UCT’s SA College of Music is honouring Dr Thomas Rajna’s approaching 90th birthday with a concert, Rajna at 90, at the Baxter Concert Hall on Tuesday August 14 at 7.30pm.
Dr Rajna, who lives in Claremont, was an associate professor of music at the college until his retirement in 1993. The composer himself will contribute a performance of his Capriccio for piano.
The programme includes Dr Rajna’s work, which includes Serenade for wind, piano and percussion; three Hebrew choruses sung by the Cape Youth Choir directed by Leon Starker, and The Creation – a sermon for chorus with organ, performed by Vox directed by John Woodland.
Dr Rajna, who is Hungarian-born and an internationally acclaimed composer and pianist, has lived in Cape Town for 48 years.
His compositions include two piano concertos, concertos for harp, clarinet and violin respectively and two operas.
On Tuesday October 23, UCT Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Alexander Fokkens, will accompany Farida Bacharova playing Rajna’s Violin Concerto. And, on Thursday November 1, the Cape Philharmonic, under the baton of Daniel Boico, will perform Video Games, Rajna’s orchestral party piece, at the opening concert of their spring season.
