HITTING THE RIGHT NOTES - Interview with Mervyn Naidoo - SUNDAY TRIBUNE 11 September 2022.

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WHEN Christopher Duigan taps on a piano’s keyboard it releases velvety reverberations that draw appreciation from captivated audiences, as is expected to be the case when he performs at the St Agnes Church in Kloof next Sunday.

PIANIST Christopher Duigan has been hitting the right notes at music concerts for more than three decades and his audiences keep coming back for more. Picture: Val Adamson

Duigan, 54, is a celebrated concert pianist who has been hitting the right notes for more than three decades, and refers to himself as an independent classical music entrepreneur.

His methods of playing and promoting music have also become a model of study at a leading US music school.

Even the Covid-19 enforced lockdowns that came into effect in March 2020 were not enough to drown the sounds of his music.

With Duigan’s ingenuity and help from some friends, he got to livestream his grand piano performances from his Pietermaritzburg home to thousands of worldwide followers, and chase some lockdown blues away.

He shared the home with his former partner Barry Lovegrove, a professor of ecophysiology, who died in March.

“During lockdown, I was stuck at home. All my concerts were cancelled and my career seemed to be disappearing as gatherings were prohibited.”

Duigan responded with one-hour long livestreamed music sessions, using his iPhone.

“With time it developed and I linked with a local audio visual expert who was also stuck at home.

“He helped me with mics and other equipment.”

Duigan said Lovegrove's role was pivotal.

“Barry, because of his technical ability as a photographer and his creativity, started to produce the livestreams for me. I used to play and talk to the audiences. He did the technical stuff.”

REFLECTIONS on pianist Christopher Duigan’s performances that span more than three decades. Picture: Val Admason

Attracting a following was easy for Duigan.

“I have my own mailing list, Facebook pages, and WhatsApp groups, which enables me to connect with thousands of people and share my plans.”

He said he received good support and his shows were for free.

“Locals and people from around the world made donations. With the money they sent, I built my own studio fitted with cameras, mics and mixers.”

Duigan regarded the home-based concerts as a community project that offered “beautiful and soothing piano music” .

During performances Duigan enjoyed interacting with audiences, talking about the music and the composers. He quizzed audiences about the music they’d like to hear.

“It has been very uplifting because lots of people connected with what we were doing. Isolating at home made them feel very threatened by the world.

“But the piano music was affirming.”

Duigan said his livestreamed concerts began on March 28, 2020 and were still running.

“Since then, I only stopped for three weeks when Barry died.”

He said he promoted his own concerts and didn’t wait for invites.

“I hire the venue, do the publicity most often, meet and greet the audience, tear the tickets, play the music, and I help serve tea and coffee during the interval.”

Duigan said he served communities across KwaZulu-Natal with concerts on a monthly basis and invited local or international artists on some occasions.

Some performances were staged in the music studio at his home, for about 40 people, and dinner was also served.

“I don’t teach or lecture. I am a completely freelance, self-promoting, entrepreneur and classic music promoter.

“It is a unique career and a new path that classic musicians are taking, which I am pioneering.”

Duigan said The Juilliard School in New York has studied his operations and has used his model and story as an inspiration for students

He described his events as “intimate and authentic”, and aimed at demystifying the experience of classical music.

“Lots of people see it as very austere and formal. I try to bring it to a more realistic and human level.

“Piano music in particular was not jarring but comforting.”

The music he played at concerts was a standard repertoire which included Beethoven, Chopin and Debussy’s pieces.

He also includes ragtime, tango, contemporary piano, jazz music, and in recent years, he played some of his own compositions.

Duigan said he was 7 when he started playing.

“My older sister was having piano lessons and I copied her every time she played. The teacher noticed I learnt what she taught my sister and approached my parents about teaching me.”

He studied music in Durban and Cape Town, completed his Master’s degree, before getting an opportunity to study at the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester.

Before going to England, he met Lovegrove.

“He said if I wanted to stay in England and continue my career there, it would be fine. If I pursued it in South Africa, he would support me to fulfil my dreams and ambitions and that is what happened.”

SUNDAY TRIBUNE

See below for RECENT HIGHLIGHTS, BIOGRAPHY, REPERTOIRE, GALLERY, SAMPLE PROGRAMMES and LISTEN

decembEr 2020

Christopher Duigan: Calm in the Chaos

Piano concerts adapting to change

One of the country’s most prolific and accomplished concert pianists, Christopher Duigan, has performed two live streamed free concerts every week throughout lockdown.

