ALSO FRANÇOIS DU TOIT CELEBRATES 50 YEARS • WESTERN CAPE MUSIC SCHOOLS • THE GIFT OF MUSIC • DRESSING UP FOR THE ORCHESTRA • COMPOSING ALLA ROSSINI • THE LEN VAN ZYL COMPETITION
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The 10th Cape Town International Summer Music Festival
To his own tune Conrad van Alphen’s unorthodox orchestra
The piano man
Melvyn Tan revives the lost art of the fortepiano
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03 04 06 WELCOME
NOTES
BEHIND THE MUSIC
08 10 11
FEATURE: 10TH SUMMER MUSIC FESTIVAL
PROFILE: FRANÇOIS DU TOIT
PROFILE: CONRAD VAN ALPHEN
12 13 16
OUTREACH: MUSIC SCHOOLS
CAPE TOWN PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA EDITORIAL TEAM
PURE EDITORIAL AND CREATIVE TEAM
CHIEF EXECUTIVE & EDITOR-IN-CHEIF LOUIS HEYNEMAN louis@cpo.org.za
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EDITOR JESSICA GLIDDON jess@purepublishing.co.za
CPO ARTISTIC EXECUTIVE SERGEI BURDUKOV sergei@cpo.org.za
COVER ILLUSTRATION: STUDIO MUTI
CALENDAR
DISTRIBUTION Concerto is distributed by the CPO biannually and is available on request (email info@cpo.org.za) or online at www.cpo.org.za
DEPUTY ART DIRECTOR TESS GREEN tess@purepublishing.co.za
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BOOKINGS
All information was correct at the time of going to press, but subject to change. Reproduction in whole or part without written permission is strictly prohibited.
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Welcome We are delighted that Concerto has been named 2015’s top external newsletter in the country by the prestigious South African Publication Forum. We won bronze, too – as the third best corporate publication in South Africa – not too bad at all, if I may say so. This recognition means a lot to the Cape Town Philharmonic Orchestra (CPO)’s small, dedicated marketing team. We are indeed passionate to sell the wonders of classical music to the people of Cape Town. Our message is bold and confident because the difference we make in people’s lives is immense and powerful. My sincere gratitude goes to the Concerto team – it’s quite an achievement for a small company with limited resources! We have a pocket full of plans for the festive season: Apart from our annual New Year’s Eve gala at Nederburg, we’re planning an outdoor Holiday Pops Concert at the Green Point Track and two Viennese New Year’s Concerts in the City Hall. Make a difference this summer;
come to our concerts and bring your visitors with you. The CPO’s 10th Cape Town International Summer Music Festival is around the corner. The festival starts on 4 February and includes an exciting line-up of topnotch soloists as well as the final round of the Len van Zyl Conductors’ Competition. The skill of conducting an orchestra is perhaps the most inaccessible of all to obtain – one’s ‘instrument’ is a large group of highly trained fellow musicians. The Len van Zyl Competition – presented for the third time – makes an important contribution to skills development in South Africa and emphasises our commitment to training and empowering the musicians of tomorrow.
CHIEF EXECUTIVE CAPE TOWN PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA
PUBLIC & CORPORATE FUNDERS • DONATIONS IN KIND, PARTNERS & MEDIA PARTNERS
PURE PUBLISHING & DESIGN is proud to be a partner of the Cape Town Philharmonic Orchestra. www.purepublishing.co.za
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Notes
The Len van Zyl
CONDUCTORS’ COMPETITION The much-lauded Len van Zyl Conductors’ Competition has returned. After an intense weekend of master classes and then adjudication, eight of the 16 young conductors selected (from more than double that number) to take part in the first round will conduct in the semifinals and then the final round in February. Judging will take place at a concert at the City Hall on February 14, by Maestri Victor Yampolsky, Bernhard Gueller, Richard Cock and Brandon Phillips. The winner will fly off for a month-long internship with the Philadelphia Orchestra and two months with Yampolsky at Northwestern University in Chicago, courtesy of the competition’s founder, Len van Zyl. “It is gratifying to see the interest and the abilities of so many young conductors from all over South Africa,” says Van Zyl. “I look forward to the fourth competition in 2018/2019.”
