Leo Gevisser Will Perform With Mzansi National Philharmonic Orchestra In Concert

Capetonian pianist and composer Leo Gevisser, 22, will perform with the Mzansi National Philharmonic Orchestra (MNPO) in Cape Town next month. The acclaimed orchestra's Rhythms of Hope national tour, conducted by world renowned Ukrainian maestro Kirill Karabits, begins in Johannesburg next week on November 28, 2024, followed by a performance in Bloemfontein on  December 1, 2024 and culminating in the Mother City at the City Hall on December 4, 2024. 

Gevisser will play Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue -  an exhilarating, timeless piece that marks its 100th anniversary this year. The much anticipated concert will also feature the world premiere of Philip Miller's uShaka iLembe Suite with vocalist Mbuso Khoza and soprano Ann Masina, and the grand symphonic suite Scheherazade by Rimsky-Korsakov. Distinguished MNPO Concertmaster, Sarah Oates, will lead the eighty-plus-strong orchestra.

A Juilliard School graduate, Gevisser has garnered multiple international accolades and just last month was a prize-winner at the Concours International de Piano d'Orléans.  Deeply connected to South Africa, he has performed with all of South Africa's major orchestras, in the 2022, 2023, and 2024 seasons. His career is flourishing with him already having played in many festivals across Europe and the USA.  

Maestro Kirill Karabits is a renowned Ukrainian conductor, born in 1976 in Kyiv. He is internationally known for his dynamic interpretations and innovative programming. Karabits served as the Chief Conductor of the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra (BSO) for 15 years, a role that brought the orchestra critical acclaim. Highlights of the 2024/25 season include his debut performances with the Orchestra de Paris, return visits to Orchestra Sinfonica Nazionale RAI, Belgrade Philharmonic, Warsaw Philharmonic, Norwegian Radio Orchestra, City of Birmingham Symphony, and the Norwegian Opera for a new production of Stravinsky's The Rakes Progress Opera. A prolific opera conductor, Kirill has worked with the Deutsche Oper (Don Giovanni), Opernhaus Zürich (Boris Godunov, La Bohème), Oper Stuttgart (Death in Venice), Glyndebourne Festival Opera (La Bohème, Eugene Onegin), Staatsoper Hamburg (Madama Butterfly) and the English National Opera (Don Giovanni, Die tote Stadt), among others. 

Supported by the Department of Sport, Arts, and Culture, the tour highlights unity through music, with satellite events such as youth outreach at the Athlone School for the Blind and live violin-making demonstrations by French luthier Antoine Gourdon. Says Bongani Tembe, Chief Executive and Artistic Director of Mzansi National Philharmonic Orchestra, “As we embark on our Rhythms of Hope national tour 2024, the Mzansi National Philharmonic Orchestra is thrilled to showcase remarkable South African artists and great music to communities across South Africa.” 

Mzansi National Philharmonic Orchestra's Rhythms of Hope concert at the City Hall in Cape Town takes place on Wednesday 4 December 2024 at 7:30pm. Tickets are available from R150 through Quicket.