Piano Trio Concert at Old Nectar

Old Nectar Concerts welcomes violinist Jeffrey Armstrong, cellist Nicola McLachlan, and pianist Henley Jun for an afternoon of chamber music at the historic wine cellar of Old Nectar Gardens in Jonkershoek. Bringing together three outstanding South African musicians with flourishing international careers, this programme explores the rich expressive possibilities of chamber music through the pairing of duo and trio works from the Romantic and early twentieth-century repertoire.

Schubert s largest violin sonata is a work that showcases melody writing at its best, with equal doses of humour, drama, and intimacy. Debussy s sonata for cello and piano shines a light on a new set of colours for the evening; with similar verve and energy, but in a distinctly different musical language. After the interval, all three musicians come together to play one of the most well-loved works of the piano trio repertoire; Mendelssohn s D minor trio. All three instruments are given the chance to sing freely, but it is the pianist who now has a chance to shine in Mendelssohn s fantastically virtuosic writing.

Violinist Jeffrey Armstrong enjoys a distinguished international career as a chamber musician, orchestral performer, and soloist. Based in Bremen, Germany, he is a member of the Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie and regularly performs in some of Europe s leading concert halls. He is also a member of the acclaimed Nerida Quartet and has appeared extensively throughout South Africa, Germany, and the United Kingdom, including performances with the Cape Town Philharmonic Orchestra and the G ttinger Symphonie Orchester. He is currently pursuing a Soloist s Diploma at the Hochschule f r Musik und Theater Hannover under Elisabeth Kufferath.

Cellist Nicola McLachlan is based in Kassel, Germany, where she is a member of the Staatstheater Kassel Academy while pursuing a Master s degree in Chamber Music at the Hochschule f r Musik und Darstellende Kunst Frankfurt. A graduate of the University of Cape Town and the Hochschule f r Musik, Theater und Medien Hannover, Nicola has received numerous awards and scholarships for her outstanding musicianship. She has appeared as a soloist with the Cape Philharmonic Orchestra and the UCT Symphony Orchestra and has worked with renowned artists including Steven Isserlis, Philippe M ller, Tanja Tetzlaff, and Midori.

Born in Busan, South Korea, and raised in South Africa, Henley Jun began piano lessons with Mario Nell at the age of eight. Henley moved to Germany in 2014 to continue his studies, receiving private tuition from Prof. Christian A. Pohl at the University of Music and Theatre Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy Leipzig. He has won several international awards, including first prize at the Fund o International Piano Competition and third prize at the WTPA Argentina International Competition. Henley has performed in South Africa, South Korea, Malaysia, Germany, France, Portugal, Spain, and Italy. Having completed his Master s degree, he is currently pursuing a soloist s diploma at the Mannheim University of Music and Performing Arts under Prof. Alexej Gorlatch.

Join us for this concert at Old Nectar Gardens historic wine cellar in Jonkershoek. Tickets are R200 per person and include selected wines from Banhoek s renowned Oldenburg Wine Estate and finger food during the interval. Student and learner tickets are available at the door for R50 per concert. Guests are invited to arrive early or linger after the performance to enjoy the tranquillity and beauty of the Old Nectar Gardens.

PROGRAMME

SCHUBERT Sonata in A Major for Violin and Piano

DEBUSSY Sonata for Cello and Piano

MENDELSSOHN Piano Trio No. 1 in D minor