‘A Musical Journey’, a retrospective look at East London pianist’s life
Hayley White set to perform at Guild accompanied by Wesley and Lisa Wong
Pianist Hayley White is set to perform A Musical Journey, recalling moments, people and places in her life, at the Guild Theatre on February 22.
She will be accompanied by guest artists Wesley and Lisa Wong.
White, 56, a music teacher at Hudson Park High, said: “I love it, I love playing music, teaching music, I’m blessed that my career and my life revolves around something I love.
“For the recital I am playing pieces that have been significant for various reasons, for a particular moment in my life or a link to a particular person.
“I’ll be playing music but also telling little stories of the compositions.”
She will be playing works by Beethoven, Liszt, Chopin, Granados and other greats from the romantic and early classical periods.
“Chopin’s Ballade No1 in G minor, Op 23 “is a marvel,” White said.
“This is the biggest piece for me, it’s technically very challenging but also incredibly beautiful and emotional.
“It’s probably the most important composition I will be performing.”
White, who began playing the piano at age three, first learnt the piece for her honours recital while studying music at the University of Stellenbosch in 1990.
“It was the catalyst for this whole recital. I came across it last year and I wondered if I would be able to play it again and it grabbed me.
“From there, I just started remembering the pieces I had learnt in my life and wanted to share them with other people.
“I was 23 in my honours year and practising an average of five hours a day, working towards a public performance.
“It was probably the scariest thing I ever did because I had friends and family as well as lecturers, and examiners who were lecturers at other universities, and music students.
“This recital is probably the biggest thing I’ve done since.
“I have done several concerts in my life but they have always been in collaboration with other musicians, I’m forever involved in concerts and accompanying pupils.
“I did a few with my mom and dad [Colleen and Brian Smith], who were both pianists.
“The Maiden and The Nightingale by Granados is a very deceptive piece that my mom always loved. She will be in my thoughts when I perform.”
The piece is part of his suite Goyescas, inspired by Spanish romantic painter Fransisco Goya.
“One many people will recognise is Liebestraum by Liszt.
“It’s a piece I learnt after the death of my dad. He used to play it, and it helped me in dealing with my grief.”
She will also be performing
Dusk by Cecil Armstrong Gibbs, which she used to play with her father.
“There’s a lot of emotion in many of the pieces from the romantic era and naturally they evoke so much feeling.
“People will experience different emotions as they listen. One of my hopes is that people’s hearts will be moved by the music.”
White chose the Guild Theatre venue for its magnificent Steinway grand piano.
“I don’t often get the opportunity to play on a Steinway grand because there are not that many around.
“It’s superior because of the mechanism — it’s a combination of the touch that you feel when you play as well as the sound. From what you put into the keys and the response, it makes the sound you want to produce.”
Wesley, the head of music at Hudson High, will be on the trumpet and Lisa on the clarinet.
“I wanted to bring some variety into the programme,” White said.
“I have performed with Wesley and Lisa before.
“We have weekly break-time concerts at Hudson Park where our music pupils perform but every now and then we do a staff performance.
“Lisa and I were also part of the Halian Trio [together with Angela Kobus] who performed a chamber music concert in 2022.
“I am so happy they both agreed to be my guest performers because they are both superb musicians.”
Wesley said it was not often he got to perform alongside his wife, Lisa.
He said: “We are excited to be a part of Hayley’s concert, it is quite a thing to undertake,” he said.
“We hope to see some of our music students there, to lead from the front and show them that if we want them to perform we should put our foot forward, and show them how it’s done.”
A Musical Journey: Hayley White piano recital featuring Wesley and Lisa Wong is on February 22 from 7pm at the Guild Theatre.
For tickets, at R100 and R50 for pensioners and scholars, contact 079-496-0354.