 November Newsletter28 October 2009Summer Symphony Season
A symphony season overflowing with major and interesting works performed by the orchestra and eminent soloists under excellent conductors, awaits music lovers of the Cape when it starts on 5 November in the City Hall.
Included is music to delight every taste: seldom-performed works such as Busoni’s Piano Concerto (with internationally acclaimed pianist David Lively) and Korngold’s Violin Concerto (with Grammy Award-nominee violinist Philippe Quint), as well as major symphonies such as Bruckner’s Fourth, Shostakovich’s Tenth, Dvorak’s Seventh and the full orchestra version of Mahler’s First Symphony. Also included is one of Schubert’s earlier symphonies (the Fifth) and two of Respighi’s orchestral suites inspired by the city of Rome: “Fountains of Rome and “Roman Festivals”.
Add to that Schumann’s Piano Concerto (with the Singapore-born pianist Melvyn Tan), Saint-Saëns’ Cello Concerto(performed by South African cellist Cobus Swanepoel), andMozart’s Concerto for Flute and Harp (performed by flautist Bridget Rennie-Salonen and harpist Gaylen-Rose Sales)and you will not want to miss a single concert this season.
The first concert (5 November) has Japanese-born Yasuo Shinozaki on the podium and the remaining four concerts of the season are conducted by Owain Arwel Hughes, the CPO’s Principal Guest Conductor. The concert of 3 December is repeated on 4 December in the Endler Hall in Stellenbosch (the annual Huberte Rupert Memorial Concerts).
Full details about the Summer Symphony Season are available on the calendar pages of this website.
Artscape anniversary
On Sunday 8 November, Artscape celebrates its 10th birthday and at the same time launches the newly-refurbished Opera House - the first refurbishment of this auditorium since the complex was opened 38 years ago.
The Cape Philharmonic Orchestra will participate in the celebration concert featuring some of South Africa’s best-known artists under the baton of Richard Cock. Also participating will be Sibongile Khumalo, Laurika Rauch, Emo Adams, Cape Town Opera, Cape Town City Ballet, Jazzart Dance Theatre and the ZipZap Circus. Book at Computicket.
Youth Orchestras Showcase
The Summer Showcase concert of the Cape Philharmonic Youth Orchestra (conductor: Alexander Fokkens) and Cape Philharmonic Youth Wind Ensemble (conductor: Sean Kierman) concert takes place at 16:00 on 22 November at Koos Sadie Primary School Hall, Dingle Road, Goodwood.
Tickets are available from Marietha Booysen (Koos Sadie Primary School) at 021 591 6151/ 084 434 5678/ admin@koossadieps.wcape.school.za , or Henriette Weber 021 410 9982/ henriette@cpo.org.za
More details under the “Calendar” page.
Preview of December activities
· A special concert to celebrate the 60th birthday of composer and Allan Stephenson takes place in the City Hall on 10 December with Mr Stephenson himself conducting and Suzanne Martens (violin) and Stewart Young (piano) as soloists.
· Concerts at the Waterfront: the CPO will be performing at the V&A Waterfront during the festive season. This will include among others an opera gala concert (15-17 December), a tribute to Miriam Makeba (20 & 21 December), a Christmas Carol concert 22-24 December) and an ABBA Rock Show (29-31 December)
Dr Stanley impressed by Youth Wind Ensemble
“I was so surprised at the ability of the young musicians in the Wind Ensemble to follow musical instructions so willingly and with such a great spirit. All this makes me eager to return,” says Dr John Stanley from Sonoma State University (USA), after his work with the CPYWE. Dr Stanley, who is also a board member of the World Association of Symphonic Bands and Ensembles, was full of praise for the orchestra and their regular conductor, Sean Kierman.
As reported previously, Dr Stanley conducted the CPYWE during the CPO Education Spring Showcase concerts at Parklands College and Wynberg Senior Secondary School. The concerts were a great success and attended by more than 1000 people.
In addition to these concerts, Dr Stanley presented conductors’ master classes, assisting musicians from the South African Army Band, the Beau Soleil Music Centre, Hugo Lambrecht Music Centre and the University of Stellenbosch.
Master Classes with Barbara Marcinkowska
Cellist Barbara Marcinkowska recently held master classes for young musicians under the auspices of the CPO. CPYO cellist Dane Coetzee says he received valuable coaching from
Ms Marcinkowska during his preparations to perform as a soloist at the CPO Education Spring Showcase concerts
Ms Marcinkowska also spent time nurturing talents of the musicians from the New Apostolic Church Orchestra and visited CPO’s teaching community satellites in Nyanga and Guguletu.
Maestro Gueller honoured
Bernhard Gueller, Music Director of Symphony Nova Scotia and frequent guest conductor of the Cape Philharmonic Orchestra, who is also principal guest conductor of the Johannesburg Philharmonic Orchestra has been awarded an honorary Doctorine, honoris causa, from Dalhousie University on Saturday, October 17. Under Gueller’s direction, Symphony Nova Scotia has been praised artistically as one of the top orchestras in Canada. We congratulate Maestro Gueller on this achievement.
CPO at Mamre
As part of the CPO’s commitment to continue to take music to where music lovers are, the CPO with the New Apostolic Church Choir (Cape) and soloists performed highlights from Händel’s Messiah in the small Moravian Church in Mamre. The concert was conducted by Sjoerd Alkema and the soloists were Arlene Jaftha (soprano), Janelle Visagie (mezzo-soprano), Mlamli Lalapantsi (tenor) and Conroy Scott (bass). The concert was made possible by the generous financial support from the City of Cape Town.
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