Amalia Hall with Jose Dias: Sonatas

Due to family illness, Christopher Park is no longer able to travel to South Africa at this time.  Fortunately his violin partner Amalia Hall is still available to take over the concert and she will be performing a wonderful programme of sonatas for violin and piano with Portuguese/South African pianist José Dias.

PROGRAMME:
Beethoven Sonata No. 8, Op.30  //  Franck Sonata in A major   // Prokofiev Sonata No. 1 in F minor  //  Sarasate Carmen Fantasy, Op.25

Recently appointed as Concertmaster of Orchestra Wellington, Amalia Hall is widely recognised as one of the foremost young violinists to emerge from New Zealand, having received widespread acclaim for her ability to move audiences with her inherent musicality and natural facility. She has won five international competitions and has received laureate prizes at numerous others, including the Joseph Joachim, Premio R. Lipizer and International Tchaikovsky Competition for Young Musicians. While still in her teens she won all of the major national awards in New Zealand.

Since making her debut at the age of 9 with the Auckland Philharmonia, Amalia has been a regular soloist with orchestras in New Zealand, and has made solo appearances with orchestras in Europe and Mexico including I Virtuosi Italiani, Munich Chamber Orchestra, NDR Radiophilharmonie, Filarmonica Marchigiana and Mexico State Symphony Orchestra. Her extensive performing experience includes performing concerti, recitals and chamber music throughout Europe, USA, China, Mexico and NZ; touring for Chamber Music New Zealand, Curtis on Tour and as a member of the NZ Chamber Soloists; and recording chamber music for Bridge Records and Atoll Records. Amalia is currently a member of the teaching staff at the University of Waikato, a position she also held in 2014, and has given masterclasses at universities and conservatories in Italy, England and Mexico.

Amalia studied at the prestigious Curtis Institute of Music with Pamela Frank and Joseph Silverstein.

Portuguese-born pianist, José Dias first travelled to South Africa in 2001 to enrol at the University of Stellenbosch, where he was to complete his BMus Honours cum laude, then furthering his studies at the Hochschule für Muzik und Theater in Zürich, Switzerland where he obtained his Konzertdiplom with distinction.

José Dias is in growing demand as a soloist, chamber musician and accompanist, and has also been the musical director of Biblioteek Productions’ Amore, Waansin and Poskantoor operatic stage-works – the latter having been awarded Best Production at Aardklop and received 2 Fiesta Awards and 7 Nominations. He was co-creator and curator of RISE, in cooperation with the Cape Philharmonic Orchestra – a platform for the display of young SA classical talent – and is also an avid supporter of contemporary music, having premiered works by composers such as Hendrik Hofmeyr, Alexander Johnson and Braam du Toit. Many of these (some written especially for him) have been recorded and are available on CD.  He is currently completing his PhD (Music) at the University of Cape Town under the supervision of Prof. François du Toit and Prof. Hendrik Hofmeyr, and is a part-time lecturer at the UCT College of Music.