Duigan, and his Music Revival initiative, are synonymous with accessible live classical music concerts performed throughout South Africa, with home-town Pietermaritzburg as its fulcrum. For the past 30 something years, Duigan performed on average 100 performances a year – solo, with associates and with musical ensembles. 

Together with virtually the whole global arts community, his ability to perform ground to a halt when live performance opportunities ceased the moment hard lockdown was declared. 

In order not to lose momentum, Duigan opted to explore live music concerts streamed from his beautiful Maritzburg home. The concerts have become more technologically sophisticated and more creatively interesting with the passing of the months, and Duigan, and his plethora of appreciative loyal fans around the country, have become comfortable with the twice-weekly musical offerings.

Duigan is quite possibly the only concert pianist in the world, and certainly the only pianist in South Africa, to be doing this.

“This started off as a temporary project, an interim measure to allow me to perform over hard lockdown, but it is becoming a permanent and important part of my output, and I intend to continue with this, in addition to live concerts which are beginning to open up,” he says.

“My live concerts have appealed particularly to dedicated music lovers, but interestingly the online concerts are also providing a service akin to informal music therapy – an hour of company and calm midst all the uncertainty. It is surprising how many of the comments are appreciative of this. Its not about the music necessarily, but what the music represents. The predictability and structure of music is soothing and reassuring.

“I read with interest about the musicians who have performed during times of war and crisis and am beginning to understand better about the restorative and healing role of music.  I am inspired by Myra Hess who arranged 20000 regular lunch time concerts over six and a half years during the Second World War – performing midst the bombing. She personified the war motto of Keep Calm and Carry On. Her commitment and bravery were astonishing.

“And of course, the concerts can be watched from anywhere in the world, so I am not bound by geography, which means friends of friends are beginning to join us from all over the place. And that they are regular and free – so the predictability allows people to schedule and plan. Viewers can comment and give feedback on FB, so I can respond during the concert which personalises the concert experience. It is such a fascinating process!”   

Duigan plays carefully structured repertoires of familiar music, interspersed with some original and improv pieces. The tone is informal and cosy – music interspersed by conversation, with Chris talking about the pieces being performed… and occasionally apologising for the intrusion of his dachshunds who wonder “on stage”!

Pre-lockdown Christopher Duigan was one of South Africa's busiest concert artists. His performances ranged from those of the core classical repertoire, both as soloist with orchestra and in recital to music well beyond the classical repertoire. His strong sense of community was shown in his active promotion of regular Music Revival concerts across KZN and other parts of the country. These concerts have not only developed new audiences in various communities but also provided performance platform for many young and aspiring soloists. Duigan's work as an entrepreneurial musician has attracted international attention for his innovative and ground-breaking approach and his activities have been said to be truly representative of a 21st century classical musician. 

The challenge is of course earning an income through the online medium. Duigan is clear that he wants to continue to offer the concerts for free – and invites audiences to make a donation if they are able, but the financial implications of his concert series is difficult, especially as there are costs involved in creating the concerts. 

“I hope to find a way to make the numbers work as I intend to continue. In fact, if feels as though I am just getting started!”

• Catch Christopher Duigan live in Concert on Saturdays and in Piano Hours on Wednesdays at 6pm. South African audiences receive better feed on YouTube, but concerts can be accessed through the Music Revival website and FB.

CHRISTOPHER DUIGAN - Pianist

Widely regarded as one of South Africa's leading concert pianists CHRISTOPHER DUIGAN has performed extensively with all leading South African orchestras including the KwaZulu-Natal Philharmonic, Cape Philharmonic and Johannesburg Philharmonic Orchestras in a repertoire of more than 25 concerti. 

In recital he has achieved a popular following through his innovative presentation and programming featuring a broad and eclectic taste in music.

Christopher Duigan is a Steinway Artist.

Christopher Duigan and Music Revival are piano supported nationally by
Ian Burgess-Simpson Pianos.

Widely regarded as one of South Africa's leading concert pianists, CHRISTOPHER DUIGAN has been recognized as a 'South African piano icon' and 'national musical treasure' (Classic Feel June 2009). He has performed extensively with all leading South African orchestras in a repertoire of more than 25 works for piano and orchestra. In recital he has developed a popular following through his innovative presentation and programming of a broad and eclectic taste in music. Recent highlights include more than 20 performances of an all-Chopin programme following a visit to Warsaw, Poland in 2015.

