Atterbury Trust has once again set the stage for rising young stars to shine by showcasing the very best of young South African talent in the Atterbury National Piano Competition 2019.
A select group of South Africa's most promising pianists who are 19 years old or younger will take part in the 9th Atterbury National Piano Competition this year from October 14 to 18 at the Atterbury Theatre in Pretoria.
This competition was created in 2011 by Claudine van Breda and Dr Willie de Jager, after identifying a need to create an opportunity for young pianists to compete on an equal platform at a national level. As such, it is the only competition of its kind in South Africa.
A record 49 candidates were selected this year, with an equal number of participants from both Pretoria and Johannesburg. However, there are also candidates from Limpopo, the Free State, KwaZulu-Natal and even as far as the Western Cape. Selection takes place via a DVD recording, and strict rules apply to the required repertoire. The three categories in which pianists participate are 12 years and younger, 15 years and younger and 19 years and younger.
There are big prizes to be won with the competition prize money totalling R115 000, of which the cash prize for the overall winner amounts to at least R35 000. Atterbury Trust is the main sponsor of the competition, but several other sponsors contribute to the success of the competition.
Zahn Hulme, who heads Atterbury Trust, says: “We are proud to come together with everyone who is part of the Atterbury National Piano Competition and celebrate local talent by creating a stage for aspiring young South African pianists. We wish all the contests the very best for their performances. This fiercely-contested competition provides young musicians who are aiming for a high standard of performance excellence with an invaluable platform to showcase their technique, expression and flair, and Atterbury Trust is thrilled to be associated with it.”
The official opening will take place on Monday 14 October at 6.30pm. During this event, Colette du Toit, the 2018 overall winner and currently a first-year BMus student at the University of Pretoria, will deliver a short programme. Then the 2019 participants take to the stage and are introduced to the audience.
The competition consists of four rounds. All candidates participate in the first and second round which take place on Tuesday 15 and Wednesday 16 October from 8am to 6pm. Following this, 18 semi-finalists will be announced, who will progress to the third round on the afternoon of Thursday 17 October, from 1pm. After completing this round, the nine finalists from the three categories will be announced.
The Atterbury National Piano Competition 2019 concludes with a gala event on Friday evening 18 October starting at 7pm, during which the finalists each present two works from any previous round.
The 2019 judges are Marius du Plessis, Prof Hubert van der Spuy (patron) and Prof Wessel van Wyk.
All rounds are open to the public. Admission to the opening ceremony and the initial three rounds are free. Tickets for the final round on Friday, October 18 are available at iTickets (www.itickets.co.za 012 942 5951).
