THE KwaZulu-Natal Philharmonic Orchestra will stage two Durban concerts highlighting familiar, easy-listening popular favourites as part of its 2026 World Symphony Spring Season. These will be at The Playhouse Opera theatre at 7pm on Thursday, 12 November, and in the Playhouse Drama theatre at 7pm on November 19.
“We invite our family of music-lovers in Durban and across KZN, to join us for our exciting Spring Season,” said Bongani Tembe, the KZN Philharmonic’s Chief Executive and Artistic Director. “Our distinguished guest artists are set to collaborate with our resident musicians in making music for the delight of our dedicated KZN Phil audience.’
A change for regulars is that the first concert will be in the usual venue of the Playhouse Opera, but due to the Opera not being available for the second event, the concert on November 19 has now been moved upstairs to the Playhouse Drama.
“The Drama Theatre seats just under 500 patrons, compared with the Opera Theatre’s capacity of more than 1 000. We will therefore need to adjust seating allocations and the corresponding sections and ticket categories. We appreciate how important it is to concert regulars to have their preferred seats, and we will take care when making these adjustments,” explained KZN Philharmonic’s Reena Makan.
The Spring Season will open on November 12, under the baton of Canadian conductor Jean-Claude Picard, featuring renowned pianist Polina Osetinskaya as soloist. The evening will begin with one of the world’s most beloved concert showstoppers – Sergei Rachmaninoff’s deeply emotional Piano Concerto No 2 in C minor. This piece is widely celebrated for its lush lyricism, sweeping piano passages, and dramatic interplay between soloist and orchestra.
The November 12 concert will conclude with Tchaikovsky’s monumental Symphony No 5 in E minor, a captivating masterpiece built around a recurring ‘fate’ motif that journeys from dark introspection to a triumphant, life-affirming finale.
The second concert, on November 19, in the Playhouse Drama theatre, will be led by conductor Christian Schumann, whose international career spans symphonic music and opera. It will feature acclaimed Japanese pianist Yu Kosuge as soloist. She is celebrated for expressive playing, technical brilliance and musical insight.
The repertoire opens with Beethoven’s dramatic Coriolan Overture, a tense and powerful piece that sets a striking theatrical tone. This is followed by Beethoven’s lyrical and introspective Piano Concerto No 4 in G major, renowned for its groundbreaking dialogue between the piano and orchestra, where the soloist gently opens the work in serene contrast to traBizetditional bravura.
The evening concludes with Georges Bizet’s sparkling Symphony in C Major, a youthful and effervescent creation brimming with infectious melodies, classical grace and buoyant energy.
Beyond the mainstage performances, the KZN Philharmonic’s commitments are rooted in the community.
“As always, the KZNPO seasons complement the orchestra’s ongoing school visits, community engagement, and skills-transfer programmes, all geared towards reaching out to new-generation artists and audiences alike,’ added Tembe.
Season tickets are available via the KZN Philharmonic office at (031) 369 9438 or info@kznphil.org.za and individual tickets through Quicket.
For those preferring not to self-drive to the concerts, a park-and-ride bus service is offered from major arterial points: Upper Highway (St Agnes Church, departs 17h50) North Coast (Grace Family Church, departs 18h10); Westville (Westville Senior Primary, departs 18h10) and Berea (Caister Lodge, departs 18h20). Bus tickets are available by calling (031) 369 9438 or mailing info@kznphil.org.za, while individual tickets are through Quicket.
For more information visit www.kznphil.org.za.
