RECITAL NO. 10
BEN SCHOEMAN – piano
Saturday, 14 November, at 20:00
"One was yet again taken aback by the splendour and strength of Schoeman's dazzling virtuosity." – Tonight
Described by critics as the finest South African pianist of his generation, BEN SCHOEMAN became the first South Africa to win the coveted First Prize and Gold Medal at the 2008 UNISA Vodacom International Piano Competition. This was the culmination of many years of success in South Africa where he has won all the national music competitions that he was eligible to enter, including the two UNISA Overseas Music Scholarships, the South African Music Rights Organisation Overseas Scholarship and the UNISA National Piano Competition. In South Africa he has been soloist with the Johannesburg Philharmonic, KwaZulu-Natal Philharmonic and Cape Philharmonic Orchestras, as well as the Chamber Orchestra of South Africa. He has given many recitals and frequently appeared in chamber music performances with leading South African instrumentalists. Abroad he has given concerts and recitals in United Kingdom, Germany, France, Switzerland, The Netherlands, Czech Republic, Bulgaria, and Georgia. In 2007 he gave recitals at two prestigious summer festivals in Canada – the Orford Arts Festival and the Ottawa Chamber Music Festival – and was lauded at chamber music performances at the Moritzburg Festival Academy in Germany. Last year he was part of an extensive tour throughout South Africa as pianist of the Moritzburg Festival Trio together with leading German musicians, the violinist Kai Vogler and cellist Peter Bruns, after which he appeared as soloist with the Cape Philharmonic in the 3rd Cape Town International Music Festival. Ben Schoeman currently furthers his studies at the Accademia Pianistica 'Incontri col Maestro' in Imola, Italy under Michel Dalberto and Boris Petrushansky, as well as with Louis Lortie in Berlin. Earlier this year he made his Berlin recital debut at the Konzerthaus and in May won the Gold Medal in the Royal Overseas League International Music Competition in London.
"Schoeman played to all of his considerable strengths – allying his fantastic technique with his deeply romantic spirit." – Pretoria News
PROGRAMME
BEETHOVEN Sonata No.7 in D major, Op. 10 No.3 MENDELSSOHN Variations Sérieuses, Op.54 BRAHMS Variations on a theme of Paganini, Op. 35 (Book 1) LISZT Sonata in B minor, S. 178 Book online through Computicket.
This concert is sponsored by
BEN AND SHIRLEY RABINOWITZReturn to Programme page