Journey to Japan is a recital celebrating music that inspired a study pilgrimage to Japan for the award-winning South African marimbaist, Magdalena de Vries. From mesmerising music by Keiko Abe, marimba virtuoso and composer extraordinaire, to the rhythmic and sometimes atonal music of Toshi Ichiyanagi, the recital highlights the versatility of the concert marimba. De Vries explores music that influenced her career and in particular, her approach to performance, as she immersed herself in the oriental culture.

According to Magdalena, “Keiko Abe is one of the pioneers that promoted the marimba as a solo instrument. Apart from her performances, she is an incredible composer. Her gift in terms of improvisation is what led to many of her early compositions.” Magdalena chose however not to study with Keiko. Instead she made a conscious decision to develop her skills as an all-round percussionist, thus opting to study with an all-round Japanese teacher, Professor Atsushi Sugahara. Magdalena states, “He is not only an amazing teacher, but also fantastic performer, both solo and orchestral, and he inspired and commissioned several composers to write music for him. One of these composers is Toshi Ichiyanagi. I will be performing ‘Portrait of Forest’, which was composed for my teacher. And it was also one of the first pieces I learnt in Japan.”

Magdalena will also perform movements from Bach’s third Suite for Solo Cello in C major. In justifying its inclusion in Journey to Japan she writes, “Every year the Tokyo College of Music presents a public concert of their top students in the Nakano Zero Hall. To be able to perform in this concert, students have to audition. I auditioned (end 1998) and was selected to perform. I chose to perform movements from Bach’s Suite for Solo Cello not only because I love Baroque music, but also because my teacher was an expert in the interpretation – particularly phrasing – of Bach on the marimba.” Magdalena performs exclusively on Marimba One TM.

The concert will take place online between 17 August – 24 August.

For more information, contact Fiona Grayer at concerts@sun.ac.za or 021 808 2358.

PROGRAMME

Journey to Japan

Michi – Keiko Abe (b. 1937)

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

Prelude

Sarabande

Gigue

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

Portrait of Forest – Toshi Ichiyanagi (b. 1933)

Intermezzo from Cavalleria Rusticana – Pietro Mascagni (1863 – 1945) Arranged by Eriko Daimo

Ghanaia – Matthias Schmitt (b. 1958)

Memories of the Seashore – Keiko Abe (b. 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™