Major performances with orchestra include Rachmaninoff Concerto No. 2 (Cape Philharmonic Orchestra- Cape Town City Hall), Liszt Piano Concerto No. 1 (Johannesburg Philharmonic Orchestra - Linder Auditorium) and Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue and Yoshimatsu's 'Cyberbird' for solo saxophone, piano and percussion (KZN Philharmonic Orchestra  - Durban City Hall). 

Major recital engagements include those at the Brooklyn Theatre in Pretoria, Casa Labia in Cape Town,  Steinway Hall in London, in Mexico City and at the National Arts Festival (Grahamstown) and Hilton Arts Festival.  

Christopher Duigan has developed large following in South Africa through the broadcast of his recordings which are frequently aired on ClassicFM (Johannesburg)  and Fine Music Radio (Cape Town). 

In 2010 he became one of only six pianists in South African history to be invited to be a 'Steinway Artist', joining an exclusive company of renowned international musicians.  

Based in the KwaZulu-Natal Midlands he is committed to promoting concert performance, both his own and those of others, locally and further afield. As producer and impresario he is the director of the widely acclaimed MUSIC REVIVAL which he established in 1997. Major projects now include more than 100 concerts annually,  including the Marriott Classic Music Festival  in Franschhoek and a series of performances by the KwaZulu-Natal Philharmonic Orchestra in KZN. 

Christopher Duigan began piano studies with Anette Kerkovius in Pietermaritzburg at the age of seven. He continued his  studies at the University of Natal with Italian concert pianist Isabella Stengel from age 14, graduating with a B.Mus (cum laude).  Christopher furthered his studies at the University of Cape Town with Lamar Crowson and Albie van Schalkwyk, graduating with an M Mus (Performance) in 1994, and later at the Royal Northern College of Music (RNCM) in Manchester with Brazilian virtuoso Arnaldo Cohen. At the RNCM he was awarded the Professional Performer's Diploma (PPRNCM) and won first prize in the prestigious RNCM Recital Prize for Pianists. In addition he received the UNISA Overseas Scholarship Competition (1994), Crossly/Kramer Scholarships for International Study from UCT, 1st prize and Gold Medal in the Adolph Hallis Piano Competition (1996), awards for the best South African pianist in the UNISA International Piano Competition (1996), Gold Medal in the Pan-African Concours de Musique,  and the Cape Town Symphony's prestigious Joseph Lan Award for his performance of the Bartok Piano Concerto No 3 (1994). He has participated in master classes at Dartington Summer School with Stephen Kovacevich and at the Mozarteum, Salzburg. 

In recent years he has established a highly successful and productive collaboration with Spanish virtuoso saxophonist David Salleras that has resulted in two  albums recordings of his own original music: INDIGO (2015) and MIDNIGHT BLUE (2016).   Numerous national tours of South Africa followed and a tour of six concerts with GIO Orchestra in Spain took place in April 2016 and again March 2017.  These featured Duigan's own music from the albums conceived for solo saxophone and piano with the orchestra.

In December 2018 Salleras and Duigan were soloists with the Orquestra des Valles at the Palau de la Musica, Barcelona, one of the world’s most prestigious concert venues.

Christopher Duigan is a Steinway Artist.

 PROGRAMMES  

CLASSICAL RECITAL
Chaconne in G - GF Handel
Sonata in C Op 53 'Waldstein' - Ludwig van Beethoven
Five Bagatelles - Carl Vine
Miroirs - Maurice Ravel
Polonaise Op 53 - Frederic Chopin

CLASSICAL RECITAL 2
Sonata Op. 25 Nr. 5 in F-sharp minor - Clementi
Kreisleriana Op. 16 - Schumann
Ramble on Love from Strauss “Der Rosenkavalier“ - Grainger
Piano Sonata Nr. 6 Op. 82 - Prokofiev

CLASSICAL RECITAL 3 (2018)
GF Handel Chaconne  HWV  435
Domenico Scarlatti - Sonatas K. 491 in D,  K, 525 in G, K 425 in G 
WA Mozart - Fantasia in D minor K. 397 
Ludwig van Beethoven  - Piano Sonata , Op. 81a "Les Adieux"
Franz Schubert - Impromptu No 4 in A-flat major, D. 899
Frederic Chopin  - Etudes Op. 10 - selection
Alberto Ginastera - Danzas Argentinas

