Pierre van der Westhuizen & Sophie Grobler, piano duet
September 1, 2006
The WESTHUIZEN DUO (http://www.westhuizenduo.com) made a highly successful debut in 2001 in the Ford Theater in Youngstown, with Bartók’s Sonata for Two Pianos and Percussion. These performances were broadcast live on WYSU Radio. Successive performances took them to Cincinnati, where they were invited to perform on the opening night of the international new music festival, MUSIC03. Other performances include appearances with the CCM Wind Symphony, and the “Challenging Performances Concert Series”, “Music at Covenant”, “PianoFest Cincinnati” as well as Kent State University’s Composer’s Concert Series. In 2004 they completed a critically acclaimed tour of South Africa, with performances at the University of Potchefstroom and in Cape Town’s Baxter Theater. This tour was repeated in 2005, with rave reviews, leading to invitations to appear again in 2006, at the National Arts Festival in Bloemfontein. Other performances include recitals at the University of Alabama-Huntsville and an appearance as featured artists at Cincinnati’s Fine Arts Sampler weekend as part of the “Music at Covenant” concert series. As a duo, they have received masterclasses from Emanuel Ax, Emanuelle Arciuli, the Pridonoff Duo and the Alan & Alvin Chow Duo.
PIERRE VAN DER WESTHUIZEN, a native of South Africa, received the B.M. in Piano Performance and Theory & Composition from the University of Potchefstroom (South Africa) in 2000 (Cum Laude), studying with Truida van der Walt. In 2002 he received the Master of Music (Piano Performance) degree from Youngstown State University (studying with Dr. Caroline Oltmanns). He is currently a doctoral candidate in Piano Performance at the University of Cincinnati's College-Conservatory of Music, studying with Frank Weinstock.
During his undergraduate years he was the recipient of several awards and prizes, such as the Federation for Afrikaans Language and Culture award, the SAMRO National Endowment for the Arts award, and grants from the National Research Foundation as well as the National Arts Council. He is also a recipient of the prestigious M. C. Rhoode Memorial Prize for Piano Performance. In the US, he was the recipient of a Graduate Assistantship in Music Theory, as well as the recipient of a Graduate Scholarship, from 2001 - 2005.
His concert activities have led him to appear both as soloist and chamber musician. He was featured at the South African Music Concerts in Potchefstroom and Pretoria, with the Obelisk society, and was also a featured soloist with the National Chamber Orchestra. Performances in the States took him to Youngstown, Cincinnati, Cleveland and Tiffin, Ohio, Alabama, and Los Angeles. He was featured on WCLV (Cleveland Radio). In 2002 he won an international competition to perform as soloist and chamber musician at the prestigious Rome Festival in Italy, and in 2003 he was a winner at the Tuesday Musical Competition in Akron.
Pierre currently shares the position of Assistant Professor of Piano at Heidelberg College, with his wife, Sophia Grobler.
SOPHIA GROBLER, born in South Africa, made her debut as soloist with the National Chamber Orchestra at age 18. She completed the B.Mus. degree with a double major in Piano and Violin, studying with Truida van der Walt and Piet Koornhof, at the University of Potchefstroom (South Africa) in 2000. In 1996 she was a finalist in the Hennie Joubert Piano Competition, and received several awards during her undergraduate years. These include the FAK-PU for CHE, SAMRO and M.C. Rhoode Memorial prizes. In 1998 she was a prizewinner at the UNISA Grade VIII Scholarship Competition, and in 2000 was appointed the best student in the School for Languages and Arts. She was a recipient of a grant from the National Research Foundation, and was a featured performer at the Obelisk South African Music concert series.
In 2002 Sophia received her master's degree in piano performance from Youngstown State University, Ohio, studying with Dr. Caroline Oltmanns. Here her performances were heard on WYSU (Youngstown Radio) and WCLV (Cleveland Radio), and other performances include the “South African Music Concert at the Butler Institute of Art” and as soloist with the Youngstown State University Wind Ensemble. In 2002 she won an international audition to perform as soloist and chamber musician at the prestigious Rome Festival in Italy. She was also a prizewinner in the SAMRO Overseas Scholarship Competition.
Sophia is a doctoral candidate at the College-Conservatory of Music at the University of Cincinnati, studying with Frank Weinstock. Here she was the recipient of a Graduate Assistantship and Scholarship, where she taught Secondary Piano.
She continues to perform as soloist and chamber musician, and currently serves as Assistant Professor of Piano at Heidelberg College.
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