MUSIC

FOM PROGRAMME



The recitals being given by two young Durban pianists this month are among the many recitals and concerts lined up for 1997 by the Friends of Music.

On February 18, Lara Jones, an artiste well known to Friends of Music audiences, will perform a programme comprising works by Chopin, Debussy and Schubert.

A pupil of David Tidboald, the Natal Philharmonic Orchestra's conductor lau-reate, Lara also performs with the NPO in the 1997 World Symphony series.

DUO

A week after Lara's recital on February 25, the Friends of Music present the piano/clarinet duo of Marika Hofmeyr and Gilles Swierc who will perform works from a wide-ranging repertoire.

South African-born Marika Hofmeyr studied at the University of Cape Town under Lamar Crowson before attending the Mozarteum in Salzburg on a scholarship

A young Frenchman, Gilles Swierc has performed with the Philharmonic Orchestra of Monte Carlo and the Chamber Orchestra of Lyon, among others.

CANNES

Now based in Cannes, the duo has given numerous recitals in Europe, broadcasts frequently, appears at music festivals and has issued several CDs, the latest featuring works by Brahms.

The two recitals will be given, as usual, in the Durban Jewish Club in Old Fort Road at 19h45.

SUNDOWNER JAZZ

Enjoy jazz as the sun sets. At the BAT Centre every Friday, a jazz outfit from the University of Natal's Centre of Jazz and Popular Music gives a complimen-tary concert on the terrace.

WORLD SYMPHONIES

Following the success of the first NPO World Symphony Season Series last year, the Natal Philharmonic Orchestra guaran-tees another year of outstanding music in its 1997 series which opened last month.

On February 6, under conductor Roberto Benzi, the orchestra will play Les Fetes d'Heber by Rameau and Franck's Symphony in D minor, with Gordon Fergus-Thompson as soloist in the Mozart Piano Concerto No 21 K467.

This programme of French music is pre-sented by the French Institute of South Africa (IFAS) and Alliance Fran‡aise.

David Tidboald then takes over the baton for the next three concerts.

February 13 sees Ariel Shamai as the soloist in the Mendelssohn Violin Concerto in E minor Op 64. Other works on the programme are Wagner's Siegfried Idyll and the Symphony No 2 (Little Russian) by Tchaikovsky.

Opening the concert on February 20 is Schumann's Manfred Overture. This will be followed by Chopin's Piano Concert No 2 with Christopher Duigan as soloist, and the Brahms Symphony No 4.

On February 27, soloists Linda Bukhosini and Andre Howard are joined by the KwaZulu-Natal Chorale in Carl Orff's Carmina Burana. The other work is Beethoven's Symphony No 2.

Concerts are at 19h30 in the City Hall.

KAT AND THE KINGS

David Kramer and Taliep Petersen, who joined forces in 1986 to write the highly successful District Six: The Musical, will open their latest musical, Kat and the Kings, for a season at the Elizabeth Sneddon Theatre from April 1.

CLASSIC MUSIC FRIENDS

Recently, the SABC announced that it could no longer afford to fund the National Symphony Orchestra's annual R15m operation. Also, the Cape Town Symphony Orchestra and the Cape Phil-harmonic will merge next month.

In a major initiative to safeguard the future of classical music in South Africa, the radio station SAfm has launched the Friends of Classical Music to preserve live broadcasts of classical music performed by symphony orchestras.

HANDFUL

SAfm is the only radio station on the African continent and one of a handful in the southern hemisphere that broadcasts live performances of classical music.

It, too, faces serious budgetary cuts.

"Classical music is considered the preserve of a wealthy, white elite in South Africa," says SAfm station manager Charlene Smith. "In fact the most rapid growth amongst classical musicians, opera and choral talent in the country is among the black community."

It is hoped that the fund created by Friends of Classical Music will ensure that the broadcast of classical music continues on SAfm. This will account for 75% of the money contributed while 20% will be allocated to a bursary fund created for gifted classical musicians.

Contributions should be sent to SAfm Friends of Classical Music, SABC, PO Box 91162, Auckland Park, 2006.

Or contact Terry Logie (011) 714-2011 or Rodney Trudgeon (011) 714-4529.