As a student at UCT, ALEXANDER FOKKENS conducted, to critical acclaim, both the UCT Symphony Orchestra and the UCT Opera studio. From 1999 to 2005 he served as Director of Orchestral Activities and conductor of the Aberdeen University/Civic Symphony in Aberdeen, USA. During the six years of his appointment, he built one of the strongest college orchestra programmes in the region. Currently he works as a freelance conductor and double bass player based in Cape Town where he is also the music director of the Symphony Choir of Cape Town and conductor of the Cape Philharmonic Youth Orchestra.