Johannesburg International Mozart Festival – 2025

The Mzansi Chamber Music Collective start their 2025 Concert Season with a collaboration with the Johannesburg International Mozart Festival, presenting concerts at Villa Arcadia on the Hollard Campus by the American pianist Gustavo Romero, the Italian piano duo Spina & Benignetti, and the German pianist Florian Uhlig performing with celebrated South African violinist Samson Diamond.

The Johannesburg International Mozart Festival is a yearly celebration of one of the greatest composers in the Western Classical oeuvre which is dedicated to the upliftment and education of classical music in Johannesburg, and South Africa as a whole.

Gustavo Romero

Concert pianist Gustavo Romero, hailed for his technical brilliance and interpretive depth, is internationally renowned for his performances with leading orchestras such as the New York Philharmonic, Los Angeles Philharmonic, and the Cape Town Philharmonic. A native of San Diego with roots in Guadalajara, Mexico, he began playing piano at five, made his debut with the New York Philharmonic at 13, and studied at Juilliard under Rudolf Serkin’s mentorship. He has won prestigious awards, including the Clara Haskil International Piano Competition and the Avery Fisher Career Grant. Known for in-depth explorations of composers’ works, he has presented series featuring Beethoven, Schubert, Chopin, and Rachmaninoff, among others, often conducting from the keyboard. Mr. Romero has performed globally in iconic venues like Carnegie Hall and the Berlin Philharmonie, and his artistry is celebrated in recordings and a documentary, Portrait in Piano. He is also a Professor of Piano at the University of North Texas.

The programme includes:

  • W.A. Mozart: Fantasie in D minor, K. 397
  • H. Hofmyer: Ballata Africana, Op.162
  • F. Chopin: Grande Valse Brillante in E- flat major, Op. 18
  • F. Chopin: Ballade No. 3 in A-flat major, Op.47
  • F. Chopin: Scherzo No. 2 in B-flat minor, Op.31
  • M. Mussorgsky: Pictures at an Exhibition

Sunday February 2nd at 3 PM

Villa Arcadia, Hollard Campus, 22 Oxford Road, Parktown, Johannesburg

Tickets are R210 – R260 and are available at Quicket

Spina & Benignetti

The Spina-Benignetti Piano Duo, comprised of Eleonora Spina and Michele Benignetti, is internationally celebrated for their technical mastery, interpretive depth, and remarkable synchronicity. Winners of prestigious accolades like the Gold Medal at the Manhattan International Music Competition and the Global Music Awards, the duo has performed in renowned venues worldwide, including Salle Cortot in Paris, Izumi Hall in Osaka, and the Johannesburg Mozart Festival. Their critically acclaimed recordings, such as Brahms’s complete works for two pianos and Schubert’s piano duets, have earned widespread praise from publications like Fanfare Magazine and Musica. Professors at the Cité de la Musique et de la Danse in Soissons, France, they also lead masterclasses globally, inspiring the next generation of pianists. Official Yamaha Artists since 2017, their artistry continues to enchant audiences and critics alike.

The programme includes:

  • F. Schubert: “The Trout” Piano Quintet D667 (transcription for piano four hands by Hugo Ulrich)
  • W.A.Mozart/I. Roma:  Sinfonia 40
  • F. Liszt: “Les Preludes” per pianoforte a quattro mani
  • M. Ravel “La Valse” trascrizione per pianoforte a quattro mani di L. Garban

Saturday February 8th at 4 PM

Villa Arcadia, Hollard Campus, 22 Oxford Road, Parktown, Johannesburg

Tickets are R210 – R260 and are available at Quicket.

Samson Diamond & Florian Uhlig 

Florian Uhlig, born in Düsseldorf, gave his first piano recital at twelve and studied at London’s Royal College of Music and Royal Academy of Music, earning his concert diploma. Since his 1997 orchestral debut at the Barbican, he has performed with leading orchestras worldwide, including the BBC Symphony, Deutsche Radio Philharmonie, and Vienna Chamber Orchestra. A sought-after chamber musician and lieder pianist, he was the last partner of baritone Hermann Prey. Founder of the Johannesburg International Mozart Festival (2009), Uhlig has been a piano professor in Dresden and Lübeck, conducting masterclasses globally. He became an Associate of the Royal Academy of Music in 2015.

Samson Diamond, an award-winning violinist and Doctor of Philosophy in Music from the University of the Free State, has earned acclaim for his “exquisite” musicianship and “stylish” leadership. A leader of the Odeion String Quartet (2013–2023), Diamond has been associated with the Chineke! Orchestra since 2015, serving as concertmaster during its inaugural European (2019) and North American (2023) tours. He is associate concertmaster of the Mzansi National Philharmonic Orchestra and has performed as a soloist with major South African orchestras, including recent appearances in Mozart’s Sinfonia Concertante and Beethoven’s Romances. A graduate of the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester, Diamond’s early training began in Soweto under Buskaid’s Rosemary Nalden. He has played with renowned ensembles such as the Hallé Orchestra and the Academy of St Martin in the Fields, served as a jury member for national competitions, and coached violin sections of youth orchestras in South Africa and the UK. Diamond is a trustee of the South African Quartet of Peace Trust, a 2010 Standard Bank Young Artist for Music, and a TEDx Soweto speaker, with numerous accolades recognizing his artistry and dedication to music.

The programme includes:

  • F. Kreisler: Praeludium and Allegro
  • A. Pärt: Spiegel im Spiegel
  • W.A. Mozart: Violin Sonata in B-flat major, K. 454
  • R. Strauss: Violin Sonata in E-flat major , Op18

Sunday February 9th at 4 PM

Villa Arcadia, Hollard Campus, 22 Oxford Road, Parktown, Johannesburg

Tickets are R210 – R260 and are available at Quicket.

Secure Your Seat

Tickets at R210 – R260 are available now on Quicket – don’t miss this extraordinary celebration of violin and piano music.