SHEILA CHISHOLM
A feature to mark (and not miss) on Cape Town’s music calendar is when husband and wife, Luis Magalhães and Nina Schumann, sit at one piano to play together at an afternoon concert. Individually they stand alongside South Africa’s past and present piano greats.
Together they are South Africa’s leading four hand classical music-makers.
Therefore their fans are in for a rare treat when they sit in Christ Church in Constantia’s serene atmosphere, and listen to that special twinned Magalhães and Schumann magic.
So, diarise TwoPianists on 4 March at Christ Church Constantia at 3pm.
Schumann, a Doctor of Music from the University of North Texas, is presently an Associate Professor and Head of Piano at the University of Stellenbosch. Yet despite her academic duties developing her many piano student’s talents, she continues pursuing her soloist career.
A career that has heard her perform over 140 concerts with orchestras here, in Germany, Portugal, Scotland, Armenia and the US. Along the way she has picked up numerous international and local awards, including the UCT Rector’s Award for Excellence, which was awarded in recognition of her contribution to music.
Magalhães, described as possessing a “polished, wonderfully full sound and refined technique”, has an enviable reputation as an international soloist. He gained his DMus from the University of Cape Town, and is presently an Associate Professor at the University of Stellenbosch. He is professionally in demand with orchestras as far afield as Japan and Europe, where his master classes are also highly sought after.
Four hand piano music
Over and above their solo careers in the regular repertoire, the duo have garnered extensive knowledge of four hand piano music. Their recently recorded TwoPianists CDs have received critical praise.
At Christ Church their programme includes Julian Schaeffer’s transcriptions for four hands on one piano of Beethoven’s Symphony No 7 in A Major Op 92; Debussy’s Symphony B Minor, Lesure Nr 10, and Ravel’s Rapsodie Espagnole (Prelude a la nuit, Malaguena, Habanera, Feria.)
This eclectic programme, performed by two lauded South African pianists should raise the rafters.
What: TwoPianists – Luis Magalhães and Nina Schumann
When: 4 March, 2018 at 3pm
Where: Christ Church, Constantia, Cape Town
Book tickets: Ann Burrough 082 318 0100, or cccticket8@gmail.com
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