World Symphony Series Summer Season ~ COncert 2

South African maestro Conrad van Alphen takes the podium for the second and closing concert of the season, conducting repertoire by Fauré, Chopin and Beethoven. As the curtain rises, let the JPO sweep you away with the enchanting sounds of Fauré’s Masques et bergamasques, a musical landscape inspired by Watteau’s paintings, capturing the spirit of a forgotten age through lively dance forms and nostalgic melodies.  

The Bulgarian pianist  Ludmil Angelov steps into the spotlight to perform two of Chopin’s early works for piano and orchestra. Based on an iconic duet from Mozart’s Don Giovanni, Chopin wrote the Variations on ‘Là ci darem la mano,’  for his own performances, its slow introduction developing the charming theme through increasingly virtuosic variations, building to a dramatic finale in the style of a polonaise. The work was instrumental in launching Chopin’s career, famously prompting Robert Schumann to exclaim, ‘Hats off, gentlemen, a genius!’ Equally challenging as a ‘high-wire’ showpiece, the Grande polonaise brillante is a work of dazzling virtuosity and aristocratic flair.  It is a prime example of the composer’s brilliant early style, distinct from his later, more nationally expressive polonaises, precariously balancing keyboard pyrotechnics, with the ‘bel canto’ tones essential to caress Chopin’s far-flung lyrical flights.  Beethoven’s  Symphony No 2, sometimes dubbed ‘A Study in Contrast: Despair and Joy’, paradoxically exudes youthful energy, humour and optimism during the time of his profound despair over his encroaching deafness. While the personal circumstances of its creation were dark, the music itself is almost entirely sunny, cheerful and expansive. This disparity reflects Beethoven’s fierce resolve to use his art as a lifeline, a determination to ‘seize Fate by the throat’. The symphony is a testament to the great artist’s ability to transcend personal suffering through creation. Its performance promises to wrap up the night on a benign, happy note.

Date: Thursday, 5 March 2026
Time: 19:00
Venue: Playhouse Opera Theatre, 231 Anton Lembede Street, Durban
Tickets: Season Tickets available through our office on 031 369 9437/8 or info@kznphil.org.za

Single tickets available online through Quicket or at the door

Book tickets for KZN Philharmonic Orchestra 2026 Summer Symphony Season Concert 1 https://qkt.io/2es2Ue

We look forward to sharing an evening of beautiful music with you!