Westhuizen Duo

Works for piano, four hands, by Rachmaninoff, Bach, Gershwin, and more.

Bach/arr. Edward Neeman: Air from Orchestral Suite No.3, BWV 1068 

Schubert: Fantasy in F Minor, D. 940 

Schumann/arr. F.G. Jansen: Fantasy Pieces, Op. 73 

1. Zart und mit Ausdruck

2. Lebhaft, Leicht

3. Rasch, und mit Feuer

Rachmaninoff/arr. Greg Anderson: Vocalise, op. 34 no 14

Brahms: Waltzes, op. 39 (selections)

Brahms/arr. Greg Anderson: Lullaby, Op. 49

Gershwin/arr. Logan Skelton: selected songs

Khachaturian: Sabre Dance

With performances described as showcasing the “utmost polish,” “impressive control” with a “broad stylistic spectrum” (Beeld, South Africa), South African pianist Pierre van der Westhuizen has established himself as an accomplished and versatile musician, with critically acclaimed and enthusiastically received performances across South Africa, the USA, and Europe. 

Pierre graduated from Northwest University (Potchefstroom) with a double major in Piano Performance and Composition. Pierre has received several prizes, awards, and scholarships, which include the M.C. Rhoode Memorial Performance Prize, a grant from the National Research Foundation, winner of the Tuesday Musical Competition (Akron,OH), and an international competition to perform chamber music at the Rome Festival in Italy. He made his concerto debut in 1998, performing with the National Chamber Orchestra of South Africa. He continued his studies in the U.S., completing the Doctor of Musical Arts in piano performance at the College-Conservatory of Music in Cincinnati (2007), under the guidance of Frank Weinstock. His performances have been heard on WCLV (Cleveland) and WYSU (Youngstown), and he continues to perform internationally as a soloist and collaborative pianist all over South Africa, the USA, and Europe. He has also appeared as a soloist with the Toledo Symphony Orchestra under the direction of maestro Chelsea Tipton.

Pierre is also part of the Westhuizen Piano Duo, with his wife Sophié. Their interest in new music has led them to premiere numerous works by young South African and American composers. They were the first piano duo to receive fellowships as Young Artists at the prestigious PianoTexas International Academy and Festival (formerly the TCU/Cliburn Institute), as well as Shouse Artists at the Great Lakes Chamber Music Festival. Their performances were heard on WGTE (Toledo), Radiosonder Grense and ClassicFM. They were featured as guest artists at the Volksblad Arts Festival, Grahamstown National Arts Festival, Northwest University (Potchefstroom) and the University of South Africa UNISA Concert Series in South Africa, as well as venues across the USA. They were featured on the Dame Myra Hess Memorial Concert Series in Chicago, which was broadcast live on NPR and PBS, and have recorded the complete works for two pianos by Poulenc, released by AMP Recordings.

Pierre also enjoys teaching, and has previously served as guest artist and faculty member at the Colorado International Piano Academy, Cleveland Institute of Music’s Summer Sonata, and Chautauqua Institute. He has also served as a juror for competitions like UNISA (South Africa), Scriabin (Italy), MozArte (Germany), American Pianists Association, and more.  Pierre served as President of the Cleveland International Piano Competition from 2010 - 2017, and is currently the Executive and Artistic Director of The Gilmore: www.thegilmore.org

"Exceptional pianism through evocative coloring” and “superlative interpretative abilities” (CUE Magazine, 2011) are phrases used to describe the playing of South African pianist Sophié van der Westhuizen. She was the winner of numerous prizes, awards, and scholarships during the course of her studies, which culminated in a Doctorate of Musical Arts degree in Piano Performance and Piano Pedagogy from the College-Conservatory of Music at the University of Cincinnati. Sophié continues to perform internationally as both soloist and collaborative pianist, with a specialization in piano duo with her husband, Pierre. They regularly appear in residence at the Cleveland Institute of Music’s Summer Sonata Festival as guest artists and teachers, and have done the same at the Colorado International Piano Festival, Chautauqua Piano Institute, Kent State University Piano Institute, and CCM at the University of Cincinnati, among others. They received fellowships as Young Artists at the prestigious PianoTexas International Academy and Festival, and were Shouse Artists at the Great Lakes Chamber Music Festival. Their performances are regularly broadcast on radio, including NPR, WCLV, WGTE, and ClassicFM (South Africa), and they are often featured as guest artists at music festivals across the globe. Their performance on the Dame Myra Hess Memorial Concert Series in Chicago, with live broadcast on NPR, remains a highlight. Most recently, they were the featured guest artists at the 85th Baldwin Wallace Bach Festival in concerto and recital, and also made their New York debut at Steinway Hall. They recorded Francis Poulenc’s music for two pianos for AMP recordings. Sophié has served on the faculty of Heidelberg University, Youngstown State University, University of Mount Union, the Music Settlement, Aurora School of Music, and Cleveland State University, and now teaches at Kalamazoo College. She also maintains a private piano studio, ranging from young beginners to adults, and teaches at Interlochen Center for the Arts’ Arts Camp in the summer. Sophié served as director of ArtsConnect, a community outreach program for the Cleveland International Piano Competition, and currently serves as chair of the music committee on the board of the Stulberg International String Competition. Sophié is a Steinway Artist.