Petronel Malan is an icon in native South Africa

$South African classical pianist Petronel Malan will perform \uFEFFat Shiloh Church, 5300 Philadelphia Ave. Contributed photo$

submitted South African classical pianist Petronel Malan will perform \uFEFFat Shiloh Church, 5300 Philadelphia Ave. Contributed photo

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By Khalid Moss, Staff Writer 4:51 PM Friday, October 23, 2009

Classical pianist Petronel Malan is a Grammy Award-winning artist with a captivating style. And while she has a considerable following in many of the great music centers of the world, she’s an icon in her native South Africa.

Malan returns to Dayton Saturday, Oct. 24, to play for the Soirees Musicales International Piano Series at Shiloh Church.

Born in Pretoria, South Africa, in 1976, Malan began taking piano lessons at age 4. She debuted with the Johannesburg Symphony at 10. She migrated to the U.S. in 1991.

In a year 2000 interview for MusicalOnline, Malan talked about her musical preferences. Answering the question, “What period of music do you enjoy playing the most and why?” she said, “Something that everybody does not play — that way you can also feel that you are contributing to the education of the audience.”

In her homeland, Malan has been featured on numerous magazine covers and was voted one of the “Ten Most Inspirational Women” in South Africa. She has a fondness for vintage gowns, and her wardrobe designs are by A-list couturiers.

Soirees founder and artistic director Don Hageman said he first met Malan via a long-distance phone call.

“She called me wanting to get information on her first teacher, Adolph Hallis, because he was a student of Tobias Matthay,” Hageman said. “I am past president and archivist for the American Matthay Association, and I told her I loved her playing, but I couldn’t afford her fee. ‘How much can you afford,’ she asked me. I told her. She said, ‘I’ll play for that.’ ”

Who: Classical pianist Petronel Malan

What: Soirees Musicales International Piano Series

When: 8 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 24

Where: Shiloh Church, 5300 Philadelphia Drive, Harrison Twp.

Cost: $22 for adults, $20 for seniors, $12 for students (ages 19-22). Free for 18 and younger.

More information: Call (937) 228-5802 or visit www.soirees musicales.com.

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