The CPO legacy and bequest programme
THE CONDUCTORS AND THE TEAM. UPPER ROW LEFT TO RIGHT: Accompanists in the first round, François du Toit and José Dias. UPPER MIDDLE ROW LEFT TO RIGHT: Charl van der Merwe, Chad Hendicks, Dane Coetzee, Schalk van der Merwe, Daniel Keet and André Oosthuizen. LOWER MIDDLE ROW LEFT TO RIGHT: Edwin Mitas, Liam Burden, Gregory Rahube, David Nkosi, Regardt Kühn, Grant Snyman, Jaco van Staden, Keith Moss and Shadé Jansen. LOWER ROW LEFT TO RIGHT: Richard Cock, Brandon Phillips, Victor Yampolsky, Len van Zyl, Louis Heyneman and Shirley de Kock Gueller. Not present: Russell Scott.
“It is gratifying to see the interest and the abilities of so many young conductors...”
The Cape Town Philharmonic Orchestra (CPO) is honoured to have been chosen as a beneficiary in the estates of a number of music lovers over the years. By leaving a legacy gift to the CPO, philanthropist Erica Manning left an indelible mark, not only on this 101-year-old institution, but also on classical music. As the backbone to Cape Town Opera and Cape Town City Ballet, the orchestra’s contribution to the arts is unrivalled. Mrs Manning’s generosity is key to helping the CPO develop into a diverse and growing orchestra, maintaining not only international standards but also striving to represent South Africa’s multicultural society and be an orchestra for all seasons. The CPO requires continuous support from private donors, corporates and other benefactors to continue to showcase more than 140 performances a year, in addition to deepening its commitment to promoting music education across the country’s diverse communities. By leaving a legacy gift or bequest in your will, you will make a vital difference to the longterm success of the CPO. Contributions to the CPO Legacy and Bequest Programme can be made at any age and in ways that fit individual circumstances.
Please contact Zohra Dawood on 021-410 9809 or email zohra@cpo.org.za for more details.
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THE GIFT OF MUSIC Erica Manning January 1931 May 2015 Erica Manning left a legacy far beyond that which can be accounted for in financial terms. Her generous gift to the Cape Town Philharmonic Orchestra ensures the music-loving public continued access to world class performances. It also benefits thousands of children in CPO’s Youth Development and Education Programme, young people in our two youth orchestras and in Masidlale, our grassroots training programme. Mrs Manning was born and educated in Vancouver and then moved to Bermuda. Here she met and married Liam Manning, an Anglican Church minister. They lived in Europe for a number of years before moving to Cape Town and then on to George, where he husband was the Bishop of the diocese. They later returned to Cape Town where they lived for the rest of their lives. A great love for the arts, including music, ballet and opera, saw Mrs Manning bequeath a significant portion of her estate to ensure the success and sustainability of the CPO as well as opera and ballet. The benefits of Erica Manning’s legacy are well assured.
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THE DUET CONCERT
Festive Concerts For the upcoming festive season the CPO will be hosting an exciting line-up of concerts to take us through December and into the New Year
Huberte Rupert Memorial Concert
Viennese New Year Richard Cock, the CPO, Cape Town City Ballet dancers and singers. City Hall, Cape Town, 15:00 and 19:00.
Ammiel Bushakevitz plays Mozart. Brandon Phillips and the CPO play Tchaikovsky and Dvořàk. Endler Hall, Stellenbosch, 20:00.
FESTIVE CONCERTS: EMO ADAMS COURTESY OF WWW.EMOADAMSLIVE.CO.ZA | KATLEGO MABOE COURTESY OF WWW.FACEBOOK.COM/KATLEGO.MABOE
Holiday Pops in Gansbaai & Grootbos Forest Lodge sunset concert
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retty Yende and Sunnyboy Dladla will be performing in concert with the CPO on Monday, 21 March 2016, at Artscape Opera, thanks to the the Duet Endowment Trust, a joint funding initiative established by Wendy Ackerman in 2014 to support the Cape Town Philharmonic Orchestra and Cape Town Opera. Mrs Ackerman set up the trust with the aim of building a fund to ensure that there is sufficient income to provide on-going injections of money to the joint beneficiaries, keeping in mind the importance of patronage to the future of the arts. Louis Heyneman, CEO of the CPO, commented: “With the foresight of philanthropists like Wendy Ackerman, a board member of both companies, we know that the future of orchestra is in good hands.” Violinist Pinchas Zukerman is an honorary patron of Duet. The official launch concert showcased how the CPO and Cape Town Opera enrich lives in the city. The Cape Town Philharmonic Youth Orchestra (CPYO) musicians performed alongside the CPO in the concert, which presented the best of symphonic and opera music under the direction of Kamal Khan, joined by the young choral members from the St Andrew’s Primary School in Saldanha, plus vocal soloists Derick Ellis, Arline Jaftha, Bongani Kubheka, Goitsemang Lehobye, Mandisinde Mbuyazwe, Lukhanyo Moyake, Xolela Sixaba and Siphamandla Yakupa, along with piano soloists Nina Schumann and Luis Magalhães. The concert was directed by Christine Crouse. For information on the trust and how to help secure the future of two of South Africa’s leading arts organisations, please visit www.duettrust.co.za
Symphony of Ghazal
Brandon Phillips conducting.
A celebration of the music of Indian composer Jagjit Singh at Artscape Opera. 20:30.
Holiday Pops picnic concert
CPYO and CPYWE showcase
Richard Cock, the CPO, Emo Adams, Elvis Blue, Sarah Theron and Janelle Visagie. Green Point Track, 19:30.
With conductors Brandon Phillips and Faan Malan. Artscape Theatre. 15:00.
New Year’s Eve at Nederburg
Third Len van Zyl Conductors’ Competition finals
Brandon Phillips will lead the orchestra with entertainers Katlego Maboe, Elvis Blue, Sarah Theron, BlackByrd and Lloyd Cele. 21:30, gates open at 18:00.
Bookings at Computicket (Webmaster for the Kirstenbosch concert). More information www.cpo.org.za / info@cpo.org.za 021 410 9809
City Hall at 20:00.
Opera bon bons With Brandon Phillips, Goitsemang Lehobye and Lukhanyo Moyake. Kirstenbosch, 17:30.
Concerto captures two awards It’s always nice to feel appreciated. Here at Concerto, we always attempt to enlighten, illuminate and amuse, and it seems our efforts have been acknowledged, as our fifth issue has been garnering a lot of attention. First, it was nominated as a finalist at the 2015 Loeries for its cover design, and then the publication grabbed gold at the South African Publications Forum Awards for Best External Newsletter and bronze for SA’s Top Corporate Publication of 2015. Concerto has been produced since 2013 through a partnership between the Cape Town Philharmonic Orchestra and local publishing agency Pure Publishing and Design. We hope you continue to enjoy it!
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Behind the music
SEQUINS AT THE SYMPHONY
MUSIC AND FASHION HAVE LONG GONE HAND-IN-HAND, AND NOWHERE MORE SO THAN AT A NIGHT OUT TO THE SYMPHONY. ALTHOUGH WE’VE
COME A LONG WAY SINCE BALL GOWNS AND BOW TIES, DON’T WE OWE IT TO OURSELVES, AND THE PERFORMERS, TO MAKE A LITTLE BIT OF EFFORT? Strict dress codes seem to have almost no place in today’s society. Even when attending an evening at the orchestra, ballet or opera, it is no longer required to dress up for the occasion. There are definite benefits to this; making the event about the music rather than what one wears takes away its elitist hue, and surely music should be for all. Yet there is still an argument to be made for nostalgia. Fashion has had a role of great cultural importance after all; it could be argued that the absence of appropriate attire takes away from the historic significance of attending a grand performance.
