Among the most versatile musicians of her generation, South African pianist Jeanne-Minette Cilliers has been called “a pianistic poet”, garnering rave reviews for her color-rich and imaginative performances.Starting piano lessons at the age of three, she made her orchestra debut at the age of 12 in her native South Africa playing Joaquín Turina’s Rapsodia sinfónica. From a young age, she won top prizes in national competitions including the coveted UNISA Overseas Music Scholarship and two special prizes at the UNISA International Piano Competition in 2000. International highlights include top prizes at the Indianapolis Matinee Musicale, the Kalamazoo Young Artists Bach Competition and the Nena Wideman Concerto Competition. These successes culminated in solo performances at prestigious venues such as the Phillips Collection in Washington, D.C. and the Dame Myra Hess Memorial Concert Series in Chicago, among others. 

Increasingly in demand as a collaborator, Ms. Cilliers has performed in Austria, Germany, Italy, Portugal, Israel, Japan, Sweden, South Africa, Barbados, and across North America, including festivals and venues such as the Irving S. Gilmore Keyboard Festival, the Ravinia Festival, Lincoln Center and Carnegie Hall in New York City. She has collaborated with artists such as Frans Helmerson, Janos Starker, Roger Vignoles, Martina Arroyo, Håkan Hagegård, Joyce Castle, Lise Lindstrom, Lester Lynch and actor Zoe Caldwell, among others.

Ms. Cilliers fosters a strong interest in new music, and has presented several scores in world and North American premieres. Prominent contemporary composers with whom she has worked include Dominick Argento, William Bolcom, Jake Heggie, John Corigliano, Mark Adamo and Sven-David Sandström. Her recording of Mr. Argento’s Andreé Expedition (with Håkan Hagegård) will be released in the upcoming season.

She masterfully plans, creates, directs and performs in unique and innovative performances of staged and interdisciplinary productions, which have been met with great enthusiasm from critics and audiences alike. Highlights include a production in Stockholm of Enrique Granados’ Goyescas – joined by a flamenco dancer and video projections, as well as art song productions in New York City. Upcoming engagements include productions in North America (including New York City, San Francisco, and Chicago), Sweden, South Africa, and the Caribbean (Barbados and Trinidad).

Currently, Ms. Cilliers is on the faculty at the Manhattan School of Music, while also a music director for the Martina Arroyo Opera Foundation in New York City. In recent years, she has been affiliated with the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia as collaborative pianist. She has served as official pianist for the German for Singers program in Middlebury, Vermont; the Centro Studi Lirica in Novafeltria, Italy, as faculty of the International Vocal Arts Institute in Tel Aviv, Israel, and master class teacher at the Frank Sinatra High School for the Arts in New York City. The summer of 2009 has marked her debut at Glimmerglass Opera Festival, as principal coach/pianist for their production of Gian-Carlo Menotti’s The Consul.  She most recently completed a second Glimmerglass Opera Festival season as principal coach/pianist for Giacomo Puccini’s Tosca. She will make her Santa Fe Opera debut as coach for Antonio Vivaldi’s Griselda in the summer of 2011.

An enthusiastic advocate of the Scandinavian repertoire, Ms. Cilliers is the creator and driving force behind a new website, www.SwedishSong.com, an extensive database of Swedish art song and supporting materials.

She has recorded regularly for the South African Broadcasting Company, and has been featured on SABC television and radio programs. Ms. Cilliers holds two performance licentiates in chamber music and vocal accompanying (equal to an arts diploma), both cum laude, from the University of South Africa, received at the early age of eighteen. Past teachers in her native country include Japie Human and Nettie Immelman.

Ms. Cilliers earned her Bachelor of Music and Master of Music degrees (with distinction) from the University of Michigan while studying with fellow South African and Naumburg Competition gold medalist, Anton Nel. As a student of Menahem Pressler, she earned an Artist Diploma from Indiana University. She remains the first and only recipient of an Artist Diploma in vocal accompanying from the Manhattan School of Music, where she worked with Warren Jones.

Ms. Cilliers in based in New York City.