Olga Kern is the soloist presenting a programme of Rachmaninoff, Schumann and Gershwin at the Baxter – the official start to the Cape Town Concert Series 2024 on Saturday 13 January at 5pm.
Olga Kern’s career has been closely associated with the music of Sergei Rachmaninoff, a composer-pianist who stands as one of the high points of Russian pianism. He lays claim to both the title “Romantic” through the rich melodic depth of his homeland and the 19th Century, and “Modern” in that he lived to the Second World War, creating some of the most enduring music of the 20th century. .
In tribute to the 150th birthday of Sergei Rachmaninoff, Kern presents a programme of his solo works spanning from his ultra-romantic early works, to the more modernist later etudes, culminating in the great Second Piano Sonata. She introduces two more phenomenal composer-pianists: Schumann and Gershwin. Schumann’s Carnaval was of tremendous importance to Rachmaninoff as a performer: he recorded it no less than three times. Gershwin was a deep admirer of Rachmaninoff and his huge technical demands provides a pallet-cleanser before diving into a darker second half.
The daughter of two pianists, and the great granddaughter of an opera singer (from Kharkiv , Ukraine) who was accompanied at the piano by Rachmaninoff himself, Olga Kern has made a huge international career for herself since winning the First Prize at the First International Rachmaninoff Competition when she was only 17. Rachmaninoff also featured prominently in her programmes for her historic win in the 2001 Van Cliburn International Piano Competition – the only woman winner in 50 years. Over the last 20 years, Olga Kern has performed all 4 Rachmaninoff piano concertos as well as the Rhapsody on the theme by Paganini in a two-evening concert event at venues all over the world, including South Africa with Cape Town
Philharmonic Orchestra.
Today, Olga Kern will be the soloist with the Cape Town Philharmonic Orchestra for the start of their Summer Season.
WHAT: Olga Kern – Rachmaninoff, Schumann and Gershwin
WHERE: Baxter Concert Hall, Main Road, Rondebosch, Cape Town 7600
WHEN: Saturday 13 January 2024 at 17:00
TICKETS & BOOKING: Individual booking for the season is at Webtickets but if you reserve for all 5 concerts and have your chosen seat for the season, please E info@ctconcerts.co.za and they can also arrange a small discount on the ticket.
Regular Season ticket: R1200 and for pensioners: R950. Students: R450.
INFO: Louise Howlett 084 682 1337 | E info@ctconcerts.co.za
See also Cape Town Concert Series starts 2024
