transfer among new generation artists and learners.”
Associate guest conductor Daniel Boico launches the season on 6 October with an eclectically exciting bill of concert favourites. Hungarian composer Zotan Kodály’s Dances of Galánta is the evening’s rousing curtain raiser. This is followed by a performance Gershwin’s iconic, jazz inspired Rhapsody in Blue, with SA soloist Nina Schumann at the piano. After intermission, a high-powered contingent of South African soloists and choristers perform highlights from Handel’s heroic oratorio, Judas Maccabeus. The line-up includes: Nombuso Dladla; Khumbuzile Dlamini; Thabiso Mademene; Bongani Kubekha; the Clermont and Zama High School Choirs; and the choral conductors, Brian Msizi Mnyandu and Njabulo Ndlovu.
The acclaimed Polish conductor Michał Dworzyński brings two popular scores to the podium on 13 October. Grieg’s much-loved Piano Concerto in A minor opens the evening with the London based Australian virtuoso, Jason Gillham, winner of the 2014 Montreal International Musical Competition, in the soloist spotlight. The second half of the programme is devoted to Rachmaninov’s Symphony No 2, which, since its premiere in St. Petersburg in February 1908, has remained one of his most beloved orchestral works, not least for its rich orchestration and passionate melodies, that assure its status among the finest Russian symphonies of the late Romantic era.
German conductor Justus Frantz makes one his regular return appearances for the third concert on 20 October. He opens his programme with a performance of Tchaikovsky’s Violin Concerto. One of the most challenging works in the world’s violin repertoire, the warhorse will be performed by the dazzling young Latvian violinist, Kristine Balanas. The programme concludes with Beethoven’s great Paean to Nature, his ‘Pastoral’ Symphony. Beethoven poured an endless stream of creativity into this wonderful work.
Rounding off the season, the noted young Israeli conductor Noam Aviel taking to the podium on 27 October. Ms Aviel, one of today’s select group of women conductors to make her mark internationally, opens her programme with Gabriel Faure’s hugely popular, ascetically rewarding Pelléas et Mélisande Suite Pelléas et Mélisande Suite. Serbia’s star cellist, Maja Bogdanovic then takes centre stage as the evening’s soloist in Camille Saint-Saëns’ fiery Cello Concerto No 1, following this with Gabriel Faure’s lovely Élégie for Cello and Orchestra. The evening closes with Mendelssohn’s ‘Italian’ Symphony, one of the best-loved works to be heard on the international concert platform.
Season tickets, and bookings for individual concerts, are available at Quicket outlets. For more information call 031-369 9438, email bookings@kznphil.org.za or visit www.kznphil.org.za.
Public is welcome to come to the tea and symphony concerts on Thursday mornings at 10am. Tickets are R50 and available from the Playhouse box-office from 9am. Children in school uniform, or under 12 years, tickets are R35. Unreserved seating throughout.
Discounted pre-validated parking available at the Royal Hotel.
KZN Philharmonic’s 2022 Spring Season
