The Music Revival
Concert Series at The Witness Hilton Arts Festival are sponsored by Parklane Superspar
with free concerts on the Saturday at 10h00 and Sunday 16h00 sponsored by
Marriott, The Income Specialists.
September 19 (Friday)
20h00: LATINFLUENCE
Flamenco guitarist
Demi Fernandez and jazz pianist Neil Gonsalves have been colleagues as music
teachers for 20 years. Their musical partnership is more recent and grows out
of a mutual admiration of each other’s musicianship and the desire to develop a
creative outlet that would explore the orchestral potential of the guitar-piano
duo format and the vast terrain of Latin music. Their debut CD recording, Latinfluence is the first instalment of
their duo. Playing a Latin/jazz cross-over programme of standard and original
compositions their complex and sophisticated blend is a cool start for a Friday
night concert. Director for the Centre for Jazz and Popular Music (CJPM) at
UKZN, Gonsalves has worked with many of South Africa’s most well-known and
respected jazz musicians as well as relatively long tenures with Busi Mhlongo
and Johnny Clegg. Demi Fernandez is the resident guitarist for Linda Vargas
Spanish Dance Company. Besides his work with the company, Fernandez has
performed for the Spanish Ambassador in Zimbabwe and Mozambique and as guest
artist at the Spanish Embassy, in Pretoria and Cape Town.
September 20 (Saturday)
10h00: CHRISTOPHER
DUIGAN - IN CONCERT
Leading South
African concert pianist and Steinway virtuoso Christopher Duigan plays a
classical piano recital in the Hilton College Chapel. Duigan chooses a bold
selection of dramatic music for the chapel recital, renowned for its spacious
acoustic and the magnificent piano it boasts for the festival weekend. Included
is Harmonies du Soir - Liszt, Scherzo
No 2 op 31 - Chopin, and music by Russian composers Sergei Rachmaninoff and
Alexander Scriabin. Central in the programme is Beethoven's Sonata Opus 57 Appasionata. Duigan's recent performance
of the Beethoven, one of the composers most intense and dramatic compositions,
drew rave reviews at the National Arts Festival in Grahamstown.
This concert is free, sponsored by Marriott,
The Income Specialists. Normal booking procedures are to be followed.
12h00: DAVID
SALLERAS - SONIDOS POR EL ALMA (Sounds for the soul)
Music Revival
proudly presents the consummate artistry of classical saxophonist David
Salleras at the Hilton Arts Festival. Based in Barcelona-Spain, Salleras is
acknowledged as one of the finest and most innovative saxophone players
worldwide. Playing solo classic repertoire by Jules Demersseman and Pedro
Itturalde, Salleras is also joined by young Durban-based saxophonist Maxine
Matthews in music for two saxophones by Jean-Baptiste Singelée and Astor
Piazzola. Salleras's own original compositions are included alongside music for
saxophone and piano by Christopher Duigan, who joins them at the piano. This
promises to be a varied and thrilling performance by one of the world’s leading
exponents of the instrument. Not to be missed!
14h00: TWO GUITARS
A favourite of many
festival regulars is classical guitarist James Grace, Head of Guitar Studies at
the University of Cape Town's College of Music. One of South Africa's most
sought-after concert artists, Grace is joined by young guitarist Chloe Murphy,
who is currently completing her B.Mus in Performance at UCT before continuing
studies overseas next year. Grace and Murphy will present a programme of music
arranged for two guitars by composers John Dowland and Isaac Albéniz, with
original duo works by Fernando Sor and Maximo Diego Pujol. Also featured in the
programme is the exciting and virtuosic Suite Retratos by Brazilian composer Radamés Gnatelli.
16h00: SOLO VIOLIN
- DARRAGH MORGAN
London-based, Irish
violinist Darragh Morgan, who lived in Durban as Concert Master of the KZN
Philharmonic Orchestra (2004-2005), returns to the Hilton Festival for an
exemplary programme of music for violin. Morgan has a particularly broad
and eclectic taste,which spans many genres, in particular authentic Baroque
sounds and contemporary music. He is joined by James Grace (guitar) in
excerpts from Piazzola's 'Histoire du Tango', and Christopher Duigan (piano) in
spellbinding music by contemporary Estonian composer, Arvo Pärt. Morgan
also performs music by de Falla and Kreisler alongside an unaccompanied
'Fantasias' by GF Telemann, giving rare insight into the breadth of the violin's
beautiful repertoire. Morgan’s visit to South Africa is supported by Culture
Ireland.
18h00: AMIGOS PARA
SIEMPRE
A Spanish, Latin
and Italian mix of popular music in one concert brings a highly energetic and
passionate mix to the Hilton College Chapel. Baritone Federico Freschi and
James Grace, long-standing musical partners of pianist Christopher Duigan, are
joined by David Salleras (saxophone) in this dynamic production. Freschi sings
Neapolitan songs including O sole mio
and Santa Lucia accompanied by James
Grace on the mandolin. In Granada he
teams up with Salleras whose accompanying improvisations bring authentic
Spanish flavour. Grace and Duigan play a selection from their popular Together Again programme including
Duigan's popular Indigo. They join
Salleras in the flamenco inspired La
Fiesta and Spain. An unbeatable
selection played by four outstanding performers.
Sunday September 21
10h00: SPARKY'S
MAGIC PIANO
Piano maestro,
Christopher Duigan, and accomplished performer, Anthony Stonier, bring the
well-loved tale of Sparky to life. This is a production with a difference. It
was created in 1947 when entertainment for little people was largely listening
to the wireless or a gramophone! So, in an attempt to recreate the atmosphere
of a bygone age, we blindfold our young audience in telling the tale of a
little boy reluctant to practise the piano! A wonderful story which also acts
as a splendid introduction to classical piano music. Learn to listen!
12h00 THE KZN
PHILHARMONIC PRINCIPALS QUARTET
The four principal
string players of the KZN Philharmonic Orchestra have recently joined forces to
create a string quartet. Led by new Concertmaster Joanna Frankel, this quartet,
in their second performance together, play music by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart K.
457 The Hunt and Felix Mendelssohn's String
Quartet No 2. Joanna Frankel (violin) Violeta Oserhean (violin) David Snaith
(viola) and Boris Kerimov (cello) play sublime masterworks in an ideal acoustic
for this music.
16h00: THE SONGS WE
LOVE - Federico Freschi and Christopher Duigan (piano)
For over a decade,
baritone Federico Freschi and pianist Christopher Duigan have thrilled
audiences nationwide with their particular blend - at once elegantly
sophisticated and engaging - of classical and popular music. From the vocal
gymnastics of Rossini to nostalgic, old-world operetta, to popular songs and
hits from Broadway musicals this programme never fails to delight. With a
wealth of repertoire to draw from, the programmes are tailored to suit the
audience and context.
This concert is free, sponsored by Marriott,
The Income Specialists. Normal booking procedures are to be followed.
The Music Revival
series will be held in The Chapel at Hilton College Excluding free concerts,
tickets are R100 except the FREE Concerts where normal booking applies.
To book visit www.hiltonfestival.co.za
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