CLASSICAL RECITAL 4 (2020)
Sonata quasi una fantasia Op 27 No 1 - Ludwig vanBeethoven
Fantasie Op 17 - Robert Schumann
Nocturne for the Left-Hand Op. 9, Etude Op. 42 No. 5,
Sonata No 4 - Alexander Scriabin
Etudes-Tableaux Op 33 No 2, Op 39 No 1, Prelude Op 23 No 2 - Sergei Rachmaninoff

THE MUSIC OF CHOPIN  Frederic Chopin (1810 - 49)
Nocturne in E-flat op 9 no 2
Waltz in E-flat op  18
Nocturne in C-sharp minor op 27 no 1
Fantasie-Impromptu op 66
Waltz in A minor op 34 no 2
Ballade No 3 op 47
Nocturne in E-flat op 55 no 2
Ballade No 1 in G minor op 23
Nocturne in F minor op 55 no 1
Etudes op 10 nos 3, 4 and 12
Waltz in B minor op 69
Scherzo no 1 in B minor  op 20

BEETHOVEN :  EARLY, MIDDLE and LATE PERIODS
Beethoven - Piano Sonata No. 6 in F major Op. 10 No. 2( 1796-98)
Robert Schumann - Noveletten Op. 21 No. 1
Beethoven - Piano Sonata No. 14 in C-sharp minor  Op. 27, No. 2, (1802)       
Johannes Brahms - Klavierstücke - Op. 118 Nos. 1 and 2
Beethoven - Piano Sonata No 30 in E major Op. 109 (1820

THE FRENCH PIANO
Gavotte and Six Doublets - Jean Philipe Rameau
Les Barricades Mystérieuses - François Couperin
Je te veux - Erik Satie
Gymnopédie No 1 - Erik Satie
Nocturne No 4 - Gabriel Fauré 
Les Soupirs de la Harpe Eolienne' - Frèdèric Kalkbrenner
Reflets dans l’eau - Claude Debussy
La plus que lente - Claude Debussy
Gymnopédie No 2 - Erik Satie
Golliwog's Cakewalk from 'Children's Corner' - Claude Debussy
Pavane pour une infante défunte - Maurice Ravel
La fille aux cheveux de lin - Claude Debussy
Gymnopédie No 3 - Erik Satie
Sur le fil - Yann Tiersen
Les chemins de l’amour - Francis Poulenc
La cathédrale engloutie -  Claude Debussy
Clair de lune - Claude Debussy
Alborada del gracioso - Maurice Ravel

THE MAGICAL MUSICAL WORLD OF CLAUDE DEBUSSY
Claude Debussy 1862—1918
Arabesque No. 1 (1888)
Rêverie (1890)
Danse (1890)
Images II (1907)
    Cloches à travers les feuilles (Bells through the leaves) 
    Et la lune descend sur le temple qui fut
         (And the moon descends on the temple that was) 
    Poissons d’or (Gold Fish)
Reflets dans l'eau (Reflections in the Water)   from Images I (1905)
Golliwogg's Cakewalk  from Children's Corner (1908) 
Le plus que lente (1910)
from Preludes I & II: (1910, 1913)
   Le puerta del vino  (The wine gate) 
   La fille aux cheveux de lin (The girl with the flaxen hair) 
   La cathédrale engloutie (The Sunken cathedral)

FRANZ LISZT - THE ULTIMATE VIRTUOSO
Hungarian Rhapsody No 12
Liebestraume No 3
Sposalizo
Un sospiro
Réminiscences de Lucia di Lammermoor 
Waldesrauchen
La leggeriezza
Consolation No 3
Harmonies du soir
La campanella
Hungarian Rhapsody No 2

MOSTLY MOZART
Domenico Scarlatti - Sonata in E major K. 380 
WA Mozart - Sonata in D major K 311
Edvard Grieg - Nocturne, Wedding Day at Troldhaugen 
WA Mozart  - Sonata in C minor K. 475
WA Mozart - Fantasia K. 457
Claude Debussy - La fille aux cheveux de lin
WA Mozart -  Sonata in F major K. 332
Frederic Chopin - Waltzes Op 18 No 1 in E flat major, Op 34 no 1 in A-flat major

MAGINIFICENT CHOPIN
Waltz in E-flat ‘Grande valse brillante’ Op 18
Nocturne in C-sharp minor Op posth
Scherzo No 3 in C-sharp minor Op 39
Nocturne in C-minor Op 48 No 1
Ballade No 3 in A-flat  minor Op 47
Etudes Op 25 Nos 2, 11 and 12
Mazurkas  Op 68 Nos 1 & 2, Op  67 No 2 
Sonata No  3 in B minor Op 58

GENERAL REPERTOIRE

17 March 2020

All concerts cancelled.

