07/05/2026
Piano exam rewrites the canon
By Nicole Muchena
In the warm acoustics of the Beethoven Room, Garreth Robertson, PhD student, presented his piano recital on Saturday, 25 April. By his own admission, the exam date was merely “the reason to make the performance happen”.
What truly shaped the evening was Robertson’s long-standing interest in underrepresented composers. He chose two works rarely heard in South African concert halls, and in doing so, turned the recital into an act of advocacy.
The first was Piano Trio No. 2 by Elfrida Andrée, a Swedish composer and feminist. “Had she been a man in her lifetime, her work would almost certainly have been known to the musical public,” Robertson said. “But because of social attitudes at the time, her music stood very little chance.”
The trio, performed with Zanta Hofmeyr on violin and Susan Mouton on cello, was, in his words, “wonderful to showcase” beautiful and strikingly accessible to listeners. That was followed by Joseph Jongen’s Piano Trio Op. 10, a work Robertson described as “mammoth” for all three players.
“It’s exceptionally dense, complex to put together. But it is one of the most beautiful and heart-wrenching works I have ever played,” he said. All three musicians agreed it should be part of the standard concert repertoire. For Robertson, playing it was “a very satisfying experience".
“Nerves," he admitted, "are inevitable before walking on stage. “You can be flooded with nerves,” he said, “but as you walk in and take your first bow, a sense of calm sets in as you immerse yourself in the music.” He credited Hofmeyr and Mouton as “a huge musical support on stage”, adding, “I think we all really help each other to make it a beautiful experience."
Afterwards, gratitude overshadowed relief. “It takes a community to build a musician,” Robertson said, thanking his long-standing teacher and mentor, Proffessor Catherine Foxcroft, as well as Hofmeyr and Mouton for their “exceptional musical input”.
The Makhanda audience was part of that community. “One thing about Makhanda is that the crowds are warm and accessible,” Robertson said. “There was such a buzz in the air, and this really helps to fuel the music and give the performers an extra kick on stage.”
Audience member Nontethelelo Sethulo Chirwa felt it too. She described the concert as “very healing and inspirational, especially now that exams are about to begin. “Asked whether the event had felt like an exam at all, Robertson was blunt: “No. I hate the idea of exams and do not always believe in them. Exams are usually dry, cold experiences , this was the opposite.” By the time he walked on stage, he said he had forgotten it was an exam at all.
(From left) Susan Mouton (cello), Garreth Robertson (piano), and Zanta Hofmeyr (violin) Photo: Supplied
