The Johannesburg Musical Society’s 2020 season will start with a flourish on February 1.
This first concert of the year is the culmination of a complete day of Beethoven’s violin and piano sonatas, performed by Russian-born violinist Alissa Margulis and Portuguese-born pianist Luis Magalhães.
The JMS concert, which takes place at 8pm in the Linder Auditorium, celebrates the 250th anniversary of Ludwig van Beethoven’s birth, and forms part of the activities that have been planned by the Johannesburg International Mozart Festival.
The evening concert will showcase the last three violin sonatas that Beethoven wrote.
They form an interesting testimonial to the path that he followed and to his personal and musical development.
Alissa Margulis is a regular performer with orchestras all over the world. She has been heard in Jerusalem, St Petersburg, Munich and Osaka, as well as in England, Belgium and France, and has performed with artists of the calibre of Yuri Bashmet, Martha Argerich, David Geringas, Ivry Gitlis and Mischa Maisky.
Pianist Luis Magalhães was mentored in Portugal, but now makes his home in South Africa.
He is recognised as a fine soloist as well as a chamber music colleague and has been decorated by the Portuguese government.
Together, the two will play Beethoven’s Sonata in G, Opus 30, No 3, the Sonata in A, Opus 47 and the programme ends with the Sonata in G, Opus 96.
A short talk on these three sonatas will be given in the Space Frame Theatre adjoining the Linder at 7pm.
Contact Avril on 011 728 5492 or Herman on 083 228 2907 or go to www.jms.org.za.