Due to the impact of the uncertainty brought about by the Coronavirus (COVID-19) we are forced to cancel all concerts. Even though gatherings of less than 100 persons are currently allowed we would not like to encourage close contact with others for extended periods of time in confined spaces.

Concerts cancelled include the ‘Archduke‘ trio tour in KZN (end March), dinner concerts at Elephant & Co, concerts at the Franschhoek Literary Festival, the Royal Symphony at the Royal Show plus ‘A Grand Night for Singing‘ in Johannesburg.

Please enjoy a selection of videos and recordings at our page DONT STOP THE MUSIC . Further announcement on ways you will be able to still enjoy our music and concerts online and also support and sustain Music Revival through this financially crippling situation.

PLEASE DONATE

You can help by

• donating funds, even if it is only the equivalent of the tickets you would purchase monthly

• purchase a Music Revival voucher to redeem at a later date for concerts tickets

• make a donation each time you enjoy the video and audio content currently available on our website

• MUSIC REVIVAL NEDBANK, Hayfields  134025 Acc 1340436582

March to May 2020
In the coming weeks and months Christopher will be presenting and playing another bumper set of concerts! These include Beethoven’s ‘Archduke’ Trio with Elena Kerimova (violin) and her husband Boris Kerimov (cello). Both are prominent members of the KZN Philharmonic Orchestra, and play as the Kerimov Trio. They formed their trio twenty years ago, and their close understanding is always apparent in the wide variety of music they play. There will be performances in Howick, Pietermaritzburg, Ballito, Kloof and Durban.

In the last week of March Christopher Duigan repeats his challenging programme of classical piano music titled ‘Fantasy/ Fantasia’ for a Sunday afternoon concert at the Durban Jewish Centre, presented in association with Friends of Music. Christopher also takes up an invitation to play a recital at the Grahamstown Music Society (18 March) in the Beethoven Room at Rhodes University. In addition there’ll be a soiree at Elephant & Co for ‘International Piano Day’ (28 March) and ‘A Night at the Opera’ with a fleeting visit by baritone Federico Freschi and soprano Nozuko Teto at the same venue (16 April). Freschi and Teto join Christopher along with soprano Bongiwe Madlala and Aristide du Plessis (cello) at the annual ‘Grand Night for Singing’ at University of Johannesburg (18 April).  Also in Gauteng, together with James Grace (guitar), he will repeat their ‘Mainly Mexico’ collaboration at the Brooklyn Theatre in Pretoria (3 April).

Finally, details of the much-anticipated Autumn Weekend in Franschhoek 15-17 May 2020, presented in association with the Franschhoek Literary Festival, are included on the Music Revival website. These five wonderful concerts in the NG Church and at Bistro Bon Bon are outlined. See the regional pages for all details!

February 2020
In February Christopher Duigan presents his monthly series of KZN concerts with a beautiful programme of classical piano music. Titled ‘Fantasy’ this pianistic ‘tour de force’  features classical repertoire that highlights fantastical, impulsive and imaginative musical elements as presented in the music of composers Ludwig van Beethoven - Sonate Op 27 No 1, Robert Schumann - Fantasie Op 17, Aleksander Scriabin - Nocturne op 9 and Sonate No 4 and Sergei Rachmaninoff - Etudes and Preludes.

January 2020
Cape Town-based James Grace joined Christopher Duigan, in a selection of music with a Mexican theme titled, ‘Mostly Mexico’. Inspired by Grace's recent concert tour to Mexico and Duigan's long-held  interest in Mexican culture, they compiled a selection from traditional and classical  Mexican repertoire,  perfect for a balmy summer evening. This was enjoyed in 10 performances including another successful outing at Elephant & Co Restaurant (see below), a new venue for Hillcrest (where we hope to present quarterly concerts) and a capacity audience for a collaboration with Friends of Music, Durban.

