The most downloaded classical musician on the internet, otherwise known as internet queen of the classics, Valentina Lisitsa, will be hosting a classical music masterclass in Cape Town.
She’ll be hosting the class with young pianists Qden Blaauw, 13, Victoria Fokkens, 17, and Mike Wang, 10; a concert with the Cape Town Philharmonic Orchestra; and for the Cape Town Concert Series. The class is open to the public, free of charge on a first come, first served basis as seating is limited.
It will take place on the Opera House Stage at the Artscape Theatre Centre on Saturday 11 November at 11am.
Lisitsa will perform the Rhapsody on a Theme by Paganini by Rachmaninov at the Cape Town City Hall at 8pm. The CPO will be conducted by Martin Panteleev, also featuring the Marche Solonelle by Tchaikovsky and the Symphony no 10 by Shostakovich. The Cape Town Concert Series celebrity fundraising recital will be taking place at the Baxter Concert Hall on Saturday, 18 November at 8pm. The programme sees the Appassionata Sonata by Beethoven as well as Gaspard de la nuit by Ravel, Three Nocturnes and a Scherzo by Chopin and Pictures at an Exhibition by Mussorgsky.
Valentina Lisitsa posted her first video of the Etude Op. 39, No. 6 by Sergei Rachmaninov to YouTube in 2007. Her channel now has 346 000 subscribers and 174 million views, with an average of 75000 views per day.
Entrance to the master class is free; tickets for the CPO concert from Artscape Dial-A-Seat on 021 421 7695; tickets for the Concert Series recital from Computicket. Student discounts at the box office on the night. For more details on the CPO: email [email protected] and for the concert series: [email protected]
Photography Karl Merton Ferron/Baltimore Sun