mond: asemrowende spelonk
“Performance art meets performance poetry”
Na die laaste twee jaar se voorlees by die McGregor Poetry Festival, keer Lara hierdie jaar terug in volle voordrag trant, in die genre beter bekend as performance art. Sy gaan ‘n poëtiese dans aanbied met gekalligrafeerde lyf, ink, as, papier en tong. ‘n Rituele soektog na poësie, betekenis en identiteit as vorm van bemagtiging. Woord word lyf. Lyf word woord. Voordrag in Afrikaans, met gedrukte Engelse vertalings.
Lara Kirsten is ‘n konsert-pianis en voordrag-digter. Sy wissel die streng dissipline van die kunsmusiek af met die skryf en voordrag van haar digkuns in Afrikaans en Engels. Sy kombineer dikwels haar digkuns met beweging, die visuele kunste, fotografie en musiek.
In Augustus 2007 maak sy haar debuut as voordrag-digter in die een-vrou-stuk Ingrid Jonker Dans Weer. Die vertoning van haar eerste een-vrou-stuk in kombinasie met installasie-kuns Frames bied sy aan by die Fook Festival in die Walter Battiss museum in Somerset-Oos in 2008. Hierdie werk bestaan uit agt gedigte wat voorgedra is in agt verskillende vertrekke met behulp van installasie kuns, kostuum en beweging. In 2009 maak sy haar debuut in Nederland in die vertoning Op het Punt van Aanraken (met musiek-improvisasie deur Francois le Roux, fotografie deur Carmen Gonzalez en digkuns geskryf en voorgedra deur Lara). In dieselfde jaar word sy genooi om poësie te skryf en voor te dra by die 60ste verjaarsdagvieringe van die Voortrekker Monument in Pretoria. In September van 2010 en 2011 het sy die voorreg om op te tree as beide pianis en digter in die Baxter konsertsaal in Kaapstad. ‘n Hoogtepunt vir 2012 was ‘n optrede in die Guy Butler teater in die Setlaarsmonument in Grahamstad. Sy is genooi om poësie te skryf en voor te dra vir die openingseremonie vir die Internasionale Akwarium Kongres by die CTICC (Cape Town International Convention Centre) in September 2012. Van 2010 tot 2012 het Lara een-vrou-stukke geskep en voorgedra vir die AfrikaBurn Fees in die Tankwa Karoo in die Noord-Kaap. Van 2014 tot 2016 word sy genooi om op te tree by die McGregor Poësie Fees. Sedert 2009 tree Lara op by die Off the Wall poësie sessies in Observatory, Kaapstad. Vanaf 2015 tree sy op by die Steampunk poësie sessies in die Midlands van KwaZulu Natal waar haar woning tans is.
Sedert 2007 word Lara se digkuns gepubliseer in verskeie uitgawes van die Suid Afrikaanse Letterkundige Joernaal New Contrast. In 2008 word sy deel van die Oos-Kaapse digtersgroep Ecca, met wie sy voorlesings aanbied en jaarliks ‘n gesamentlike digbundel publiseer.
Vir meer oor Lara se musiekloopbaan, digkuns, fotos, videos, klankopnames en ander kreatiewe projekte, besoek haar blog by laraafrika.blogspot.com
This year marks 16 years of the musical partnership between Morné and Lara. Their earliest collaboration was initiated during their student days at the University of Pretoria. Over the years they have performed together at venues such as Lucit Candle Garden in Pretoria, the Johannesburg Performing Arts Library, the Odeion in Bloemfontein (for the ATKV Musiq competition, where Morné won first prize in the Wind Instrument category), and at the Sandton Theatre on the Square. Their concerts are remembered for its varied and exciting choice of music and their energetic and passionate renditions. This year they bring a program inspired by the DANCE! Lara will intersperse the program with poetry inspired by the music in Afrikaans & English.
Duration of performance: 60 minutes
Jean-Frédérik, the host of the Kindlewood soirée series in Johannesburg describes this duo as spontaneous, careful, considered, meticulous, passionate, and personal; and in subliminal musical conversation. The program consists of an eclectic mix of vibrant and sensually attractive music from Hungary, Argentina and Poland:
Morné van Heerden obtained a B.Mus. degree (Cum Laude) from the University of Pretoria in 2001. After university Morné continued to study clarinet with Mario Trinchero and won the woodwind category of the ATKV Musiq competition in 2003. In 2009 he received masterclasses from clarinetist Anthony Pay in Oxford, England. The same year he obtained a Performer's Licentiate from the University of South Africa with distinction. Morné is a free-lance clarinetist for the Johannesburg Festival Orchestra, the Johannesburg Music Initiative, and is currently the principal clarinetist of the Johannesburg Philharmonic Orchestra . As a chamber musician Morné is part of the 007 Ensemble, the South African New Music Ensemble, and various other groups that perform at music festivals such as the Klein Karoo National Arts Festival, Aardklop and the annual Wakkerstroom Music Festival. Morné is currently a music coach at Kingsmead College in Johannesburg.
