Classical music concert “Pianists, Russians & Rossini” has been postponed due to the rapid rise of Covid cases.

The show, which was originally scheduled for July 4 at Affies in Pretoria, has provisionally moved to August 1.

Commenting on the show, chief executive of Aardklop, Alexa Strachan, said: “The recent announcement by the president that indoor gatherings are now capped at 50 people and our deep concern for the health and safety of artists and audiences has resulted in the postponement of ”Pianists, Russians & Rossini“.

“We will confirm the date closer to the time, pending government legislation and lockdown level protocols.

“In the meantime, we encourage everyone to adhere to Covid-19 protocols to help curb the spread of the pandemic,” added Strachan.

“Pianists, Russians & Rossini” features internationally renowned musicians Carin van Graan, Eugene Joubert and Stephan Gericke.

The programme maintains a balance between well-known works like “Shostakovich’s Waltz No 2”, excerpts from “The Nutcracker” (Tchaikovsky) and “The Barber of Seville” (Rossini).

The performance also includes accessible works not often performed in South Africa, such as Glinka’s Capriccio on “Russian Themes” and Rossini’s “Tancredi Overture”.

Eugene Joubert obtained a Master’s degree from Rice University in Houston.

In 2007 he made his debut at the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, DC. Other international performances include Switzerland, Romania, the Czech Republic, Serbia, the US and Denmark.

An avid performer of chamber music and lieder, Joubert has performed for various Sempre Opera – and Big Wig Opera productions. He is currently head of Piano Studies at St Mary’s School in Waverley, Johannesburg.

Stephan Gericke is a conductor, pianist, violinist, composer, arranger and singer. He obtained a Master’s degree from the University of Cambridge and often performs as a soloist, chorister and an ensemble or orchestral musician on local and international stages.

Carin van Graan obtained a BMus (Performing Arts) degree cum laude from the University of Pretoria in 2005.

She later also completed an MMus (Musicology) degree at the same university. She works as music teacher and accompanist at St Alban’s College in Pretoria.

Van Graan is an active collaborative pianist and accompanist – recent performances include the Hilton Arts Festival, the Wakkerstroom Music Festival, and the Theatre on the Square in Sandton. Internationally, she has performed in the Czech Republic, Bulgaria, China, and Italy.