December 2019
The annual conecrt at Bouchard Finlayson winery in the Hemel-en-Aarde valley on Tuesday 17 and Wednesday 18 December 2019, in aid of the Hermanus Cancer Fund, saw Christopher presenting ‘My Favourite Things’ in two sold-out concerts. The concert, sponsored by Ian Burgess-Simpson Pianos, showcased a magnificent Fazioli grand piano and also included a guest performance from Mark Nixon who was visiting the country. The annual festive season concert simply titled ‘Christmas’ with the Drakensberg Boys Choir, in the Pietermaritzburg City Hall on Thursday 5 December, was a sold-out event once again and three small Christmas concerts with soprano Bongiwe Madlala, MC Andy Capostagno ( well-known as a SuperSport commentator and currently in the media spotlight as author of ‘Beast’, the biography of Sharks and Springbok rugby legend Tendai Mtawarira), rounded off the Christmas festivities. A repeat performance of ‘My Favourite Things’ at Casa Mexicana saw in the ‘new year’ on 31 December along with a splendid dinner concert at the new Elephant & Co Restaurant at the Athlone Circle Mall in Pietermaritzburg. This featured soprano Bongiwe Madlala and her husband tenor Lehlhonolo Musa. This promises to be a very popular new venue!

November 2019
‘My Favourite Things’ was the monthly offering from Christopher Duigan for the KZN tour. This programme brought together many musical threads across a multitude of genres; a series of refections on a concert pianist's multi-faceted career.

October 2019

A fantastic tour of concerts with Mark Nixon of four-handed piano music was very well received by enthusiastic KZN audiences. The duo certainly have a magical energy together! Mark and Christopher were joined by fellow pianist Alex Gabriel in a showcase piano extravaganza including music for six hands at one piano at Ian Burgess-Simpson Pianos in Cape Town. This promises to be a unique and exciting new venue for Music Revival showcasing the finest pianos! The programme was also presented at the Classic Music festival in Franschhoek. Other performances at the festival included the Prins-Shaw-Piniot Trio, a fantastic cabaret with Louis Howlett and guest Daniel Prozesky (clarinet) filling in for Junnan Sun who was unavailable to play due to illness. Other performances for Christopher in October included a recital at UNISA in Pretoria for a Spring Music Festival. Finally, Music Revival celebrated its 22nd birthday on October 2019!

September 2019

In September Christopher will be featured in a beautiful programme of music that includes light classics from Chopin and Mozart to contemporary evocations by Ludovico Einaudi from the films ‘Amelie’ by Yann Tiersen and ‘The Piano’ by Michael Nyman. This will be presented in six concerts across KZN. Other major performances included ‘The Grand Night for Singing’ at the University of Johannesburg, which he also directed. This annual concert fund-raising event, proposed by Prof Federico Freschi, Dean of the faculty of Art, Design and Architecture featured Violina Anguelov (mezzo), Lynelle Kennerd (soprano), Junnan Sun (clarinet), Federico Freschi (baritone) and The UJ Choir. The annual Hilton Arts Festival gets underway 13 - 15 September with Christopher playing his ‘Magnificent Chopin’ selection as well as presenting fellow Steinway Artist, Charl du Plessis. The annual Tatham Celebration concert takes the form of ‘Women in Song’ this year. James Grace (guitar) joins the line up as a special guest and also joins Christopher in an outing to Southbroom for the popular Riverbend concerts. Much time has been spent finalising and designing details for the annual Spring Classic Music Festival in Franschhoek which runs from 25 - 27 October. See the Cape Page for details.

August 2019
in August Christopher Duigan starts the month with the second in the series of concerts at Hilton College playing once again, with the Kerimov Trio and friends, Schubert’s Trout Quintet. This is also featured in a special Women’s Day morning concert in Musgrave Rd, Durban. Here is a recent review extract from their performance in Durban:

Later in the month Christopher will be featured, and also playing a producing role, assisting soprano Nozuko Teto stage a concert at the Friends of Music Durban. This will also feature Federico Freschi (baritone). Freschi, who has been a long time supporter and featured artist in Music Revival’s concerts will be leaving South Africa next month to take up an academic position in New Zealand. He will also appear in the Tatham Art Gallery in a farewell concert that same morning, Sunday 18 August.

At the end of the month Christopher Duigan will be joined by internationally acclaimed Junnan Sun on clarinet to play a selection of varied and popular classics for the monthly KZN Tour of concerts.

Pics from the recent Latimer Music Festival by Nick Rutter with Mark Nixon (piano), Shelley Levy (clarinet) and Sara Roberts (viola)

JULY 2019
In July Christopher will be looking forward to return to play in England at the Latimer Music Festival, a series of three concerts, programmed around a small of collective of musicians. On his return to South Africa he plays a selection of his favourite classics including the ‘Moonlight’ Sonata for the monthly KZN tour.

JUNE 2019
In June, apart from the launch of new concert series at Hilton College and Christ Church Constantia ( in ‘Magnificent Chopin’ - book here ), Christopher will be featured with the Kerimov Trio (who make a welcome return) in Schubert’s Trout Quintet. This includes a performance presented at The Friends of Music at the Jewish Centre in Durban.

