The 4th Johannesburg International Mozart Festival (JIMF) will take place from 27 January to 19 February 2012 in Johannesburg, with the main symphony concerts and recitals being held at the Linder Auditorium.
Originally organised in 2006 to commemorate the 250th anniversary of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s birthday, the Johannesburg International Mozart Festival has developed into a highly successful and well-loved annual classical music event, with popular conductor Richard Cock at the helm as Music Director, together with concert pianist Florian Uhlig as Artistic Director.
Since 2010, the incorporation of a Festival theme has informed dynamic intersections, and the 2012 theme, “Quasi Improvisando”, promises interesting contributions from diverse backgrounds. “While Mozart has always been our red thread, the Festival has developed hugely in terms of size and significance over the past three years, and the Mozart focus has seen a number of exciting innovations and contextualisations that resonate more and more meaningfully within the South African soundscape”, Uhlig explains.
The composer-in-residence for the 2012 Festival is Cape Town born pianist and composer, Paul Hanmer. Hanmer began classical piano and theory lessons in 1970, and moved to Johannesburg in 1987. He has recorded albums with Tananas, Miriam Makeba, Ray Phiri, McCoy Mrubata and Pops Mohamed. Sheer Sound released Hanmer’s first album as a leader, Trains to Taung, in 1997. Since then he has recorded five more albums, and composed numerous commissioned quintets and orchestral works. JIMF 2012 will see the realisation of two new orchestral commissions – one for flute and orchestra, and the other a triple concerto for violin, piano, jazz trumpet and orchestra.
Workshops and Masterclasses are increasingly an important platform of the JIMF. The Melodi Music project held as part of the Festival in previous years will run again, but this year forms part of an intercultural education exchange scheme with a similar group of students from Germany. In the spirit of the collaboration with the Schleswig-Holstein Festival, two week-long Masterclasses will be on offer – one for organists and one for South African vocal talents focussed on development of singing technique, style and interpretation. Presented in conjunction with UNISA Pretoria, it will be led by Prof Josef Protschka, who brings his experience of an international career as an opera and lieder singer, as a r enowned pedagogue, and as Director of the Music Conservatoire in Cologne, Germany.
Highlights on the 2012 programme of performances include distinguished young South African artists such as Shannon Mowday, and Quattro Fusion, with previous Standard Bank Young Artist award winners Melanie Scholtz and Samson Diamond performing with Melvin Peters and Godfrey Mgcina. Also making an appearance will be KANNA Award winner for Best Male Artist at the 2010 ABSA KKNK, and more recently 2011 KykNET Fiesta Award winner, guitarist James Grace, who is one of one South Africa’s leading concert artists. Other prominent South African musicians and ensembles such as Hans Huyssen, Jill Richards, Waldo Alexander, Feya Faku, Magda de Vries, Frank Mallows, the Chanticleer Singers, and the Johannesburg Festival Orchestra will also be making appearances at the 2012 JIMF.
A number of high-calibre international artists join their South African colleagues, to make music and inspire a younger generation of musicians. Coming from the UK is Brazilian Cristina Ortiz, whose natural musicality and masterful craftsmanship have ensured her a place among the most respected pianists in the world. Throughout her extensive career she has performed with the Berliner Philharmoniker, Wiener Philharmoniker, and the Chicago Symphony, Philharmonia and Royal Concertgebouw orchestras amongst many others. Other renowned musicians featured include conductor Kristjan Järvi, Swiss recorder virtuoso Maurice Steger, New York-based Armenian Violinist Misha Simonyan, German/Japanese Solo Violinist Mirijam Contzen, Italian flautist Massimo M ercelli, and French organist Daniel Roth.
Tickets for concerts at the Linder Auditorium and the University of Johannesburg Theatre will be available through Computicket. For other venues, including Northwards House, Arcadia House, St. Mary’s Cathedral, and venues in Soweto, please contact (011) 447 9264. For more information please visit www.join-mozart-festival.org, and join the Johannesburg International Mozart Festival page on Facebook for regular updates on Festival happenings and competitions.
Author: Fiona Gordon
