Mozart to Mafikizolo, Bach to Porter at the Johannesburg International Mozart Festival
From Mozart to Mafikizolo, Bach to Porter, the 2019 Johannesburg International Mozart Festival is set, once again, to be a highlight on South Africa’s entertainment calendar.
Commemorating the 263rd birthday of the great composer, it takes place from January 26 to February 3.
“Ten years down the line we are still celebrating the birth of Mozart on January 27. The Mozart Festival began as a small selection of concerts, over just one weekend, and it’s now grown into a force to be reckoned with,”
said Maestro Richard Cock.
“It includes more than 20 events across three cities in the greater Gauteng region, over a 10-day period.
“Over the years we’ve celebrated many aspects of Mozart’s music and personality, and this year is no different, as we examine Mozart as a man of many jokes, both personally and within his music,”
he said.
“This year, we celebrate his quirky sense of humour through the theme “Ein Musikalischer Spass” (the Musical Joke), looking at various forms of humour, from slapstick to irony and everything in between.
“So, come ready to have your funny bone tickled and your laugh lines deepened with the 2019 edition of the Johannesburg International Mozart Festival,”
Cock said.
The Festival will be previewed by the annual Viennese New Year concerts, which take place on Saturday, January 19, at 5.30pm, and Sunday, January 20, at 3pm, at the Linder Auditorium. There is a price freeze on tickets until the end of the year. On January 2 they go up, so be sure to get yours pronto.
With Richard Cock conducting the Johannesburg Festival Orchestra, this lavish concert will feature soloists Phenye Modiane (tenor) and Hlengiwe Mkhwanazi (soprano) singing dazzling arias, in addition to the orchestral waltzes and polkas which form the traditional backbone of the event.
The programme will include works by Offenbach, Anderson and the Strauss family.
In keeping with the festival’s theme, the organisers are encouraging patrons to add humour to their outfits.
The Festival begins a little early, on Friday January 25 with the Charl du Plessis Trio kicking off the celebrations with another outrageous, hilarious and ‘souped-up’ programme of all-time greats including works by Mozart, Bach, Beethoven, and more contemporary composers Cole Porter and Chick Corea.
The following day young South African composers Jesse Dreyer, Kayode Ibiayo and Conrad Asman present new commissions in collaboration with physical theatre specialist Craig Morris. These new works focus on bringing the JIMF theme to life, and the programme includes a discussion with the composers on the creative process.
The performance, supported by the Goethe Institut, will also feature a small ensemble of members of the Johannesburg Festival Orchestra and Richard Cock, and the discussion will be facilitated by Composer-in-Residence Hans Roosenschoon.
Orchestra from Scratch is next in the line-up, on January 27, at the Scott Gym at the wits Education Campus. Over 150 amateur orchestral musicians will be rehearsing from 11am that morning to make sure that their performance is like no other you’ve ever experienced. Entry to the performance at 3pm will be by donation, the proceeds of which will go towards supporting music students in their tertiary studies.
The event, supported by Corobrik, promises to be fun-filled family entertainment with pieces by Albert Ketelby, Mafikizolo and John Williams, and all-time favourites such as a Jungle Book Medley and Colonel Bogey. It will be conducted by Susan and Richard Cock.
On Sunday, January 27, in celebration of its 5th birthday, the 10th anniversary of JIMF and Mozart’s 263rd birthday, the 67 Blankets for Mandela charity is teaming up with the festival to try to break the world record for the largest number of people in one venue crocheting simultaneously. The day’s entertainment will feature Elize Kruger on piano, Camelia Onea on violin, the Jeppe Pipe Band, the Jeppe Girls’ Marimba Band and baritone Tim Moloi, among others. Registration for the event starts at noon and it’s all happening in the Linder Auditorium.
27 January is a jam-packed day, with another event occurring later that day, at 6pm. JIMF will host a Violin and Piano Recital at Northwards House. UK-based duo Miriam Kramer (violin) and Nick Durcan (piano) present a programme with a twist, including works by Mozart, Elgar, Cage and their own version of Leory Anderson’s ‘The Typewriter’.
Continuing the chamber recital line-up, Maxime Zecchini will perform in a Piano Recital on Monday, January 28, at 7.30pm, also at Northwards house. This recital is supported by the French Institute of South Africa and features works bu Scriabin, Massenet and Bellini. Despite having use of both his hands, Zecchini will attempt this recital with only his left hand!
The rest of the festival line-up includes chamber recitals featuring German violinist Linus Roth, and Belgian clarinettist Annelien van Wauwe, both of whom will be accompanied by the JIMF Artistic Director Florian Uhlig, as well as a recital by Italian classical pianist Mariangela Vacatello. There is the annual Vocal Masterclass final recital, which will showcase the efforts of six young opera hopefuls who will have been coached by renowned German tenor Josef Protschka over the week of the Festival. ‘The Mozart Effect’ Chamber Music Concert examines
barbs of music critics, great musical disasters and petulant conductors, and will also feature a premiere of a new work by former Composer-in-Residence Clare Loveday.
