Westhuizen Duo, Duo

Biography

South African-born pianists Pierre van der Westhuizen and Sophié Grobler, formed the Westhuizen Duo in 2001, after a highly successful debut with Bartok's Sonata for Two Pianos and Percussion in Youngstown's Ford Theater. They completed their graduate studies under the guidance of Frank Weinstock at the University of Cincinnati's College-Conservatory of Music, where each received the Doctorate of Musical Arts in Piano Performance.

Both pianists made their debut as soloists with the National Chamber Orchestra while still in South Africa. Between them they have garnered top prizes at national and international competitions, and have received multiple awards such as the M.C. Rhoode Memorial Piano Prize, and a grant from the National Research Foundation. As a duo, the performances of this husband-and-wife team have taken them across the U.S.A. and also South Africa.

Recent highlights include their debut at the Great Lakes Chamber Music Festival in June 2007. They were also featured at the Max M. Fisher Center as part of the Detroit Symphony Orchestra's festival Eight Days in June, at the Fontana Chamber Arts Series in Kalamazoo, and Kerrytown Concert House in Ann Arbor. They continued their summer performances in South Africa, where they were featured at the UNISA (University of South Africa) concert series in Pretoria. They have performed at major South African venues such as the Grahamstown, and Volksblad National Arts Festivals, and have appeared on all the prominent concert platforms at universities in South Africa. In June 2006, they were the first piano duo to be accepted into the TCU-Cliburn/PianoTexas International Academy and Festival.

The duo's performances have been heard on WYSU, WCLV, WGTE, RSG Afrikaans Radio and ClassicFM Radio. They have received master classes from artists such as Emanuel Ax, Janos Starker, Awadagin Pratt, the Pridonoff Duo and the Alan&Alvin Chow Duo. Upcoming performances include a European and South African tour for the summer of 2008, as well as a planned recording of two-piano music by Francis Poulenc for Centaur Records. Pierre and Sophié both serve as Assistant Professors of Piano at Heidelberg College in Tiffin, Ohio.