About the
César Franck
Consort
The César Franck Consort was founded by Louri Coetzee in 2016, performing regular concerts in various genres, mostly featuring the organ in its capacity as solo and accompaniment instrument. Recent performances by the Consort included solo organ works, organ and solo voice/choir, organ and violin, organ as continuo, piano duets and song cycles.
The Consort’s performances usually include some of its permanent members, or with guest artists which featured Baroque 2000, the Cathedral Singers, pianist Johan Cromhout, and organists Stefan Steyn and Eon Malan.
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Organ Concert
12 November 2022
Join the organists of the César Franck Consort to celebrate the revolutionary organist and composer, César Franck, with an organ recital. 2022 marks the bicentenary of Franck's birth year, 10 December 1822.
Born in Belgium, the young César was destined to exert a great and important influence on the French organ music scene 30 years later.
His father later re-established the family in Paris in order for the young boy to study at the Conservatory of Paris, where after they became French citizens of the Empire. With Aristide Cavaillé-Coll's new Symphonic organs, Franck paved the way for the symphonic writing style that would cast a light on the full potential of these new organs.
Meet Louri Coetzee
Artistic Director
Louri Coetzee received his first musical training in piano at the age of four and obtained his B.Mus and B.Mus.Hons degrees, both cum laude, at the University of the Free State with both organ (Dr Jan Beukes and Leonore Kloppers) and piano (Prof Albie van Schalkwyk and John Coulter) as main subjects, together with harmony and counterpoint. In 2011, he obtained a
Licentiate degree in organ performance from Trinity College London. He completed his M.Mus degree in 2019 at the University of Stellenbosch with Prof Mario Nell, specialising in the interpretation of French Romantic organ music, particularly the organ music of Louis Vierne. In the same year he visited France by invitation of Madame Liesbeth Schlumberger for
masterclasses, and experience the French organs first hand. In 2018, together with violist Elsabé Raath, he gave the South African premiere of Daniel Pinkham’s Sonata de Chiesa for viola and organ. In 2021 he joined the Odeion Camarata in recording Jakobus Kloppers’ arrangement for string ensemble and organ on the Choral work “Ein Feste Burg ist Unser Gott”, originally scored for choir, organ and trumpet.
He is active as teacher, accompanist, and performer, playing with numerous other musicians and ensembles such as the Odeion Sinfonia, Odeion Baroque ensemble, cantando@bloem (Bloemfontein), and Baroque2000 (Durban).
In 2017 he won the Master’s bursary at the annual SAKOV (Suider Afrikaanse Kerk- en Konsertorreliste Vereniging) competition for organists. Coetzee is organist at the Reformed Church Bloemfontein-North since 2011 and was since 2010 – 2021, the official accompanist of the Odeion choir under the direction of Lance Phillip. During the same period he was Principal Organist of the Cathedral Singers, also under the direction of Lance Phillip, performing Evensong every Sunday at the Anglican Cathedral of St. Michael and St. Andrew. Coetzee is founder and artistic head of the César Franck Consort since 2016, which performs regularly during the year, promoting the organ in its capacities as solo, accompaniment, and ensemble instrument. He has participated in masterclasses with Prof Niel Immelman (England), John Reid Coulter (SA), Martin Rein (Australia), Prof Mario Nell (SA), and Liesbeth Schlumberger (France).
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