In addition to these concerts, there is the annual favourite Cinema Improvisando. This year there are two screenings; on Wednesday January 30 a collection of films by French director Georges Melies, including the iconic film A Trip to the Moon (1902) (Think that memorable picture of the moon with a rocket stuck in its eye), and on Thursday January 31 a screening of Buster Keaton’s seminal comedy work The General. These screenings will be enhanced by improvised music from a small team of musicians lead by Paul Hanmer on the keyboard, including Dan selsick on trombone and Tlale Makhene playing percussion.
Another event swiftly becoming an annual favourite is the BASA CEOs Conduct the Orchestra. A line-up of six CEOs pick their favourite orchestral work and, with guidance from Maestro Richard Cock, attempt to bring it all together with a live orchestra. Supported by BASA, the concert takes place on Friday, February 1, at 2pm, at The Spaceframe Theatre, Wits Education Campus. Entry is by donation, with all proceeds going towards supporting the Johannesburg Youth Orchestra.
The final day of the Festival promises an extraordinary line-up, starting with a performance of Mozart’s Requiem, arguably the most popular out of the composer’s prolific body of work. This performance is presented by the Symphony Choir of Johannesburg and will feature soloists Maudée Montierre, Nicholas Nicolaidis and Aubrey Lodewyk, as well as the Johannesburg Festival Orchestra, and will be conducted by Richard Cock.
The highlight of the festival will be the Closing Concert on Sunday, February 3, at 3pm. Taking place at The Spaceframe Theatre, Wits Education Campus, it will feature a new commission by Composer-in-Residence Hans Roosenschoon, as well as a past work, A new costume for the Emperor. It will also include Mendelssohn’s Piano Quartet No. 2 in F minor. Supported by the Rupert Musikstigting, it will see Florian Uhlig on piano, Linus Roth on violin, Jeanne-Louise Moolman on viola and Carel Henn on cello.
With something for everyone, make sure you don’t miss this stunning variety of events and performances.
More details of all programmes, as well as venues and booking information can be found on the JIMF website.
CONTACT DETAILS AND PRICES
LINDER AUDITORIUM
T: +27 (0)861 915 8000 | Computicket Website
Viennese New Year Concerts (January 19 and 20)
Category 1 = R 330
Category 2 = R 300
Category 3 = R 260
Category 4 = R 190
Gala ticket (Saturday evening): R360 includes seating in category 1 seating area, a free programme and champagne at interval.
A 10% discount for seniors (65+), students and block bookings applies for pre-concert bookings for the above concerts.
PIANO RECITAL WITH MARIANGELA VACATELLO (February 2)
Category 1 R250
Category 2 R205
Students R50 (with valid student card)
SYMPHONY CHOIR CONCERT - MOZART REQUIEM (February 3)
Category 1 = R 330
Category 2 = R 300
Category 3 = R 265
Category 4 = R 160
THE SPACEFRAME THEATRE
Book at the JIMF office
T: +27 (0)79 233 2569
Closing Concert (February 3)
All tickets R245
65+ and students R205
NORTHWARDS HOUSE
Book at the JIMF office
T: +27 (0)79 233 2569
All tickets (except 27 January ) R210
65+ & students R175
Violin & Piano Recital (January 27) R310, including a light supper and wine. There are no concessions for this concert.
ST FRANCIS OF ASSISI, PARKVIEW
Book @ the JIMF office
T: +27 (0)79 233 2569
Chamber Music Concert (January 29)
All tickets R210
65+ & students R175
THE BIOSCOPE
Book at The Bioscope
T: +27 (0)10 007 0119
Cinema Improvisando (January 30 and 31)
BASA
T: +27 (0)11 447 2295
CEOs Conduct the Orchestra (February 1)
Entrance by donation at the door
THE GOETHE INSTITUTE
T: +27 (0)11 442 3232
New Music Event (January 26)
Entrance is free
THE SCOTT GYM
Book at the JIMF office
T: +27 (0)79 233 2569
Orchestra from Scratch (January 27)
Participants R75
Entrance for the audience is by donation at the door
|
Like What You've Read ? Be an Anonymous Angel
CLICK HERE for more Feel Good Stories
CLICK HERE for the latest News & Trends
CLICK HERE for the latest from 67 Blankets for Nelson Mandela Day
Keep up to date with all that is happening in South Africa
with iloveza.com
Subscribe to our Newsletter
Subscribe to our Weekly Digital Advert Only Pamphlet
Follow @ilovezacom on
#iloveza❤️🇿🇦 #AfterFajrGrind
|
