Duo Rowland-Bogdanovic

ABOUT

The Rowland-Bogdanovic duo consists of two renowned soloists and chamber musicians, who are also partners in life: violinist Daniel Rowland and cellist Maja Bogdanovic. They have been highly praised for having exquisite chemistry, both on stage and on recordings. Their recording of Ravel’s duo was hailed as the best ever by American Record Review. Dutch daily NRC Handelsblad referred to them as having ‘a dream partnership’. Maja and Daniel are no strangers to Stellenbosch audiences, after many years of performing at the Stellenbosch International Chamber Music Festival. Old Nectar concerts welcomes them back to Stellenbosch for an afternoon at Old Nectar gardens historic wine cellar in Jonkershoek with a concert programme full of unique, magical works, several of them written for this duo.

Starting with the delightfully brilliant Halvorsen Passacaglia, the audience can look forward to the fascinating juxtaposition of Bach inventions (arranged by the artists), and eclectic contemporary composer Jörg Widmann. The charming ‘raindrops’ by 9 years old Sibelius takes us to the emotional heart of this concert: the profoundly moving ‘Castillo interior’ by the great Peteris Vasks - a piece of greatest depth and spirituality. Vasks, a good friend of the artists, described this piece as a picture of the search for sublimity, in the face of interruptions by the forces of darkness, with love prevailing. Kodaly’s Duo is one of the most viscerally exciting pieces in the repertoire, using the full emotional range of both instruments. Infused with the vivid dance rhythms of his native Hungary, the piece is both a virtuoso tour de force and also full of nostalgia, intimacy and tenderness. After the breathtaking climax of the Kodaly these two beloved tangos by Piazzolla, written as a young man in Paris in the 1950’s will be sure to enchant. 

Join us on Sunday 3 November 2024 at 4pm for a carefully curated recital. Tickets are available via Quicket for R200 per person and include selected wines from Banghoek’s renowned Oldenburg Wine Estate and finger food at interval. Student / learner tickets are offered at R50 per concert. Guests are invited to come early or stay after the concert to enjoy the tranquility of the Old Nectar gardens.

PROGRAMME

HANDEL / HALVORSEN Passacaglia

BACH / WIDMANN Suite of Bach’s Inventions Nos. 8 & 6 and Widmann’s Petit Ballet Mécanique & Valse Bavaroise

SIBELIUS Water Droplets

VASKS Castillo Interior

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KODALY Duo for Violin & Cello, Op. 7

PIAZZOLLA Tangos – ‘S.V.P.’

DIRECTIONS