Charl du Plessis in Concert

We welcome to our stage at Shed and Silo Country Restaurant in Benoni the inimitable pianist and showman extraordinaire Charl du Plessis.

With his unmistakable flair, Charl will perform a solo programme of much-loved piano classics and jazz improvisations on Sunday, October 22nd at 3 PM.

Charl du Plessis rose to fame when he was the youngest pianist in Africa to be named a Steinway Artist in 2010. He has since embarked on an international career working simultaneously as a classical and jazz pianist. He has illuminated the music of from Bach to Billie Joel for a new generation of listeners.

Since establishing his jazz trio in 2006, Charl du Plessis has alerted audiences to the complexities and capabilities of combining jazz and classical music. The creative possibilities of this musical unit have offered him the means to produce a wide range of music not confined by any style or genre.

His specialisation in the arrangement and refined treatment of crossover music sets him apart from other pianists. It has enabled him to build a new audience where the classic music connoisseurs and jazz enthusiasts meet. The confidence afforded by performing his own thoroughly original arrangements, combined with his classical piano expertise, allows him to connect the art of improvisation with insightful and interpretative musicianship.

Charl du Plessis has collaborated with many pre-eminent musicians and has performed with South Africa’s most prestigious orchestras: Johannesburg Philharmonic and Cape Town Philharmonic. International concert tours to Europe and the Far East in concert halls ranging from London’s Royal Albert Hall, Hamburg’s Elphilharmonie to Shanghai’s Oriental Arts Centre have contributed to the press hailing Du Plessis as a “cult pianist” an “edutainer” and a pianist with “the x-factor”.

For the past 20 years, he has performed in more than 60 concerts per year with singer and iconic South African entertainer Nataniël.

His work as a classical pianist and his 11-year collaboration with his trio has earned him many awards and prizes. His recordings have featured as no. 1 on classical billboard charts and have been awarded distinguished awards at National Arts Festivals for productions that include his GERSHWIN SONGBOOK and Charl du Plessis Trio Baroqueswing. He has won a Ghoema, Fiësta and most recently, two SAMA awards for Best Classical/Instrumental Album in 2017 and 2018.

Charl du Plessis studied with master piano teacher Joseph Stanford at the University of Pretoria and was the first student ever to complete a doctoral performance degree specialising simultaneously in classical and jazz piano. He also studied with well-known musicians, including György Sebök in Ernen, Switzerland, Dan Hearle and Stefan Karlsson at the University of North Texas, USA and Ulrich Koellah at the Musikhochschule Winterthur-Zurich, Switzerland. He has received major prizes at International Scholarship Competitions of the University of South Africa (UNISA) and the South African Music Rights Organization (SAMRO).

Why not make an afternoon of it and book a delicious lunch at the Shed and Silo Country Restaurant at 77 Thomas Rd, Norton’s Home Estates.

Tickets are available at Quicket and will sell out relatively soon, so don’t delay if you want to experience a live performance by one of South Africa’s finest musicians.