On her return to Pretoria, South African-born international mezzo-soprano, Megan Kahts, will be teaming up with renowned pianist Daniel Heide for an intimate evening of classical art songs of love and longing. The artistic duo will give a one-night-only performance at the Musaion Theatre of the University of Pretoria on 9 February 2023 at 19:00.
Titled Landscapes of the Heart, after a song cycle by prominent South African composer Peter Klatzow who recently passed away, the programme will also feature passionate Schumann and Brahms cycles, Post-romantic songs by Viennese-American composer Korngold, and rounded off with luscious classics by Samuel Barber.
The Landscapes of the Heart concert will be followed by masterclasses for promising voice students at the same venue on 10 February, aimed at honing their skills in German Lied interpretation, central to classical singing.
Currently based in Vienna, Megan Kahts is a graduate of the University of Pretoria and the University for Music and Performing Arts Vienna. Originally from Durban and Pretoria, she began her singing career at age eleven. Throughout her life, the award-winning Lied singer and sought-after oratorio singer has performed recitals on international stages. Ms Kahts has received critical acclaim, particularly for the roles she has sung for the Neue Oper Wien with the Tonkünstler Orchestra, Austria’s Teatro Barocco and other Baroque orchestras, particularly in Vienna and surrounding cities. Highlights include collaborations with the Theater an der Wien and the Bregenzer Festspiele. Important operatic repertoire milestones include Mozart’s Susanna, Despina and Cherubino; Handel’s Ruggiero and Hasse’s Tisbe.
Born in Weimar, pianist Daniel Heide is one of the most in-demand vocal accompanists and chamber musicians on the current international music scene, making appearances throughout Europe as well as in the Far East. Heide studied at the Franz Liszt Academy of Music in his hometown with Prof. Ludwig Bätzel and received valuable counsel from outstanding artists including Christa Ludwig and Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau. He collaborates with world-renowned singers on a regular basis, records for the German label Deutsche Grammophon and has won both ECHO and OPUS-Klassik prizes.
On performing again at home, and working with Heide, Ms Kahts says:
“It warms my heart to sing for my people and to bring back what I have learned and gained in experience, in the hope of expanding the cultural scopes of South African audiences and broadening the horizons of promising South African talents. This programme is, in part, a tribute to the song composer Peter Klatzow and his work. Through his music and more, we aim to communicate and uplift.”
Tickets for the concert are available through Webtickets at R180. For any enquiries, please contact Ma-Setlogelo Masote on setlogelo@webmaestro.co.za or +27 83 309 4648.
Landscapes of the Heart was made possible through the third funding cycle of the Presidential Employment Stimulus Package, disbursed by the National Arts Council of South Africa.
