Local newsNews

Leading young pianist to perform at Wits

JOBURG - One of the nation's leading young pianists, Peter Cartwright, will perform a recital of works by Scarlatti, Beethoven, Rachmaninoff and Prokofiev in July.

The concert at the University of the Witwatersrand’s Atrium will be Cartwright’s final recital for his master’s degree.

Wits Theatre spokesperson, Cathy Pisanti, said that Cartwright had been largely unknown, apart from winning the 2008 Grahamstown Music Competition and the 2009 Mavis Hill Competition.

The Grahamstown resident completed his Bachelor of Music Degree with distinction at Rhodes University, where he studied piano with Mariel Ilusorio.

“A celebrated pianist and lecturer from the University of the Witwatersrand heard Cartwright play at a masterclass in Grahamstown, and persuaded him to travel 969 kilometers to Johannesburg, to register as a Wits master’s candidate,” said Pisanti.

“Since then, [he] has established himself as one of South Africa’s leading young pianists, performing in major venues across South Africa, as well as in Botswana, Zimbabwe, and the USA.”

Cartwright has also attended masterclasses with internationally renowned pianists in Israel and England, and has performed at major festivals around South Africa, including the Wakkerstroom Music Festival, the National Arts Festival in Grahamstown, and the Wits 969 Festival.

He has also performed as a soloist with the Johannesburg Festival Orchestra and the Gauteng Camerata.

“The amazing strides that were made by this young man were unequivocally established at a WitsMusic Wednesday lunch hour concert when he knocked the socks off of Scarlatti and Prokofiev – not to mention the audience,” said Pisanti.

“Prof. Malcolm Nay best summed up the reception of those in attendance when, at the end of the performance, he was heard to say that he was ‘shattered by the beautiful sounds which arose from the piano’.”

Cartwright’s final recital for his degree will include Scarlatti’s Sonata in C sharp minor, K. 247; Beethoven’s Sonata in A major, Opus 101; Prokofiev’s Toccata; Rachmaninoff’s Variations on the Theme of Corelli, Opus 42; and Prokofiev’s Sonata No. 6 in A major, Opus 82.

The recital will take place on 13 July at The Atrium, SW Engineering Building, University of the Witwatersrand East Campus, Yale Road, Braamfontein.

Details: 011 717 1376; www.wits.ac.za/witstheatre

At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading!
Stay in the know. Download the Caxton Local News Network App here.

Related Articles

Back to top button