Roucher du Toit

International
Award-Winning
Organist
Pianist
Singer
Conductor
Composer

Roucher du Toit is the principal organist in the oldest church, the “Groote Kerk” in Cape Town. The Groote Kerk has the largest church organ in South Africa and the Southern Hemisphere. He is an acclaimed performer of the standard repertoire as well as his own compositions and improvisations. As a performer, he regularly appears in some of the most prestigious concert halls and cathedrals around the world.

He is a renowned organ, piano, singing and improvisation lecturer. He trains and conducts the Groote Kerk Camerata as well as the chamber choir.

CD Recordings

Organ Recitals Gallery

International Recitals

Germany

St Petri Hamburg – June 1972 @ 12:00

Ulmer Münster – 16 October 2005 @ 11:30

Organ Festival, Jesuitenkirche, St Michael, München, Germany – 8 November 2005 @ 20:00

St Georg, Riedlingen – 2 October 2005 @ 18:00

Basilica of Dillinger – 15 March 2015 @ 17:00

Christmas organ festival, Wurzburg Cathedral – St Kilians Dom, Germany – 10 December 2016 @ 16:00

Ottobeuren Basilica – 12 November 2005 @ 14:00

Trier Dom – 8 October 2005

Cologne Cathedral, Cologne, Germany – 8 June 1985 @ 12:00

Summer Organ Festival, Cologne Cathedral, Cologne, Germany – 12 August 2014

Kaiser-Wilhelm-Gedächtniskirche, Berlin – 2 September 2017 @ 18:00

France

Summer Organ Festival: Dijon Cathedral, Dijon France – 24 July 2011 @ 18:00

Italy

Summer Organ Festival: Como, Italy – 21 October 2011 @ 21:00

Chiesa S. Maria de Ricci, Florence, Italy – 1 October 2011 @ 20:00

Basilica of Monte Berico – Vicenza, Italy – July 2018 @ 12:00

England

Summer Organ Festival: Rochester Cathedral, Rochester – 25 August 2013 @ 16:30

Royal College of Music Concert Hall – March 1970

St Mary Abbotts Kensington – April 1969 and 1970

St John’s College Cambridge – 9 October 2015 @ 18:00

Teachers / Professors

Martha du Toit – Mother UTLM Piano and UTLM Organ (Bloemfontein Conservatoire – Student of Prof Dawie Roode)

Louis Kentner – International Concert Pianist and President of the British Liszt Society / Chief Judge of Chopin Competition, Warsaw

Prof Lamar Crowson – Royal College of Music / Winner of the Queen Elisabeth Competition

Prof Kendall Taylor – Royal College of Music, London (Student of Tobias Matthay)

Dr Mole Evans – Royal College of Music, London

Dr Elsie Hall – Universität der Künste, Berlin

Prof Ralph Downes – Brompton Oratory, London

Prof Josef Zimmermann – Cologne Cathedral

Rosalyn Tureck – World Renowned Authority on the performance of JS Bach

Adolph Hallis – Royal Academy of Music (Student of Tobias Matthay)

Marguerite Reizenstein – Wife of Franz Reizenstein

Aida Lovell – Royal College of Music

Eileen Reynolds – Royal College of Music

Lloyd Strauss-Smith – Renowned International Tenor

Marita Napier – Internationally Acclaimed Soprano / Bayreuth, Wagner Festspielhaus/ Principal Singer of Metropolitan Opera House

South African Performances

St Cyprian’s Cathedral, Kimberly – 1986

St Mary’s Cathedral, Cape Town – 1986

St Mary’s Cathedral, Johannesburg – 1986

City Hall, Cape Town – 1986

Music Festival, Potchefstroom, South Africa – 10 October 2014

Greyton Music Festival – 29 – 31 May 2015

Groote Kerk Cape Town – Every Sunday at 9:30

Biography

South African born Roucher du Toit grew up in the university town of Stellenbosch and started playing piano at the age of four. He soon developed into a skilled improviser, especially in the styles of the well-known composers, excelling at six-part fugues. Before the age of 10, Roucher broadcast as a boy soprano and played his first piano recital. At 15, he made his piano soloist debut with the Cape Town Symphony Orchestra.

While studying piano and organ with his mother, he won 5 UNISA bursaries. This enabled him to study at the Royal College of Music in London where he obtained his A.R.C.M. at the age of 19.

Bursaries from the Catholic institute of education enabled him to further his studies in Rome and many important catholic cathedrals in Europe and England. He also attended master classes at the Salzburg Mozarteum in Salzburg to further his studies.

Roucher du Toit has given concerts internationally and is known for being an interpreter, improviser and composer. His performances of well known repertoire and his own works have been met with acclaim from international critics.

He was awarded the Andrew Murray Prize for organ playing and church music in recognition for his work in this field. He has also received the ATKV Icon Award for his international contribution to performances in the great cathedrals of Europe and England.