'n Talentvolle wese…..en hy is ‘n beskeie Gansbaaier! Hoe ongelooflik bevoorreg is ons nie om elke oggend op te staan met ‘n diepe en innerlike bewustheid van die skoonheid en die voorreg om in hierdie kunstig handgemaakte skepping van God te woon nie. Elke mens is in diepte 'n soeker na die doel van die mens op aarde - en tog, ons kan maar net lewe - lewe om goed te doen aan ander, om dit waarmee jy geseënd is, te gebruik en daardeur ons skeppings-opdrag te vervul. Marjaan (regs) het stil stil die dorp ingekom - ingekom na, 'n lewe van opwinding, van wêrelde wat vir die meeste van ons net drome is, van optredes vir jare by teaters en wêreldleiers, gedans en musiek gemaak - totdat - hy gaan stilstaan en besef het, die lewe gaan soms oor meer as net die kollig waarin jy soms vasgevang word. Sy familie het hom nodig gehad en sonder verwyte het hy die “blink-liggie” lewe daar agtergelaat en huis toe gekom.
Marjaan is nie net ‘n befaamde musikant nie, hy het van baie jongs af, almal wat wou sit, se hare mooi gemaak. Hy het tussen sy studies deur, ook haarkappery gestudeer as by-beroep, gebaseer op sy dans- teater agtergrond wat reeds gedurende sy hoërskooljare by die destydse TRUK-Ballet geselskap in die Staatsteater, Pretoria, vonk gevat het. Dit het hom weer eens goed te pas gekom deur as stilis en grimeerkunstenaar op te tree vir mode fotografie teater grimeerontwerp en film stilering - altwee plaaslik, en in Amerikaanse en internasionale genres. Marjaan is tans ‘n baie gerespekteerde haarkapper op Gansbaai wat sy eie besigheid met groot sukses bedryf. Op ‘n vraag aan hom oor wat sy sterkste punt is, het hy onomwonde geantwoord dat hy ‘n perfeksionis is…..en jou slegste punt: my afkeur in selfvoorsiende lamlendigheid.” 'n Klavierkonsert met Marjaan vind plaas in die Great White House, Kleinbaai op 6 Junie 2013. 'n Driegang maaltyd is deel van die R140 per kaartjie. Vir kaartjie bespreking skakel vir Ans by 082-300-4800.
Artist Profile: Marjaan van Tonder
Marjaan took up piano lessons at the age of 4 years. He followed in the fingerprints of his mother (a music teacher/pianist/organist and choir mistress) and maternal grandfather who was a seasoned guitarist and harmonica player. His first piano teacher was Ms CE Vogelzang, a very strict follower of the European school of performance art and musicology. In spite of a love/hate relationship with ‘Voeltjie’, as she was commonly known, he admits till this very day that it was her constant drilling in technique and sound production that set him up for a life of the pursuit of mastery of the piano and composition. During his high school years, Marjaan was a pupil at The School of Art, Music & Ballet (today known as Pro Arte) and received additional tutelage from the Pretoria Technicon Music department. His teachers included Prof Jelrich Koelemann, Prof Hugo Schreuder, Riana Bester and Karen Kossen in piano. Prof Henk-Klaas Vermaas oversaw his organ studies and Doreen Linenkamp that of the harpsichord. He matriculated with Distinction in all 3 instruments in 1987. He also successfully completed both the UNISA and Royal Schools of Music Gr 1 to 8 Piano and Music Theory Examinations with distinction, having been examined by the likes of Prof Henk Temmingh, Prof Hennie Joubert and Prof Rene Duchable. Upon completion of his matric year, he was employed as repiteteur at the Pretoria State Theatre, PACT Opera and Ballet based on his skill at improvising at the piano to give singers and dancers a full orchestral feel to normally reduced piano scores from the original orchestral scores.
Marjaan resumed his studies in a B Mus degree at UNISA, but completed it at the University of California, San Diego after moving to the United States of America. While studying further under the tutelage of Prof Robert Jones, renowned American modern-classical composer, he was employed by the San Diego State University, where he was the resident lecturer in Accompaniment and Improvisation until his return to South Africa to reunite with his family. During the last 25 years Marjaan has been associated with International names such as Jodi Kelnhofer, who commissioned a score for the Ballet ‘Sumwhere in Who’s World?’ from him for the Los Angeles City Ballet; Diane Schuur, renowned Jazz singer, but found a passion in Argentine Tango and Latin Music which featured collaborations with Tito Puente, Jaime Moran, Milton Nascimento and Al di Meola amongst others.
He has also performed by request for President Jacob Zuma, ex-US President Bill Clinton, as well as current Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff who held an invitation only music evening for South American Heads of State at her private residence in Brazilia after hearing him perform in concert halls in Sao Paolo and Rio de Janeiro. Marjaan is also a multiple award winner in Ballroom & Latin Dance as well as Argentine Tango. He says when music fills your veins it doesn’t seem to matter whether it manifests through your hands or legs.
Ans Scholtz
