Mozart & Beethoven

Mozart & Beethoven | A Soirée of Classical Conversation

Presented in partnership with the Institut Français of South Africa

Sunday, 2 November 2025 | Northwards, Johannesburg

We invite you to step into an intimate musical salon, where the piano becomes a space of dialogue — between friends, between eras, and between generations.

Mozart for grace, Beethoven for fire, and a little surprise - for magic.

It is a curated journey through the wit, charm, fire, and flair of the classical and romantic traditions, brought to life by pianists Laura Pauna and Rentia Venter, with a special guest appearance by youth violinist Cynthia Chiang.

Part I

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

Sonata in C Major for Piano Four Hands, K.521

Sonata in D Major for Piano Four Hands, K.381

Mozart’s works for piano four hands, written for one piano and two players seated shoulder by shoulder, are radiant expressions of musical companionship.

The Sonata in C Major, K.521 (composed in 1787), is graceful yet sophisticated, filled with conversational interplay and lyricism. The earlier D Major Sonata, K.381, composed when Mozart was just 18, sparkles with youthful exuberance, charm, and a dash of theatrical bravado.

Part II

Ludwig van Beethoven

32 Variations in C Minor, WoO 80

Performed by Laura Pauna

This fiery set of variations reveals Beethoven at his most mercurial. Composed in 1806 on a simple eight-bar theme, the 32 Variations are a dramatic and virtuosic tour de force, compressing an entire symphonic arc into

a compact form. Each variation is a psychological sketch — sometimes tragic, sometimes stormy, always revealing.

Here, the piano becomes not just an instrument, but a stage for transformation.

To close the afternoon, we welcome the astonishing young talent Cynthia Chiang, who, at just eight years old, brings her own spark of brilliance to the stage. Her performance of Monti’s Csárdás — a virtuosic Hungarian rhapsody brimming with fire and flair — reminds us that music, above all, is about fearless joy.

Encore

Vittorio Monti

Csárdás (for Violin and Piano)

Performed by Cynthia Chiang (violin) and Laura Pauna (piano)

Acknowledgements

This performance is made possible through the generous support of the Institut Français of South Africa, Custodians of Culture and Artistic Exchange.

Our sincerest thanks also to Immagika Creative Designs, whose gowns bring elegance and theatrical magic to the stage.

Note from the Artists

We remain grateful for your presence. Music, to us, is not only a performance — it is a conversation, a thread between souls.

May you leave the afternoon we spent together with a heart stirred and a spirit lifted.

– Laura Pauna & Rentia Venter