KZNPO SHOWCASES YOUNG SA TALENT

The KZN Philharmonic will host seven of South Africa’s most talented musicians at the National Youth Concerto Festival on September 30. This annual event showcases the cream of SA’s young talent, hand-picked by resident conductor, Lykele Temmingh, through a national audition process. A special feature this year will be the appearance of the KZN Youth Orchestra, who recently performed with the Parlotones. They will be joined on stage by the Bochabela String Orchestra to perform an overture composed by Roelof Temmingh, Concerto Overture No. 2.

The KZN Youth Orchestra is a development orchestra made up of young people who can read music; have a rudimentary ability to play an instrument and are under 23 years old. They meet on a weekly basis and are coached under professional guidance on individual mastery over their instruments.

The Bochabela String Orchestra is part of the Mangaung String Programme (MSP), which is a development programme initiated by the Free State Musicon in July 1998 under the leadership of Peter Guy, a former member of the KZN Philharmonic (1985-1991). The children from the programme are from the greater Bloemfontein area, predominately Mangaung. The Bochabela String Orchestra is, in essence, the public face of the MSP and performs a wide variety of music from baroque to traditional and popular African music.

Commenting on the 2010 National Youth Concerto Festival, Chief Executive and Artistic director of the orchestra, Bongani Tembe, said: “We are delighted to once again bring the Durban audiences some of the very best young talent South Africa has to offer. This festival is an important part of our education and development programme and we are encouraged by the high standard of the participants this year. We are equally excited to welcome the Bochabela String Orchestra to the event for the first time.”

The seven soloists will treat the Durban City Hall audience to an evening of great entertainment.

Johannesburg-based Fladia Buongiorno (sopranino recorder) started music at the age of seven. Her impressive CV includes distinction for her Trinity Grade 7 practical exam in recorder. Fladia will perform movements from Vivaldi’s Recorder Concerto in C Major. Flautist Sally Jane Minter recently performed an on-stage flute solo in the UCT and Cape Town Opera production of Rossini’s Il Viaggio a Reins. A recent finalist in the Pick ‘n Pay Fine Music Radio 101.3 music competition, the Capetonian will perform Chaminader’s Flute Concerto. Pianist Jane Yu brings the first half to a close with the 3rd movement of Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 3. Currently in her third year at the South African College of Music, Jane has performed all over the world, including Taiwan, Vermont, USA and at Carnegie Hall.

Born in China, 20-year-old Junnan Sun is a third year BMus student at the University of Pretoria. He has appeared as a soloist on SABC’s Morning Live show and also with the South African National Youth Orchestra. Junnan opens the second half of the programme with the 3rd movement of Mozart’s Clarinet Concerto in A. Tobias Kotzé received the Overberg Eisteddfod Trophy for the most promising participant in the Junior music section (piano and singing) at the tender age of eight. He twice attended the Neuberger Kulturtage in Austria where he received intensive tuition from Prof. Heidi Litchauer, of the Mozarteum in Salzburg, who describes Kotzé as one of the most promising young cellists of South Africa. Tobias will perform Bruch’s Kol Nidrei.

Also performing a Bruch composition – the 3rd movement of his Violin Concerto No. 1, is violinist Lieva Starker. She has won numerous medals and awards at different eisteddfods in and around Cape Town since 2004. Most recently (2010) Lieva was placed second in the Pieter Kooij music competition for High School Learners. Cape Town’s Francois Botha brings the evening to a close with the 1st movement of Khachaturian’s Piano Concerto. Having switched from Jazz to classical piano in 2001, he went on to receive a music scholarship in 2004 at Bishops Diocesan College. He has taken top honours at numerous eisteddfods and participated in competitions around the country.

The concert, which forms part of the KZN Philharmonic’s WSS Spring season, takes place in the Durban City Hall on September 30 at 19h30. Booking is through Computicket. Safe and subsidized parking is available at The Royal Hotel and, as always, the orchestra will retain the services of additional security guards to ensure the safety of all concert goers. More information from the KZNPO website which can be found by clicking on the advert at the top of this page.