Highlights of
my career
The miracle of life is often embodied
in the talents we received.
I was blessed with the gift of music,
and here I list the highlights
of my performing career!
The early years
2000 - Lezanti started her early training in piano at the age of 5 years with Claudine van Breda.
2003 - Lezanti participated in her first National competition, Musicon (Bloemfontein). She played on national television (South-Africa) in the program, Ouverture. She won the trophy for the best solo under 8 years at the local Pretoria Kunsvereniging.
2004 - Lezanti won the trophy for the best performance of a work by Schumann at the local Pretoria Kunsvereniging.
Lezanti van Sittert
Acclaimed Pianist
2005 - Lezanti won Gold at University of South Africa (Unisa) Music Competition as well as the trophy for the best candidate under/10 at the local Pretoria Kunsvereniging.
2006 - Lezanti participated in the International Piano Competition, Virtioso per Musica in Usti nad Labem (Chech Republic) and received master classes with Constantyn Soukhovetski (Russian-American) Maksimiliano (Italy) and Liv Glazer (Norway).
2007 - Lezanti won a Medal of Honour for receiving 20 gold medals at the local Pretoria Kunsvereniging.
2008 - Lezanti received first prize in the Sanlam National Music Competition in Cape Town, South Africa.
She won the prize for the best performance of an Impressionistic work as well as the Mimi Coertze Prize for the best performance of a Russian work at the Pretoria Kunsvereniging. She appeared on the Roll of Honour for Grade 4 in Piano (Unisa).
2009 - Lezanti was a semi-finalist at the Young Musician, Tallin Competition. She was invited to do two international concerts in Tallin. Lezanti was also runner-up at the SAVMO National Music Competition. She passed Grade 5 with distinction at Unisa and performed as a soloist with the Johannesburg Symphony Orchestra as well with the Hugo Lamprecht Orchestra.
2010 - Lezanti was a semi-finalist at the Artscape National Music Competition. She played performed as soloist with the Johannesburg Symphony Orchestra as well as the Hugo Lamprecht Orchestra. Lezanti also performs as a Soprano in Germany, Budapest and Venice.
Lezanti won the Junior FAK Bursary for the best child pianist in South-Africa. She passed Grade 6 with distinction (Unisa). She was awarded with the trophy for the best performance of a work by Scarlatti at the Pretoria Kunsvereniging.
2011 - Lezanti was awarded 4th prize in Usti nad Labem at the Virtuoso per Musica Competition. She was appointed by Unisa as a highly talented child, and started piano lessons with the world-famous pedagogue, Prof Joseph Stanford, in conjunction with Claudine van Breda.
2012 - Lezanti was the overall winner of the Pretoria Art Festival as well as the overall winner for Vocal of the Beeld Eisteddfod. She is also the overall winner of the Pretoria Kunsvereniging (Instrumental).
2013 - Lezanti won the Pollene Nossil Prize for the best performance of a Classical work during the Artscape National Music Competition. Lezanti was invited to do a recital on Mozart’s personal pianos in Homborg at the Museum für alte Claviere. She won the first prize of the Atterbury National Piano Competition in South Africa. She also won the prize for the best performance of a Romantic work at the same competition and performed with the Cape Town Symphony Orchestra. She is appointed as the overall winner of the Instrumental category of the Beeld Eisteddfod in Pretoria, South-Africa. She also won the Instrumental category of the Pretoria Kunsvereniging (Pretoria). She won the Nellie du Toit Prize for the best marks during her Grade 7 Unisa examination (Vocal). Lezanti was runner-up at the Hennie Joubert Piano Competition in Stellenbosch (South Africa) and performed as soloist with the Stellenbosch University orchestra.
2014 - Lezanti matriculated at Wonderboom High School, Pretoria. In addition to her piano studies, she passed the Grade 8 Singing examination at the University of South Africa (with distinction) and won the Mimi Coertze Prize for the best vocalist as well as the Samro and Deon van Zyl bursaries for the best vocalist in Grade 8 (Unisa). Lezanti received the second Prize at the Hennie Joubert National Piano Competition at Stellenbosch University (Cape Town) and is the winner of Artscape National Music Competition’s Piano category. She performs as soloist with Johannesburg Symphony Orchestra during a concert (My Dream).
After completing School
2015 - Lezanti started her B Mus studies at the University of Pretoria (South-Africa) under Prof Joseph Stanford. Lezanti performed The Yellow River Concerto with the Shen-Zhen Symphony Orchestra (China)- for the opening of the New Year of China in the State Theatre in Pretoria. She also won the Gladwell Bursary from SAVMO for the best pianist in South-Africa. She passed Grade 8 Piano examination (with distinction) at the University of South Africa and won the prize for the highest results in South- Africa, the SAMRO bursary as well as the Vladimir Viardo Piano Study Bursary as well as the Unisa South Africa Music Bursary.
As a vocalist she made her debute as Frescuita in the Opera, Carmen, in the Brooklynn Theatre, Pretoria.
2016 - Lezanti was invited to serve on the shadow jury panel of the 13th Unisa International Piano Competition. She received Masterclasses with world-known concert pianist, Prof. Albert Mamriev as well as the Lithuanian-French concert pianist, Muza Rubackyte. Lezanti participated in the Neue Sterne International Piano Competition in Wernigerode and was invited to do recitals in Germany with television and media coverage.
2017 - Lezanti was runner-up in an International Piano Competition in König Wusterhausen and during August of that year, she played as soloist with the Leipzig Philharmonic Orchestra.
2018 - Lezanti passed her B Mus Performance with Cum Laude at the University of Pretoria. She was soloist in Luckau and played with Luckau Symphony Orchestra.
2019 - Lezanti passed the entrance exam towards her Master Degree in Music at the Neue Sterne Academy (Germany). The academy works in conjunction with Instituto Superiore Studi Musicali ‘Tchaikovsky’ (State Hochschule in Italy).
She played in Vratsa, Bulgaria with the Vratsa Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by maestro Ivan Iliev.
She also won the Second prize at Unisa’s 14th National Piano Competition.
2020 - First year M Mus COVID-19. Lezanti participated in Unisa’s International Piano Competition. One of the world’s greatest Piano competitions.
2021 - Second year M Mus COVID-19. International debut on Hanns Eisler’s Piano Sonata No.3. (Named after the Berlin University). Lezanti passed her MMus with Magna Cum Laude at the Tchaikovsky University of Music, Italy, as well as Neue Sterne Musik Akademi, Germany.
2022 - First year for Phd at Neue Sterne Musik Akademi, Germany. She also launches her own International Piano Competition, MANSH-North West University International Piano Competition (South Africa).