Lara Kirsten is a pianist and performance poet. After completing her high school career at the National School of the Arts in Johannesburg in 1997, Lara received her BMus and BMus Honours degrees, both cum laude at the University of Pretoria. Joseph Stanford and Wessel van Wyk were her mentors in solo piano and chamber music respectively. In 1999 she was awarded a SAMRO bursary for undergraduate students. In 2002 she received her chamber music licentiate from UNISA. She was appointed junior lecturer at the University of Pretoria where she taught piano from 2003 to 2005.
For the past decade Lara has been active as both a solo and chamber musician performing with musicians such as soprano Linda van Coppenhagen, tenor Sandile Mabaso, clarinetist Morné van Heerden and cellists Wessel Beukes and Francois le Roux. She often performs her poetry within her music recitals. She has performed in venues such as the Sandton Theater on the Square, the Baxter concert hall in Cape Town, the Voortrekker Monument in Pretoria, the Guy Butler Theater in Grahamstown and the Tatham Art Gallery in Pietermaritzburg.
Lara has performed at the Wakkerstroom Music Festival, the McGregor Poetry Festival, the AfrikaBurn Festival in the Tankwa Karoo, the Woordfees in Stellenbosch, the FynArts Festival in Hermanus and the Michaelhouse Music Festival in the Midlands of KwaZulu-Natal.
For the last 4 years Lara has been based in the Midlands of KwaZulu-Natal from where she travels with her concert tours. She also teaches piano from her home. From 2014-2016 Lara has been invited to serve as adjudicator for the Pietermaritzburg Eisteddfod of the South African Music Society of Music Teachers.
Since 2007 Lara's poetry has been published in the South African Literary Journal New Contrast. In 2008 she became part of the Eastern Cape poet-group, Ecca, who presents readings and publishes collectively each year. In 2015 one of her poems has been selected to feature in the Sol Plaatje European Union Poetry Anthology. Lara’s poetry and creative projects can be viewed on her blog at http://laraafrika.blogspot.com/
Lara Kirsten at the McGregor Poetry Festival 2015 Edition:
__________________________________________________________________
THE DANCE
with
Morné van Heerden (clarinet) and Lara Kirsten (piano)
Duration of performance: 60 minutes
Jean-Frédérik, the host of the Kindlewood soirée series in Johannesburg describes this duo as spontaneous, careful, considered, meticulous, passionate, and personal; and in subliminal musical conversation. The program consists of an eclectic mix of vibrant and sensually attractive music from Hungary, Argentina and Poland:
Four Hungarian Dances – Kókai Rezsö (1906-1962)
Histoire du Tango - Astor Piazzolla (1921-1992)
(Arrangement by Dmitriy Varelas)
I Bordel - 1900
II Café – 1930
III Nightclub - 1960
IV Concert d'aujourd'hui
Five Dance Preludes - Preludia taneczne - Witold Lutoslawski (1913-1994)
Brazileira – from the Scaramouche Suite – Darius Milhaud (1892-1974)
Concert CV’s of the two musicians
For the past decade Lara has been active as both a solo and chamber musician performing with musicians such as soprano Linda van Coppenhagen, tenor Sandile Mabaso, clarinetist Morné van Heerden and cellists Wessel Beukes and Francois le Roux. She often performs her poetry within her music recitals. She has performed in venues such as the Sandton Theater on the Square, the Baxter concert hall in Cape Town, the Voortrekker Monument in Pretoria, the Guy Butler Theater in Grahamstown and the Tatham Art Gallery in Pietermaritzburg.
Lara has performed at the Wakkerstroom Music Festival, the McGregor Poetry Festival, the AfrikaBurn Festival in the Tankwa Karoo, the Woordfees in Stellenbosch, the FynArts Festival in Hermanus and the Michaelhouse Music Festival in the Midlands of KwaZulu-Natal.
For the last 4 years Lara has been based in the Midlands of KwaZulu-Natal from where she travels with her concert tours. She also teaches piano from her home. From 2014-2016 Lara has been invited to serve as adjudicator for the Pietermaritzburg Eisteddfod of the South African Music Society of Music Teachers.
Since 2007 Lara's poetry has been published in the South African Literary Journal New Contrast. In 2008 she became part of the Eastern Cape poet-group, Ecca, who presents readings and publishes collectively each year. In 2015 one of her poems has been selected to feature in the Sol Plaatje European Union Poetry Anthology. Lara’s poetry and creative projects can be viewed on her blog at http://laraafrika.blogspot.com/
event sponsored by:
