Youth music festival at Artscape

Taking part in the Cape Youth Music Festival are, at back, from left, LeOui Rendsburg from Rondebosch; Abongile Fumba from Mowbray; Ongama Mhlontlo, from Rosebank; Lisa Britz from Parow; Ah-Young Moon from Stellenbosch; and Amber De Decker from Mowbray. In front are Nombulelo Yende from Mowbray; Kevin (Gyu-Min) Kim from Bellville; conductor Brandon Phillips, Ntando Ngcume from Khayelitsha; Cameron Williams from Stellenbosch; and Bronwyn van Wieringen from Camps Bay.

Twelve young classical music instrumentalists and singers who successfully auditioned to play at the 45th Western Cape Youth Music Festival will perform at the Artscape Theatre on Friday August 19, at 7.30pm.

Presented by Artscape and the Cape Town Philharmonic Orchestra (CTPO) in collaboration with the Distell Foundation, this prestigious annual event offers accomplished musicians the opportunity of playing with a symphony orchestra on a professional concert stage.

The soloists are Bronwyn van Wieringen, 21, on piano, from the SA College of Music; Amber De Decker, 16, on violin, from Herschel Girls’ School; Cameron Williams, 19, on saxophone, from the University of Stellenbosch; Ongama Mhlontlo, 20, a tenor, from SA College of Music UCT Opera School; LeOui Rendsburg, 22, a soprano, from SA College of Music UCT Opera School; Kevin (Gyu-Min) Kim, 21, on piano, from SA College of Music; Lisa Britz, 16, on the harp, from Hoërskool Stellenberg; Féroll-Jon Davids, 19, on clarinet, from University of Stellenbosch; Ntando Ngcume, 22, a baritone, from SA College of Music UCT Opera School; Abongile Fumba, 26, a mezzo soprano, from SA College of Music UCT Opera School; Nombulelo Yende, 25, a soprano, from SA College of Music UCT Opera School; and Ah-Young Moon, 13, on piano, from Rhenish Primary School.

Brandon Phillips, resident conductor and principal bassoon of the CTPO will conduct a varied and exciting programme with works by Mozart, Saint-Saëns, Handel, Gounod, Krommer, Rossini, Verdi, Rachmaninoff, Khachaturian and South African composers, Hendrik Hofmeyr and Allan Stephenson. The concert master is Patrick Goodwin.

As the festival is a celebration and not a competition, the appeal of the works presented, as well as good variety in the overall programme content, played an important part in the final selection of these soloists. Much of the biggest repertoire and most exciting to listen to and perform is in the concerto field (instrument with orchestra) and opera field (voice and orchestra).

The adjudicating panel were Alastair Cockburn (artistic co-ordinator), Daniel Neal (librarian and adhoc cellist for the CTPO), Aviva Pelham (well-known opera star and director) and Phillip Swales (former music subject advisor of the Western Cape Education Department).

Marlene le Roux, CEO of Artscape says: “Each year the amount of musicians auditioning increases, which is indicative of the growing interest youth have in classical music. This year there were 21 candidates from Stellenbosch and 33 from Cape Town.

“They represent the remarkable talent of many up-and-coming musicians in the Western Cape. A dream is realised as they perform on stage accompanied by the Cape Town Philharmonic Orchestra.

“We acknowledge the teachers and music institutions that nurture and support these young musicians, raising the standards of excellence each year.”

Tickets cost R80, and R40 for pensioners, students and pupils under 18.

There is a 10 percent discount for block bookings of 10 or more.

Book at Computicket or Artscape Dial-a-Seat on 021 421 7695.