MAY 2019

In May Christopher returns to a major project, the music of Chopin, which he has pursued over a number of years, In ‘ MAGNIFICENT CHOPIN’ he highlights the bold, virtuoso and majestic elements of the composer’s music over the elegant and atmospheric elements, often seen as typical of the composer’s music. This includes the Scherzo 3, Ballade No. 3 and selections of etudes, mazurkas, and nocturnes. The programme ends with the monumental Sonata No 3. This will be played across KZN as well as new venues which will be included every second month, at Hilton College and also in Christ Church, Constantia - Cape Town. This last venue brings about a much pursued possibility of a regular venue for Music Revival Concerts in Cape Town.

In addition Music Revival presents the with the eighth annual Royal Symphony at the Royal Show in Pietermaritzburg with the KZN Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Kutlwano Masote and the 16th Autumn Music Weekend in Franschhoek, to coincide with the Franschhoek Literary Festival. Performers this year include Charl du Plessis, Albie van Schalkwyk (piano) and David Pinoit (cello) playing Beethoven, and Christopher playing Mostly Mozart and “Another 20 Popular Piano Solos’ at Cafe Bon Bon.

APRIL 2019

In April Christopher Duigan was joined by Aristide Du Plessis (cello) in the MUSIC REVIVAL CONCERTS Monthly KZN Tour, from Ballito to Howick. They include music by Dvorak, Schumann and Schubert’s ‘Arpeggione’ Sonata, a favourite of audiences world-wide,  in this programme. A highlight was Aristides’ passionate performance of the slow movement form the Dvorak Cello Concerto. The Ballito performance was postponed due to extreme rain and poor weather condition to 6 May,

MARCH 2019

Christopher Duigan and David Salleras performed at the Woordfees in South Africa in March 2019 as soloists with the Stellenbosch University Symphonic Orchestra (conducted by Daniel Boico), once again in Takashi Yoshimtasu’s ‘Cyberbird’ Concerto and in the duo recital programme, ‘Indigo’. These performances will be broadcast on Kyk-net Tv in the coming months. These pics below by Mark Cloete.

in addition Christopher played solo recitals of a varied repertoire at Henley on Klip, Margate Retirement Village and a new venture for Music Revival, promoted two concerts in Greyton, Western Cape. It is hoped that Music Revival will promote a small festival of concerts in Greyton later in the year.

Christopher’s mostly tour of seven concerts featured the new programme ‘Another 20 Popular Piano Solos. ‘ This programme included many familiar and popular piano melodies as well as some lesser know piece by Sibelius and Yann Tiersen. This include the first performance at a new venue for Music Revival’s monthly KZN Tour, Crawford College in Umhlanga / La Lucia.

February 2019

In February Christopher presented a selection of music including piano sonatas - in D major, C minor and F major by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. In MOSTLY he also included sparkling and effervescent classics by Edvard Greig, Claude Debussy and a selection of Waltzes by Frederic Chopin. This programme was for the monthly KZN tour.

January 2019

Christopher started the year off with his monthly KwaZulu-Natal tour, this time with guitarist James Grace. Playing a selection of their standard repertoire collobarted and developed over many years, this programme together focussed on Spanish msuci which reflected the table of James’ latest release the Msuci for Spain Vol. 3. The tour included a solo concert for James at Highgate Wine Esatet in Lions River, KZN.

DECEMBER 2018

CHRISTOPHER DUIGAN and Spanish saxophonist DAVID SALLERAS performed in Barcelona’s Palau de la Musica (one of the world's most prestigious concert venues) with the Orquestra Simfònica del Vallès (conducted by James Ross) Saturday 1 December 2018 to great acclaim.

SEPTEMBER 2018

FRANZ LIZT RECITAL - CAPE TOWN

Our church was once again full to capacity for Christopher’s Liszt recital, everyone arriving with great expectation of a circus act on the piano, primed by several emails about the vain and super-talented composer.

There is a certain fascination with sitting comfortably in one’s chair while some poor soul sets himself an impossibly difficult task, and then slowly and surely achieves it in front of your eyes. A Liszt recital has to be experienced at least once in one’s lifetime. After all he ”invented” the recital, and had the wherewithal to compose and play the most difficult of all music for the piano.

Christopher began and opened his programme with a Hungarian Rhapsody. These pieces proved so popular, he also played the Rhapsody No 6  as an encore.

