The Grahamstown Music Society’s first concert for 2016 will feature Samson Diamond (violin) and Laura Pauna (collaborative pianist).
The Grahamstown Music Society’s first concert for 2016 will feature Samson Diamond (violin) and Laura Pauna (collaborative pianist).
The programme includes Aram Khachaturian's II Andante from solo piano sonata; Guillaume Lekeu's Sonate pour Piano et Violon in G major; Ravel's Tzigane, rapsodie de concert; Ysaÿe's Sonata No. 3 in D minor 'Ballade' for solo violin and Richard Strauss's Violin Sonata in E-flat Major.
About the artists
Samson Diamond has been leader of the Odeion String Quartet at the University of Free State since 2013. He is also concertmaster of the Free State Symphony Orchestra (FSSO).
In 2013 and 2014, Samson appeared as soloist at the RMB Starlight Classics with the Johannesburg Festival Orchestra and the Cape Philharmonic Orchestra under the baton of Richard Cock.
In 2013 he also appeared as soloist with the FSSO and the Eastern Cape Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Alexander Fokkens.
Recently, Samson successfully led the Johannesburg Philharmonic Orchestra as guest concertmaster at the Gabbala International Music Festival in Azerbaijan.
He is a graduate of the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester, UK, where he obtained both Bachelor of Music Honours Degree First Class (2006) and his Master of Music Performance (2007) degree with distinction.
He matriculated with distinction in music from the National School of the Arts in Johannesburg in 2001.
Samson has won many prizes including the prestigious 2010 Standard Bank Young Artist for Music, 2010 Mail & Guardian 200 Young South Africans Arts and Culture and the RNCM Philip Newman Violin Prize.
As a freelance orchestral player in the UK, Samson played in the Hallé Orchestra, the Academy of St Martins in the Fields, BBC Philharmonic, Manchester Camerata, and the Academy of Ancient Music.
Diamond was leader of the internationally acclaimed Buskaid Soweto String Ensemble from its inception in 1997.
Diamond and the Buskaid Soweto String Ensemble performed at the BBC Proms (2007) at the Royal Albert Hall with the English Baroque Soloists and Monteverdi Choir conducted by Sir John Eliot Gardiner.
Samson has performed before many distinguished guests including Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II and Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu. In 2009, Samson performed privately for Nelson Mandela under the invitation of the Nelson Mandela Foundation. Samson plays a fine 1803 Wagner violin.
Laura Pauna was born in Bucharest, Romania, starting her studies at the Dinu Lipatti and George Enescu music schools. She completed her KA degree at the Hochschule fuer Musik und Theater, Hannover, with the highest distinction.
Competition prizes include being the overall winner in 2006 of the IBLA Grand Prize; winning the Valentino Bucchi competition, Rome, 2006; the Mozarteum Prize, Salzburg, in 2009, and 1st prize at the Grieg International Piano Competition, 2009.
She has performed extensively with orchestras, including Kammeracademie Neuss-am-Rhein; Cape Town Philharmonic, KZNPO and Pro Musica.
During her time in Germany, awards, included the Ottilie-Selbach and the Ritter Foundation, in addition to winning internal scholarships.
As a soloist and chamber musician, Pauna has performed all over the world, including tours of the US, Europe, and Africa.
She has performed at such prestigious venues as Carnegie Hall, Salzburg Grosse Saal, Concertgebouw Amsterdam, Jerusalem Theatre, Israel, George Enescu Piazza, Bucharest, and St Martin-in-the-Fields, London.
FREE TICKETS
Two Grocott's Mail readers stand a chance to receive a free ticket to the concert on 14 March. Here's the question: what is Aram Khachaturian's home country? Email the answer to editor@grocotts.co.za with your full name and full contact details. The first two readers to correctly answer the question will receive the tickets.
The concert is at 7.30pm on Monday 14 March at St Andrew’s Drill Hall and tickets are available at the door (R90/ R70/ R50. Schoolgoers and GMS members free).
