French Connection
With maestro Daniel Boico once again on the podium, award-winning Russian pianist Yulianna
Avdeeva joins the KZN Philharmonic for a night of French music by Caesar Franck, Frédéric Chopin and Georges Bizet.
The programme begins with Avdeeva performing the Symphonic Variations by Caesar Franck. With
seamless and almost hypnotic blending of the solo piano with the orchestra, Franck makes use of a compositional technique known as cyclic unity and continual transformation to weave a constantly unfolding tapestry of sound.
In 2010 Ms. Avdeeva achieved international recognition as the winner of the 16th International
Frédéric Chopin Piano competition. She was only the fourth female competitor to achieve this prestigious honour and her performance of Chopin's Piano Concerto No. 2 is sure to be an inspiring experience.
Full of the rich and romantic harmony for which Chopin is best known, the simple orchestral score
provides an austere background for the lavish piano part. The evening concludes with Georges Bizet's Symphony No. 1 in C minor. Written when the composer was only 17 years old, this early symphony reveals the talent of a young composer who would go on to contribute such famous works as Carmen and L'Arlésienne. The first symphony, intended by the young composer as a project assigned by his teacher (Charles Gounod), was actually never performed until after Bizet's death, but it has since become part of the standard orchestral repertoire.
Time: 19:30 - 21:30
Venue: Durban City Hall, Durban
Cost: R90 - R200