(The KZN
Philharmonic in action. Pic: Val Adamson)
The KZN
Philharmonic Orchestra will host a two-concert Early Spring Season on Thursday August
28 and Thursday September 4 at 19h00, in the Playhouse Opera.
Bongani Tembe, KZN Philharmonic’s Chief Executive and Artistic Director, says: “We extend a welcoming hand to the music lovers of Durban, and across KwaZulu-Natal to our 2025 Early Spring Season. Our World Symphony Series has flown the emblem of Musical Excellence for more than three decades. Our upcoming season comprises two programmes that have been curated to offer an optimum of listening fulfilment.
“Our roster of distinguished guest artists is set to team up with our KZNPO musicians – and our audience, in celebrating the love of making music together. And as always, the season dovetails with our commitments to school visits, community engagement, and skills transfer among new-generation artists.”
Brandon Phillips, the popular Cape Town-based conductor, opens the season on August 28 with a performance of Mozart’s mercurial Overture The Magic Flute which premiered in Vienna on September 30, 1791, just two months before the composer’s untimely death at 36 years of age. A work of profound beauty, combining elements of fairy tale with allegory, Mozart’s fusion of musical motifs hints at the opera's themes of light and darkness, and the power of love and virtue. Forecasting the events of opera that follows, the overture takes audiences on a thrilling journey of trials and triumphs – as it brings the curtain up on the programme.
The internationally-acclaimed Japanese pianist Keigo Mukawu, one of the new generation of classical recording artists, takes the spotlight as the soloist in one of his signature pieces, Saint-Saëns’s Fifth Piano Concerto, dubbed The Egyptian. A vibrant work that reflects the composer's travels and fascination with the East, the concerto is known for its dazzling piano writing, its dramatic shifts in mood, and its blend of French Romanticism with exotic musical influences.
Borodin’s First Symphony (1868), the closing work on the programme, testifies to the young Russian composer’s early mastery of orchestral writing, with each of its movements imbued with individuality, contrasting moods and interludes of drama, serenity and lively playfulness. The symphony is geared to be a thrilling climax to the evening.
Daniel Boico returns to the KZNPO podium on September 4 with a crowd-pleasing programme of Mendelssohn, Wieniawski, and Schubert.
The evening opens with
Mendelssohn's famous Hebrides Overture, also known as ‘Fingal's Cave’. Loved by
generations of concert goers since its premiere in London in 1832, this
brilliant portrayal of the wild seascapes and the stormy turbulence of the
coast of Scotland never fails to enthral audiences.
World-renowned
Canadian violinist Susanne Hou is set to make waves in Durban music circles
when she takes the spotlight to perform Wieniawski’s Violin Concerto No 2, a
showcase of both fiery virtuosity and lyrical beauty, characteristic of the
Romantic era. The concerto, which premiered in 1862, is known for its dramatic
first movement, a soulful Romance, and a lively, gypsy-inspired finale.
Wieniawski, the soloist at the premiere, displayed a captivating blend of
technical brilliance and passionate expression, making it a staple in the
violin repertoire.
The evening climaxes with Schubert's Ninth Symphony, ‘The Great’, the undisputed pinnacle of the composer’s symphonic maturity, and widely regarded as one of the peaks of 19th symphonic writing. KZNPO concert-goers can expect to experience the wow factor of its thrilling finale to the season as maestro Boico and his musicians put their stamp on the fourth movement Allegro vivace.
For those
who prefer not to self-drive to town for the evening KZN Symphony Season
concerts, there are buses from the suburbs into town. Bus routes are from Upper
Highway, Westville, North Coast and Berea. Book through Quicket / subscribers
book through KZNPO offices.
KZN Philharmonic Season tickets, and bookings for individual concerts, are available at Quicket outlets. For more information call 031-369 9438, email info@kznphil.org.za or visit www.kznphil.org.za
To connect to the KZNPO website, click
on the advert to the top right-hand side of this article.
Posts
