The KwaZulu-Natal Youth Orchestra gets its 2012 season off to a start with a breezy alfresco picnic concert this week.
The orchestra is assembled from young musicians aged between 12 and 22 years, who audition every year for the opportunity to participate in a classical orchestra.
Roseway Waldorf School, Assegay, February 10 at 6pm. Tickets are R30 and R10 for children under 10. Bring the family and a picnic dinner. Tel: 031?768?1309 or 071?948?5763.
? Durban’s Friends of Music host an auspicious Valentine’s Day concert this week. World-renowned German-Japanese violinist Mirijam Contzen won first prize in the Tibor Varga international violin competition when she was 16 years old. She also studied under Varga, the legendary violinist after whom the competition is named. She has won many international prizes and recorded with many orchestras. Contzen is joined by acclaimed South African-American concert pianist Bryan Wallick and performs work by Mendelssohn, Debussy, Schumann and Ravel.
Durban Jewish Centre, 44 Old Fort Road, February 14 at 7.45pm. Tickets are R70 from Computicket.
? This weekend Christopher Duigan gets his classical music initiative, Music Revival, off to a start in 2012 with a selection of effervescent, energetic and exuberant works in a recital titled Champagne Classics. On the programme is a selection from Chopin’s glittering waltzes, a sonata by Mozart, a suite of dance movements by Bach and music from Debussy and Rachmaninoff. With a glass of bubbly in the hand and mellifluous music in the ear, it is certainly a great way to start the year.
35 Montgomery Drive, Pietermaritzburg, February 10 at 7.30pm and February 12 at 3.30pm. Tickets are R100 and include a glass of cap classique on arrival and coffee afterwards. Booking is essential. Tel: 033?342?3051.
? One of Durban’s top live jazz venues celebrates Valentine’s Day with a mouthwatering line-up of all-female musical talent. Heading the bill is Heels over Head, the jazz-funk-soul sensation that has been lighting up stages around South Africa. The quartet, known for its catchy, compelling compositions, is supported by rapper-vocalist Skye Wanda and poet Tumelo Khoza. The evening could yield some unexpected romantic surprises for patrons.
Jazzy Rainbow, Goble Road, Morningside, on February 11. Entrance is R50. Tel: 031?7111?524 or 079?707?7773.