This annual classical music festival is presented by Artscape and the CPO and serves as a launching pad for young accomplished musicians in playing on a professional concert stage.
South African-born Conrad van Alphen, artistic director and chief conductor of Sinfonia Rotterdam, will conduct the varied two-hour programme with musicians selected from over 45 participants in auditions. Their ages range from 10 to 25 and are considered to be amongst the finest of the Western Cape's young up-and-coming classical music talent.
They include: Samantha van Gysen (15) violin, Sally Jane Minter (22) flute, Siphesihle Mdena (24) tenor, Lynelle Kenned (22) soprano, Nicholas Bosman (10) violin, Meyer Scholtz (18) clarinet, Melissa Tu (17) piano, Danielle Rossouw (12) clarinet, Ryan Frank Kierman (20) trombone, Anele Mhlahlo (18) violin, Hlengiwe Mkhwanazi (25) soprano, and Lourens Fick (20) piano.
The adjudicating panel is represented by Alastair Cockburn (Artscape), Cape Town conductor George Michie and Ronnie Samaai (Member of the CPO Board of Directors) for all the auditions and Marisa Marchio (Cape Town Opera) for the vocal auditions.
The main criteria for candidates are that they are bona fide music students, that they perform to a very high standard and are resident or studying in the Western Cape. The age restriction for participants is 23 for instrumentalists and 27 for singers. Because the emphasis of the festival is a celebration of young musical talent and not a competition, the appeal of the works presented, as well as good variety in the overall programme content, plays an important part in the final selection of these soloists.
Alastair Cockburn said that, apart from a few old favourites, some exciting new works were presented at the auditions this year, in particular a violin concerto by Giovanni Battista Viotti and a clarinet concerto by Anton Dimler, neither of which the panel had heard before.
The classical musical festival tickets cost R60. Book through, Artscape Dial-a-Seat +27 (0)21 421 7695, Computicket, www.computicket.com and Shoprite Checkers outlets. For more information contact Debbie Damons on +27 (0)21 410 9915.
