Great Romantic Ballads in NMMU

A pair of “wonderful artists” – soprano Magdalene Minnaar and pianist Jose Dias – will perform a programme of romantic ballads for the PE Music Society this evening in the NMMU South Campus Auditorium.

Society president Dr Erika Botha said it was “definitely a concert not to be missed”.

Titled “The Great Romantic Ballads”, the concert programme, devised by Minnaar and Dias, will treat the audience to items that include the four ballads of Chopin for piano, as well as four ballads for soprano and piano, namely, Carl Loewe’s Das Switesmadchen, and Schubert’s Viola, Die Nonne and Der Erlkonig.

South African soprano Minnaar has entertained audiences across the globe with her versatile voice and enigmatic stage presence, with acclaimed performances as the female lead in the international touring production Show Boat and The Phantom of the Opera.

She also performed with international superstar Josh Groban during his recent tour in South Africa.

Portuguese-born pianist Dias first travelled to South Africa in 2001 to enrol at the University of Stellenbosch where he completed his BMus Honours cum laude, then furthered his studies at the Hochschule für Muzik und Theater in Switzerland, where he obtained his konzertdiplom with distinction.

In 2007, Dias took up a position as repetiteur at the Cape Town Opera, where he accompanied CTO artists in countless concert performances and was involved as repetiteur and vocal coach in productions ranging from Monteverdi to Gershwin and Heggie.

Dias is in growing demand as a soloist, chamber musician and accompanist, and has also been the musical director of Biblioteek Productions’ Amore, Waansin and Poskantoor operatic stage-works.

He is completing his PhD in music at the University of Cape Town.

Tickets range in price from R30 for school pupils to R35 for students, R70 for pensioners and R85 for adults.

Tickets will be sold at the door and a spokesman for the music department said there would no need for pre-bookings. The concert starts at 7.30pm.

Further information from (041) 504-2250.