Johannesburg Philharmonic Orchestra Third Season 2010

Conductor: Bernhard Gueller
Piano: Francois du Toit

DVOŘÁK Serenade, op.44, D minor
MOZART Piano Concerto no.20, K.466, D minor
HAYDN Symphony no.104, D major (London)

François du Toit is acknowledged as one of South Africa’s finest pianists, chamber musicians and music educators. Receiving early musical training from Merryl Preston and diplomas up to Fellowship level from London’s Trinity College of Music, he completed an Honours degree at the University of Cape Town under the distinguished pianist and teacher, Laura Searle, and then furthered his studies in Hanover, Germany. During his period of study abroad with the renowned pedagogue Berndt Goetzke, he distinguished himself in several important international piano competitions, taking top prizes in the 1991 Hannover Music Competition, the 1992 Rotterdam and 1993 Marsala Internationals, and the 1994 International Maria Callas Competition in Athens.

He has appeared as an acclaimed concerto soloist with all the orchestras in South Africa since the age of 15, and while still a student in 1988 was selected with Steven De Groote to perform with the Cape Town Symphony Orchestra on tour in the Republic of China. Since his days on the Music Faculty at the University of Potchefstroom he has been a member of The Potch Trio, which performed in Moscow and St. Petersburg in 1999, and now also appears with Franklin Larey as the Ixopo Piano Duo. He is a sought-after partner of visiting international artists in recital for chamber music societies throughout South Africa, and a highly respected adjudicator at the various national music competitions.

An Associate Professor of Piano at the University of Cape Town where he is also Head of Chamber Music, François du Toit was invited to give masterclasses and a recital last November at the University of West Michigan, where he also acted as an external examiner.