Die Reis na Japan is ‘n musiekprogram wat die pryswenner Suid-Afrikaanse marimbaspeler Magdalena de Vries gelei het tot  ‘n pelgrimstog na Japan. Die veelsydigheid van die konsert-marimba word veral aan die lig gebring deur die betowerende musiek van die marimba-virtuoos en komponis Keiko Abe, en die ritmies gekompliseerde kontemporêre werk van Toshi Ichiyanagi. De Vries se verdieping in die Oosterse musiekkultuur word verduidelik deur die musiek wat haar loopbaan en haar benadering tot die uitvoeringskuns sterk beïnvloeed het.

Oor die werke op die program sê Magdalena dat Keiko Abe …”een van die pioniers is wat die marimba as solo-instrument herontdek en bevorder het, en dat sy, benewens uitvoerder, ook ‘n begaafde komponis is, en dat heelparty van haar komposisies die voortgespruit het uit haar besondere gawe vir improvisasie.” Magdalena het opleiding van die Japannese marimba-onderwser, prof Atsushi Sugahara. Magdalena getuig van Sugahara dat hy een van die toonaangewende komponiste in Japan is, en dat hy gereeld deur spelers genader word vir opdragwerke. Een van hulle is Toshi Ichiyanagi, wie se Portet van die Woud – wat opgedra is aan Sugahara  – een van die eerste werke wat Magdalena in Japan aangeleer het, en ingesluit is in haar program.

Sy sal ook dele uit Sebastian Bach se derde Tjellosuite op haar instrument voordra. Hierdie keuse is ook die keuse wat sy gemaak het vir ‘n geslaagde oudisie wat sy in 1998 moes aflê vir ‘n publieke konsert van kollegestudente in die Nakano Zero-saal.  Sy reken dat dit nie slegs haar liefde vir die Barok wat haar dié beslsuit laat neem het nie, maar ook omdat Sugahara ‘n kenner is van marimbaspel van Bach se musiek.

Die konsert vind plaas op Dinsdag 17 Augutus – 24 Augustus.

Vir meer inligting skakel  Fiona Grayer by concerts@sun.ac.za of 021 808 2358.

PROGRAM

Reis na Japan

Michi – Keiko Abe (geb. 1937)

Suite III in C major BWV 1009   – J.S. Bach (1685 – 1750)

Prelude

Sarabande

Gigue

Dream of the Cherry Blossoms – Keiko Abe (geb. 1937)

Portrait of Forest – Toshi Ichiyanagi (geb. 1933)

Intermezzo from Cavalleria Rusticana – Pietro Mascagni (1863 – 1945) Verw. Eriko Daimo

Ghanaia – Matthias Schmitt (geb. 1958)

Memories of the Seashore – Keiko Abe (geb. 1937)

BIO

BIO Magdalena de Vries, South Africa’s foremost classical marimbist, has won all the major South African music prizes and international scholarships. After obtaining performer’s licentiate diplomas (with distinction) from both the Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music and the University of South Africa, two of the most prestigious South African overseas music scholarships were awarded to her and enabled her to pursue postgraduate studies in percussion as the first foreign student at the Tokyo College of Music under Professor Atsushi Sugahara. As orchestral percussionist, Magdalena has worked with the Yomiuri Nippon Symphony Orchestra (Tokyo), attended the 2000 Festival de Musica de Canarias as member of the former Cape Town Philharmonic Orchestra, and currently regularly works with all major South African orchestras. Magdalena won the first prize in the Performing Australian Music Competition in London, May 2001, and was subsequently featured as guest soloist on BBC3 In Tune. In 2003 she formed Duo FourIVTwo with South Africa’s foremost vibraphonist, Frank Mallows. The duo has performed with great success at the Grahamstown National Arts Festival, the Baxter Concert Hall (Cape Town), the Aardklop Festival (Potchefstroom), Northwards House (Johannesburg), Baroque in the Bush (Kruger National Park), the Franschoek Festival as well as the ZK Matthews Auditorium. Magdalena has performed a large number of world premiéres including works by Errollyn Wallen, Peter Klatzow, Robert Fokkens, Paul Hanmer, Clare Loveday, Alexander Johnson and Hendrik Hofmeyr. In 2006 Magdalena was invited to perform once again as concerto soloist with COSA and was one of the featured soloists at the RMB Starlight Classics, performing the world premiére of Mozart for Marimba, arranged especially for her. In August 2007 she performed Bartok’s Concerto for Two Pianos and Percussion with the JPO and in September 2009 she was once again one of the featured soloists at the RMB Starlight Classics in Johannesburg. In September 2010 Magda performed the South African premiere of La Folia, Karl Jenkins’ marimba concerto and in March 2011 she shared the stage with Katherine Jenkins at the RMB Starlight Classics in Cape Town. Most recently she performed as soloist with the JFO performing the world premiere of Peter Klatzow’s Concerto for Marimba, Vibraphone and Strings. As recording artist, she is featured on CDs by Claire Johnston, Denzil Weale, Hannelie Rupert, Ockie Vermeulen, Duo FourIVTwo and Acoustic Moodz. MarimBaroque, released in November 2013, is her 1st solo album. As adjudicator, she is chairman of the Stellenbosch National Ensemble Competition, and has been on the panel of the Performing Australian Music International Competition in London, as well as the ATKV Muziq. As educator, she lectures marimba at Beaulieu Preparatory School and percussion at the Universities of Pretoria and Witwatersrand and is the percussion instructor for the MIAGI Youth Orchestra. She has also set all the percussion syllabi for the UNISA Directorate of Music practical examinations. Magdalena is the fulltime marimbist of Duo FourIVTwo and works as freelance percussionist with the Johannesburg Festival Orchestra.

Magdalena performs exclusively on Marimba One™