I watched Chris play ripple after ripple of impossibly difficult passages so accurately,  with the lightest possible touch.  Spidery fingers skimmed the keys in a blur, daring the notes to not even speak. He has a superb sense of texture management, an assessment of which voice is important at any one time. This went on piece after piece, with huge dramatic moments where the huge piano shook violently, contrasting with whispered devotional passages when nobody dared breathe. Each piece seemed to involve more hands that crossed each other, more leaps from one note to the other. Chris played us the Liszt “Big Four”, tossing off La Campanella in the course of things. The piece has the reputation of being the most technically difficult work for the piano ever written.

Over the course of the afternoon my fascination turned to wonder. It was the appreciation of the outpouring of what Liszt contained within him; the imagination, the impossible virtuosity, the lavishness of the Romantic movement. Here in front of us was an artist actually realising that impossible music, rising to the utmost challenge of his musical ability to provide this for us.

Everyone there felt they had all been witness to an extraordinary achievement. So many people made compliments on their way out, and they will come back for more.
Chris said drily afterwards when I congratulated him: “It took 40 years of practising.”

Matthew Reid 
Director : Playing with Fire Entertainment
www.playingwithfire.co.za

CONCERT DETAILS 2016

Major engagements  for 2016 for Christopher  included recitals for Mandela Day in Mexico City in July (presented by the South African Embassy - Watch the video of a snippet with Morgan Symanski (guitar)  here) and was soloist in the Beethoven Concerto No 3 with the KZN Philharmonic Orchestra on tour in KZN.

A CD 'The Music of Chopin'  Chopin's music  was released in November 2016.  See the CDs  page for more.  The Cd launch in March 2017  in Cape Town received a massive response and followed on all-Chopin performances at Brooklyn Theatre - Pretoria in June,  at the St Andrews Concert Series - Cape Town in August and at the Hilton Festival in September, plus performances in Durban, Hermanus, and Franschhoek in 2016. See below for pics.

MARCH 2017
CHOPIN RECITAL Constantia, Cape Town  

It was an extraordinary sight, watching people ... desperately wanting to get a ticket before the concert started! We were hard pressed to find everybody a seat.

From the first few notes Christopher played, I knew it would be a wonderful concert and that once again he would not disappoint. He started with Chopin’s E flat Nocturne, and played so quietly, sensitively and compellingly no one dared breathe. Then he proceeded to play all those pieces everyone knows so well, the ones they had come to hear: to my mind completely faultlessly, with perfect rippling passages in the high register, singing through the left hand and being so incredibly present throughout the entire recital that there seemed never a dull or boring moment. He was a credit to his teacher, the late Lamar Crowson, who has passed on gifts of imaginative playing and complete technical mastery over this demanding music, and yet Christopher brings his own insights and irreproachable musicality. It was a deeply satisfying concert to everyone there, richly deserving of the standing ovation at the end.

Matthew Reid, concert promoter

JUNE - JULY 2018

Virtuoso saxophonist, David Salleras, will be touring South Africa with concert pianist, Christopher Duigan, in June and July.

Since his first visit in October 2012, David Salleras has been collaborating on a project of concerts and recorded albums with Christopher Duigan. Salleras, who lives in Barcelona, Spain has attracted international attention through his fluency in a variety of musical styles. His innovative compositions, which incorporate traditional flamenco idioms with contemporary and avant-garde performing techniques, are performed by saxophonists worldwide.

Duigan, meanwhile, is widely regarded as one of South Africa’s leading concert pianists has developed a popular following through his innovative Music Revival concerts. For this series, the two musicians will perform works from the traditional saxophone repertoire by Jules Demersseman, JS Bach, Darius Milahaud’s Scaramouche and music from Spanish composer/saxophonist by Pedro Itturalde. Itturalde’s Suite Hellenique traditionally offers pianist and saxophonist plenty of opportunity to explore a wide range of dynamic interplay through a variety of musical styles.

Also on the programme will be Salleras and Duigan’s own creative arrangements of music by Astor Piazzolla, Salleras’ own solo Caprices, and Duigan’s compositions from the albums  Indigo and Midnight Blue.

In April  2017 Christopher was featured in a series of concerts with orchestra, solo and duo performances with David Salleras (saxophone)  around Barcelona, Spain.  This include selections from his own compositions from the CDs 'Indigo' &  'Midnight Blue', performed with orchestra. 

MARCH 2017

Pics: CHOPIN RECITAL Constantia, Cape Town 5 March 2017