The Prestige Series of the Endler Concert Series is proud to present an all-South African Piano Trio on Sunday 15 September at 4:30pm in the Endler Hall, Stellenbosch. Violinist, Pieter Schoeman, the concertmaster of the London Philharmonic Orchestra returns home to perform with much loved and distinguished South African pianist Albie van Schalkwyk and cellist Anmari van der Westhuizen.

The programme includes Piano Trios by Rachmaninov, Mendelssohn and Brahms. Rachmaninov’s Trio élégiaque No. 1 in G minor comes from the earliest part of his career, being composed before the composer was twenty-one, yet is by no means immature and is fully charac­teristic of Rachmaninov’s later compositional mastery. Schumann described Mendelssohn’s Piano Trio No. 1 in D minor, Op. 49 as “the master trio of our age”. It is one of Mendelssohn’s most popular chamber works and is recognized as one of his greatest along with his Octet, Op. 20. Brahms Piano Trio No. 3 in C Minor, Op. 101 is at once terse and lyrical, grand and intimate, a work embodying Brahms’ mastery of chamber music form and a work that gathers the cumulative force of an orchestra.

Born in South Africa, Pieter Schoeman made his solo debut aged 10 with the Cape Town Symphony Orchestra. He studied with Jack de Wet in South Africa, winning numerous competitions including the 1984 World Youth Concerto Competition in the US. Pieter has performed worldwide as a soloist and recitalist and as a chamber musician he regularly performs at London’s prestigious Wigmore Hall. He was appointed concertmaster of the London Philharmonic Orchestra in 2008, having previously been assistant concertmaster since 2002.

Anmari van der Westhuizen is Associate Professor and Head of the Odeion String Quartet at the University of the Free State. She graduated from Stellenbosch University (BMus Hons cum laude), from the Mozarteum, Salzburg (Grosses Diplom cum laude), and from the Hochschule für Musik, Cologne, under the tutelage of Prof. Maria Kliegel. In 2013 Anmari received her PhD in Music Performance from the University of Pretoria and was awarded full academic honorary colours for her thesis. While living in Europe she appeared in numerous solo and chamber music performances and was a permanent member of the Koehne String Quartet, Wien. She has since travelled worldwide as soloist and chamber musician.

Albie van Schalkwyk is not only a solo performer in his own right, but is also one of the leading chamber musicians and vocal accompanists in South Africa. In his distinguished career, he won both the UNISA Overseas Scholarship and first prize in the SABC Piano Competition. Apart from his teaching career at UCT, he has given master classes for singers and accompanists, and served as music producer and official accompanist for the SABC. He has also been a member of several well-known SA ensembles, notably the Songmakers Guild, which gives performers the opportunity to appear in lieder recitals.

Tickets for R160 (regular) and R120 (students and pensioners) are available now through Computicket and at the door. For more information contact Fiona Grayer at concerts@sun.ac.za or 021 808 2358.