/ Sunday morning recital
Megan-Geoffrey Prins - Piano recital
This piano recital opens with the first movement of Beethoven's Sonata No. 23 in F minor, Op. 57, "Appassionata," a work of profound intensity and dramatic contrasts. Unusually for the Classical era, this sonata embodies the passionate and turbulent spirit of Romanticism with its sweeping arpeggios, stormy passages, and lyrical moments of calm.Following this, we delve into the rich, expressive world of Rachmaninoff's Études-Tableaux, Op. 39. These études are a series of musical paintings, each telling a unique story with its own mood and character. From the dark, brooding depths to the brilliant, virtuosic heights, Rachmaninoff's compositions showcase the pianist's technical prowess and deep emotional expression.
The recital concludes with the ethereal beauty of Claude Debussy's "Clair de Lune". This beloved piece, from his Suite Bergamasque, offers a serene and dreamlike contrast to the earlier dramatic works. With its gentle, flowing melody and impressionistic harmonies, "Clair de Lune" transports listeners to a world of moonlit tranquility and poetic reflection.
Date: Sunday 4 August 2024 at 11h30
Cost: R150,00 per person (tickets are payable in cash at the door)
Booking is essential (a maximum of 60 people can be accommodated)
RSVP before 3 August 2024
Click here to RSVP via email or phone Nandi on 012 346 3100 | 083 288 5117
Venue
Association of Arts Pretoria, 173 Mackie Street, Nieuw Muckleneuk, Pretoria
Megan-Geoffrey Prins, from Riversdale, South Africa, has performed extensively as soloist and collaborative artist throughout North America, Europe, Africa, and Hong Kong. Through competitions, festivals, and recitals, Prins has graced stages in Canada, the USA, Hong Kong, Switzerland, Germany, Italy, France, Botswana, Mozambique, and South Africa, including the Salle Cortot in Paris, the Jack Singer Concert Hall in Calgary, and the Hong Kong City Concert Hall. Prins made his concerto debut at the age of 11. He has appeared as soloist with orchestras in Germany, the USA, Botswana, and South Africa. His 2019 performances of Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concertos Nos. 2 and 3 were praised by German and South African critics for “technical precision,” “artistic expressivity,” and “transcendent” interpretation.
Prins featured in various piano competitions, including the Honens International Piano Competition, the Hong Kong International Piano Competition, the UNISA National and International Piano Competitions, and the Midwest International Piano Competition. He received first prizes and special prizes at the UNISA 120th Anniversary Competition, the inaugural Stellenbosch International Chamber Music Festival Competition, the 5th UNISA National Piano Competition, the 2016 Muziq Instrumental Competition, and the 2017 SAMRO Overseas Scholarship Competition. He has been nominated for and won numerous South African festival awards including a Woordtrofees for best instrumental classical music production at the 2023 Toyota SU Woordfees and a KKNK Kanna award for best upcoming artist in 2009. In 2019, Prins was named the Standard Bank Young Artist for Music. He was included in the Mail & Guardian's 200 Young South Africans list in 2021. During Stellenbosch University’s centennial celebrations, Prins was featured as one of the hundred most notable graduates from the institution.
Prins pursued postgraduate studies with Antonio Pompa-Baldi at the Cleveland Institute of Music where he was awarded the Sadie Zellen Piano Prize, the Arthur Loesser Memorial Prize, and the Maurice and Judith Kaplow Prize for Uncommon Creativity. In his capacity as concerto soloist, he has collaborated with numerous established conductors, including Daniel Boico, Bernard Gueller, Vincent de Kort, Gérard Korsten, Lykele Temmingh, Xandi van Dijk, Albert Horne, and Brandon Phillips. Prins’ involvement in festivals and tours resulted in collaborations with, among others, Daniel Rowland, Ferdinand Steiner, Wenzel Fuchs, Kyril Zlotnikov, Thomas Carroll, Demarre McGill, Rob Knopper, Gareth Lubbe, and James Austen Smith. Prins has a keen interest in orchestral conducting, which he explores through lessons with conductor Daniel Boico.
Prins currently serves as full-time piano lecturer on the faculty of the University of Pretoria: School of the Arts where he teaches piano, didactics, and chamber music courses. He is frequently invited to provide coachings and master classes at institutions and festivals such as the Stellenbosch International Chamber Music Festival and the Stellenbosch International Piano Symposium. Prins’ piano students have achieved success in numerous local competitions including the Philip H. Moore Music Competition, the Atterbury National Piano Competition, and the Hennie Joubert Piano Competition.
Prins featured in various piano competitions, including the Honens International Piano Competition, the Hong Kong International Piano Competition, the UNISA National and International Piano Competitions, and the Midwest International Piano Competition. He received first prizes and special prizes at the UNISA 120th Anniversary Competition, the inaugural Stellenbosch International Chamber Music Festival Competition, the 5th UNISA National Piano Competition, the 2016 Muziq Instrumental Competition, and the 2017 SAMRO Overseas Scholarship Competition. He has been nominated for and won numerous South African festival awards including a Woordtrofees for best instrumental classical music production at the 2023 Toyota SU Woordfees and a KKNK Kanna award for best upcoming artist in 2009. In 2019, Prins was named the Standard Bank Young Artist for Music. He was included in the Mail & Guardian's 200 Young South Africans list in 2021. During Stellenbosch University’s centennial celebrations, Prins was featured as one of the hundred most notable graduates from the institution.
Prins pursued postgraduate studies with Antonio Pompa-Baldi at the Cleveland Institute of Music where he was awarded the Sadie Zellen Piano Prize, the Arthur Loesser Memorial Prize, and the Maurice and Judith Kaplow Prize for Uncommon Creativity. In his capacity as concerto soloist, he has collaborated with numerous established conductors, including Daniel Boico, Bernard Gueller, Vincent de Kort, Gérard Korsten, Lykele Temmingh, Xandi van Dijk, Albert Horne, and Brandon Phillips. Prins’ involvement in festivals and tours resulted in collaborations with, among others, Daniel Rowland, Ferdinand Steiner, Wenzel Fuchs, Kyril Zlotnikov, Thomas Carroll, Demarre McGill, Rob Knopper, Gareth Lubbe, and James Austen Smith. Prins has a keen interest in orchestral conducting, which he explores through lessons with conductor Daniel Boico.
Prins currently serves as full-time piano lecturer on the faculty of the University of Pretoria: School of the Arts where he teaches piano, didactics, and chamber music courses. He is frequently invited to provide coachings and master classes at institutions and festivals such as the Stellenbosch International Chamber Music Festival and the Stellenbosch International Piano Symposium. Prins’ piano students have achieved success in numerous local competitions including the Philip H. Moore Music Competition, the Atterbury National Piano Competition, and the Hennie Joubert Piano Competition.