By Menziwa Msibi

North-West University (NWU) violinist Prof Piet Koornhof’s album with Albie van Schalkwyk on piano – Violin Plus One – recently received a glowing review on MusicWeb International.

Recorded by Delos Productions, the album features various arrangements by Prof Koornhof and Albie for violin and piano.

Mark S Zimmer from MusicWeb International, the largest non-commercial classical music resource on the web, describe the album as follows. “These pieces are given a lovely performance by South African violist Piet Koornhof, with noted accompanist Albie van Schalkwyk. Koornhof gives us a moody Tchaikovsky, but not a self-indulgent one.”

He goes on to say that the highlight of the disc for him was Bizet’s arrangement of Introduction and Rondo Capriccioso, which had initially been intended as the finale for Saint-Saens’ first violin concerto.

Prof Koornhof has been teaching violin, viola, chamber music and methodology of violin teaching at the NWU’s Potchefstroom Campus since 1986. He has performed extensively as recitalist and chamber musician, and as soloist with orchestras across the world.

Albie has established himself as performer in a number of fields over the past 30 years. As one of the leading chamber musicians and vocal accompanists in South Africa, he has also performed as soloist with South African orchestras, performed solo recitals, given master classes for singers and accompanists, worked as a music producer for the SABC, and arranged music for various combinations.