Durban - The KZNPO opens its Summer Season this week with a series of four concerts featuring acclaimed local and international soloists and conductors.
The concerts take place on Thursday evenings from February 17 until March 17 at The Playhouse Opera, with a new starting time of 7pm.
The opening concert this week features Canadian conductor and regular KZNPO visitor Bernhard Gueller leading the orchestra in Beethoven’s Leonore Overture No 3, Bruch’s Violin concerto No 1 and the Brahms Symphony No 2.
Acclaimed violinist Hyeyoon Park is the star of the show. Since making her orchestral debut at the age of nine with the Seoul Philharmonic, she has achieved international acclaim with many of the world’s greatest orchestras and is the youngest winner of the ARD International Music Competition, which she won in Munich at the age of 17 in 2009. She plays a violin made by the German violin maker Stefan-Peter Greiner.
The second concert on March 3 sees Gueller conducting Mozart’s Eine kleine Nachtmusik, and his popular Symphony No 40. The KZNPO’s principal cellist Boris Kerimov performs Schumann’s Cello Concerto, a work only recently rescued from obscurity.
On March 10 it’s a family affair, as conductor Lykele Temmingh conducts his late brother Roelof Temmingh’s Piano Concerto, with the composer’s son, also Roelof, on the piano. Roelof Jr has just completed his masters in music at The Royal College of Music in London and has already built up a reputation as a chamber musician.
Janáček’s Adagio and Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No 6 (Pathetique) complete the programme.
The final concert on March 17 sees popular conductor Daniel Boico back on the podium.
Acclaimed Russian/Israeli pianist Ilya Friedberg plays Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No 1. Completing the programme is the composer’s Symphony No 3 (Eroica), another milestone in the development of the symphonic repertoire.
There are a limited number of tickets available. To book season and single tickets, email [email protected] or phone 031 369 9438.
There will be Tea and Symphony concerts for the final rehearsal every Thursday at 10am at the Playhouse Opera. Tickets are R50.
The Independent on Saturday