Charl du Plessis Trio

As one of the most unique and recognisable musical ensembles in South Africa today,

the Charl du Plessis Trio has contributed to the resurgence in the popularity of crossover

music from Zeerust to Zürich, Stellenbosch to Shanghai. They have won major music

awards including a Fiësta, 4 SAMA awards and a Ghoema for Best Instrumental Album.

This trio frequently performs in Europe and Asia as well as at major music festivals in

South Africa. Highlights include Grachtenfestival - the Netherlands, Festival Musikdorf

Ernen - Switzerland, and Standard Bank Joy of Jazz - Johannesburg.

Formed in 2006, the scope of the Charl du Plessis Trio's musical diversity is what makes

their endeavours truly unique. Performing in styles ranging from classical, jazz, rock, pop

to even salsa, reggae and Latin, they have recorded nine independent albums. This

musical unit consists of pianist Charl du Plessis, bassist Werner Spies and drummer

Peter Auret.

Charl du Plessis is a Steinway Artist with an extensive performing schedule who holds a

Doctorate of Music from the University of Pretoria under Joseph Stanford. He is the first

pianist ever to perform on Table Mountain, has performed on four continents ranging

from classics with leading symphony orchestras to jazz and pop. He has performed on

the stages of the Hamburg Elbphilharmonie with pianist Joja Wendt and the Berlin

Philharmonie for an impromptu performance with Chick Corea. He has been the

collaborative pianist with singer/songwriter Nataniël since 2000, performing in more than

120 stage productions per year.

Werner Spies studied at TUT and is one of the top freelance jazz bass players in South

Africa. He is a lecturer at the Tshwane University of Technology and a successful young

entrepreneur, co-owning the Haloa coffee shop chain in Pretoria. Werner was awarded

the master’s degree in Musicology in 2022.

Peter Auret is a specialist jazz drummer and SAMA award winner who has performed

internationally with leading jazz musicians and was the drummer for the band

Watershed. He is a multi-SAMA award-winning sound engineer and sought-after record

producer for many top South African musicians. He owns Sumo Sound recording studios

in Johannesburg.

For more information visit www.charlduplessis.com