Cello music in the spotlight
THE ensemble, ‘Cellibration’, will present an evening of divine cello music as the next Classics at Riverbend offering at Riverbend Conference Centre on Friday, March 28.
This concert will start a little earlier than usual, at 6.30pm. The free wine tasting, which traditionally precedes a Riverbend concert, starts at 5.45pm. Tickets priced at R90 are available at the Riverbend Shop.
‘Cellibration’ comprises cellists Boris Kerimov, Fiona Grayer, Marguerite Spies and Alejandro Mariangel Pradenas and percussionist Stephane Pechoux. They will play music ranging from Bach to the moderns. The musicians played to packed houses at the 2013 National Arts Festival in Grahamstown and are currently performing in Durban and Pietermaritzburg.
“Boris is the leader of the cello section of the KZN Philharmonic Orchestra and is very highly respected, so we are anticipating a really classy concert,” said Robin Ransome, one of the organisers of the regular classical music evenings at Riverbend.
Born in Russia, Boris started to play the cello at the age of eight and graduated from the Novosibirsk Conservatoire. During his time at Conservatoire he was a winner of the Conservatoire competition. From 1986 he was a co-principal cellist of Novosibirsk Philharmonic Orchestra, has performed as a soloist and has toured extensively through Europe. The principal cellist of the KZN Philharmonic Orchestra since 1999, he has appeared as a soloist with the orchestra on many occasions. He plays a cello made by Antonius and Hieronymus Amati in 1580.
Stephane Pechoux started to play drum kit and percussion in France when he was eight years old. He learned drum kit at the School of Musical Technologies in Geneva and then in Paris at the Dante Agostini Music School. He has completed a course of study in classical percussions at the Superior Music Conservatory of Geneva, where he attended classes by William Blank, Yves Brustaux and Jean Geofroy. From 1999 to 2009 he took part in many concerts and cultural events in Europe with the Swiss Romande Orchestra, the contemporary music ensemble “Contrechant”, the Chamber Music orchestra of Geneva and the International Percussion Centre. He holds a principal timpanist position with the KZN Philharmonic Orchestra.
Fiona is a full-time cellist in the KZN Philharmonic Orchestra. Before moving to Durban in 2004, she graduated with a BMus (Performance) from the University of Cape Town. During her studies, she passed both the Performer’s Licentiate and Teacher’s Licentiate (UNISA) with distinction. Fiona has taught extensively at schools and for music development projects in Cape Town. Since moving to Durban she has been teaching at St Mary’s School, Kloof and with the Inanda Community Arts and GROW2010 music development projects.
In Cape Town she was a member of the six-celli ensemble, I Grandi Violoncellisti, that performed with great success at the Grahamstown National Arts Festival in 2002 and 2004. She is currently a member of Durban’s Baroque 2000 ensemble, has performed with the local Durban pop band, South Jersey Pom Poms and has appeared at the White Mountain Folk Music Festival and Splashy Fen Music Festivals with the Irish folk band, Celtics. Fiona plays a French cello by Charotte of Paris, dated 1857.
Marguerite grew up in Stellenbosch and began her cello lessons at the age of nine. She obtained her Bachelors Degree in Cello Performance from the University of Cape Town, receiving her tuition from Anmari van der Westhuizen. She has participated in numerous music festivals, orchestra courses and orchestral tours, nationally and internationally. Marguerite is currently a tutti cellist in the KZN Philharmonic Orchestra.
She is also a member of The World Orchestra, an international orchestra formed by young adult musicians, and is a ‘Cultural Ambassadors for Peace’. Passionate about South Africa and its diversity, she believes there is great potential for communities to benefit from the power of music and the arts. Through this endeavour, Marguerite has founded a non-profit organisation, Ubunye Music and Arts. It played a big role in bringing The World Orchestra on a successful tour to South Africa in February 2013, collaborating with various music projects in underprivileged communities. Marguerite plays a German trade cello made in 1880.
Alejandro, who was born in Chile, began studying cello at the age of seven at the Conservatory of UACH. He received his diploma under the guidance of Maestro Enrico Bronzi, at the Conservatory of Parma, Italy. He continued his postgraduate studies at the Chigiana Academy with Maestro Antonio Meneses, the Accademia del Teatro alla Scala with Maestro Massimo Polidori and Sandro Laffranchini and the Academy of Trio di Trieste in Duino. He has attended the master classes of Franz Helmersonn, Phillipe Muller, David Geringas and Jens-Peter Mainz and has worked with various orchestras. Many prestigious chamber music events in Europe have benefited from his skills.
