March/April Newsletter

22 March 2007

 New venue and chamber music initiative

“The CPO is proud to be associated with a brand new initiative that will make a positive contribution to the live music experiences available in Cape Town,” says CEO Louis Heyneman.  In co-operation with Pianoforte (importers for Steinway & Sons pianos) and FMR as media partner, the CPO will present Sunday soirées in the concert hall at the Centre of the Book situated at 62 Queen Victoria Street.  “I believe audiences will enjoy the series of soirées and other concerts and recitals that will take place here.

“The first two dates for the soirées are 5 August and 19 August and will feature the well-known American based pianist Gustavo Romero (see photograph).  He will perform piano sonatas by Beethoven, and his programme in August will include the sonatas in F minor (Opus 2, No. 1), F-sharp major (Opus 78), E-flat major (Opus 31, No. 3), E major (Opus 109) and F minor (Opus 57 – the Appassionata.  There are altogether 32 sonatas in the cycle and performances of these will continue over a period of time” he concluded.

  

Coming soon….

 Forthcoming events include the following:

• “Starlight Classics”, the magical open-air concert at Vergelegen in Somerset West takes place on 24 and 25 March.
• The Cape Philharmonic Youth Orchestra together with the  Beau Soleil Music Centre (Wynberg) & the Frank Pietersen Music Centre (Paarl) perform with a massed choir on Saturday 24 March at 19:30 at the Paarl Boys’ High School.  The massed choir (trained by Mpumelelo Tsewu) consists of Paarl Girls’ High School, New Orleans High School (Paarl), Fezeka High School (Guguletu).   Alex Fokkens and Brandon Philips are the conductors and the programme includes music by Orff, Beethoven, Mascagni, Verdi, Purcell, Copland, Bottesini and Grant McLachlan as well as traditional music.  The soloists are Alex Fokkens and Roxane Steffen.  This concert is presented by Rotary and tickets are available at the Frank Pietersen Music Centre (021 872 2123).
• The Cape Philharmonic Youth Wind Ensemble (CPYWE), conducted by Sean Kierman and Brandon Phillips, will perform works by Clare Grundman and James Horner, at the V&A Waterfront on 31 March 2007 from 14:00-14:30. This will be followed by Brass Band Schoonhoven (Utrecht in Holland) performing from 15:00-16:00.
• On 1 April 2007 the CPYWE, Windworx and Brass Band Schoonhoven will perform at the Artscape Theatre at 19:30. The conductors are Brandon Phillips (CPYWE) and Sean Kierman (CPWE and Windworx).   The soloists will be Erik van der Horst (cornet) and Dennis Vork (flugelhorn), while the music will include compositions by Edward Gregson, Philip Sparke, Kenneth Downie and Bill Whelan.
• The CPO will accompany the St Petersburg Ballet in their performances of Giselle and Swan Lake at the Artscape Opera House from 28 March until the middle of April. 
• Together with the visiting British Salisbury Community Choir, the CPO will perform the African première of Karl Jenkins’ “The Armed Man: A Mass for Peace” in the City Hall on Friday, April 27 (see more below).
• Booking for the four concerts of the Winter Symphony Season (Thursday evenings in the City Hall from 7 to 28 June) will open soon.  Subscribers can book as from 23 April, new subscribers from 7 May and general booking opens on 14 May.  Our next newsletter will preview the concerts, but information is already available on the CPO website.

Successful schools programme

 From 12 to 28 February, the CPO conducted by Alex Fokkens presented an intensive schools programme, visiting 16 schools all over the Peninsula and performing 20 concerts in total (more than one concert was held at some of the schools).  Alex, the resident Cape Philharmonic Youth Orchestra conductor, had devised two different programmes, one for those schools that have an established music programme and the other one for learners who have not yet experienced a great deal of music tuition.  These concerts create awareness and support the activities of the Schools and Outreach programme.

The feedback from the schools has been excellent and Springfield Convent showed its appreciation by making a financial contribution to the Cape Philharmonic Youth Orchestra’s study grant.

 “The Armed Man: A Mass for Peace”

 The CPO and the Salisbury Community Choir from England, together with the Pro Cantu Youth Choir, the Voices of Cape Town and the UCT Choir, will perform the African première of Karl Jenkins’ “The Armed Man: A Mass for Peace” on 27 April.  “The Armed Man: A Mass for Peace” chronicles the build up to war, the savagery and death of conflict, the aftermath and the triumphal peace and the need for reconciliation.  

This African première of the work originally commissioned by the Royal Armouries to mark the Millennium, is an initiative of the Desmond Tutu Peace Centre.  Indeed, Desmond Tutu has dubbed the choirs taking part the “Rainbow Choir for a Rainbow Nation”.

The Salisbury Community Choir which was formed in 1993 and now has 200 members, has gained huge popularity and travelled widely.  This choir with its varied repertoire of jazz, gospel, African, popular, folk and classical music will also perform a series of concerts and workshops with South African choirs.

 

A glittering array of South African pianists participated in the concert to introduce the hall at the Centre of the Book as venue for soirées, recitals and chamber music concerts.

Sitting at front are Jill Richards and John Ntsepe with Franklin Larey directly behind him. Standing, from left:  Deon van Vuuren (Director, Pianoforte), François du Toit, Wessel van Wyk, Chris Duigan, Luis Magalhaes (holding baby), Albie van Schalkwyk, Nina Schumann, Graham Fitch and James Ledgerwood (District Sales Manager, Overseas Territories, of Steinway & Sons).

 

 

The CPO’s 2007 Kirstenbosch concert took place on 11 March with Richard Cock as conductor

 

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