The KwaZulu-Natal Philharmonic Orchestra.
THE KwaZulu-Natal Philharmonic Orchestra creates music to warm our hearts and souls every Thursday in a six concert Winter World Symphony Series 2016 starting at 7.30 pm on Thursday, May 19 in Durban’s majestic City Hall.
The Winter Season features top South African and international musicians in an eclectic and carefully created programme of amazing music.
“We are committed to bringing the highest quality concerts to Durban thereby enriching the city and province through music,” says Bongani Tembe: CEO and Artistic Director of the KZN Philharmonic.
The season opens on Thursday, May 19 with a programme of grand choruses, an elegant piano concerto and a fantastic symphony under the baton of associate guest conductor Daniel Boico.
The Durban Symphonic Choir.
The orchestra is joined by the Durban Symphonic Choir (celebrating their 50 years milestone) and the Clermont Community Choir, performing Haydn’s The Creation: The Heavens are Telling of God. Singapore-born British classical pianist, Melvyn Tan (below right), performs Mozart’s Concerto No 23 in A major. The evening’s programme also features Mozart’s Ave verum corpus and Berlioz’s massive Symphonie Fantastique inspired by an opium dream!
Daniel Boico (above left) remains in the podium for the second concert of the season on May 26 with superstar horn player Jeff Nelson as the soloist. Acknowledged as one of the most accomplished horn players in the world, he performs Richard Strauss’s Horn Concerto No. 2. The evening opens with the quirky Chairman Dances by John Adams, and the programme closes with Schumann’s gritty and earthy Symphony No. 4.
The third concert on June 2 celebrates youth month. The KZN Philharmonic is joined by the Bochabela String Orchestra from Bloemfontein in a programme which features Shostakovich’s Festive Overture performed with the KZN Youth Wind Band.
Clayton Penrose-Whitmore, a 22-year-old African American violinist from a Detroit-based minority youth string programme, performs Wieniawski’s Violin Concerto No.2. The evening wraps up with Lutoslawski’s Concerto for Orchestra, all under the baton of resident conductor Lykele Temmingh.
The music continues on June 9, under the baton of American conductor, Michael Morgan. He leads the KZN Philharmonic through a concert showcasing the work of Niccolo Paganini – one of the first classical music superstars.
Hungarian Kristof Barati performs his mountainous Violin Concerto No.1. Also on the programme is Dvorak’s Nocturne for Strings and Mendelssohn’s Symphony No. 4.
The penultimate concert in the series features a programme of music from Germany and Italy. Conductor for the evening is Dutch maestro, Arjan Tien.
The evening opens with Humperdinck’s Overture to Hansel and Gretel. Polish pianist/composer, Maciej Grzybowski, joins the KZN Philharmonic to perform Schumann’s Piano Concerto in A minor. The second part of the programme turns to Italian opera from the Romantic period with a selection of overtures and arias by Donizetti and Verdi. The soloist is Port Elizabeth soprano, Noluvuyiso Mpofu.
The Winter Season comes to a close on June 23 with an evening of Bach, Mozart and Beethoven. Carlos Izcaray is on the podium conducting a programme which begins with Mozart’s “Haffner” Symphony.
The soloist for the evening is Zimbabwean-American violist, Nokuthula Ngwenyama, performing both Bach’s Concerto for Viola and one of her own compositions: Concerto for Viola. The season closes with Beethoven’s Symphony No.8.
Refreshments and light snacks may be purchased in t1he foyer before the concert and during interval.
Single tickets are available from http://www.computicket.com, 0861 915 8000, or from Shoprite Checkers Money Market counters. Subscribers can save up to 30%.
The final rehearsals for the Winter Symphony Season concerts in the City Hall at 10 am on Thursday mornings are open to the public and provide a glimpse into the preparation for a symphony concert. Entrance for adults is R30, which includes a cup of tea, and R10 for pupils. Contact bookings@kznphil.org.za or call us on 031 369 9438. Please note that there are no open rehearsals for operatic programmes.
You can also gain a deeper understanding of the music you are about to hear by attending the Friends of Music’s Pre-Concert Lecture at the City Hall starting at 6 pm. Entry is R10.
For more information, contact 031 369 9438 or email bookings@kznphil.org.za Additional information and updates can be found on the KZN Philharmonic’s website, http://www.kznphil.org.za and Facebook pages.
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