“There’s nothing remarkable about it. All one has to do is hit the right keys at the right time and the instrument plays itself.” Johann Sebastian Bach
Does the romance and charm of ‘an evening out’ still exist then? There is, after all, mutual respect to consider. While there is nothing romantic about an anorak and flip-flops, red lips and high heels aren’t exactly a ball gown either. The point is really that one should dress how they see fit to the occasion, ensuring a lasting and beautiful memory of a night out.
THE COMPOSER OF CUISINE GIOACHINO ROSSINI (1792 – 1868) WAS NOT ONLY AN ITALIAN COMPOSER, BUT WAS ALSO KNOWN FOR HIS ASSOCIATION WITH CULTURAL CULINARY CIRCLES. Stories starring food followed Rossini, and at the premiere of his French grand opera William Tell, Parisian chefs dished out an apple tart decorated with a sugar-sweet arrow on top. 06
Clearly his culinary reputation preceded him. One day, the composer won a bet with a friend that left the friend owing Rossini several truffle-stuffed turkeys. In an attempt to escape the bet, the friend said that truffles were not to be consumed that season. “No, no,” Rossini responded, “that’s a lie put out by turkeys who don’t want to be stuffed.” Chef and great friend of the composer Marie-Antoine Carême would send Rossini food that he would write short songs about. Rossini’s complete adoration for cuisine is still seen today. Recipes with the add-on “alla Rossini” pay tribute to the musical maestro and his love for foods.
THE COMPOSER OF CUISINE: IMAGE ADAPTED FROM SERGEY KOHL/SHUTTERSTOCK.COM
From the plunging necklines of Marie Antoinette’s days to the shimmering elegance of 1920s beaded dresses, nights out were once fashion shows in their own right. Friends of Orchestral Music committee member Shirley Parkfelt, an opera singer in Cape Town in the late 1940s, remembers well the beautifully dressed audience: “Sonny Cohen, a great concertgoer in those years, always wore black tie and had a white carnation in his button hole. Opera patrons were beautifully dressed: befurred, bejewelled and elegant.”
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MELVYN TAN’S FORTEPIANO FOR THE YOUNG MELVYN TAN, THE
18TH CENTURY PREDECESSOR OF THE PIANO KNOWN AS THE FORTEPIANO WAS JUST ANOTHER INSTRUMENT TO DISCOVER. THE MUSICIAN WAS STUDYING HARPSICHORD AND EARLY MUSIC AT THE ROYAL COLLEGE OF MUSIC IN LONDON, WHEN HE CAME ACROSS A PRIVATE COLLECTION OF THE INSTRUMENTS. IT WAS AN INSTANT ATTRACTION: “I WAS HOOKED IMMEDIATELY,” HE SAYS. Today, the Singapore-born pianist is one of the most renowned fortepiano musicians in the world. He is fascinated with the fortepiano’s history and the musicians who played it. Bartolomeo Cristofori (1655 – 1731) invented the instrument in the early 18th century, but it did not become trendy until Haydn and Mozart played it. The name came from the piano’s difference from a harpsichord – rather than pluck the strings, the piano used a small hammer;
PERFORMANCES ON THE PIER From 1925 to 1940, an ornate pier stretched from the shores of Cape Town out into Table Bay. This picturesque pier was made all the more popular for the concerts that the orchestra regularly held there, which could hold a crowd of up to 7 000 audience members at a time. In the late 1920s, concerts took place on the pier every Sunday afternoon, making for a scenic outing.
thus the name “forte” meaning “loud”. “It was a revolution,” says Tan. “It offered the ability to be able to play strongly... needless to say, the name of the instrument stuck.” The fortepiano remained the favoured instrument of many composers until the advent of the grand piano in the 19th century. The difference in sound between the modern piano and the fortepiano lies in the compass, or range, of the keyboard. The fortepiano’s range is much smaller. “My attraction lies in the sound of the instrument; the lightness of touch,” Tan says. “It’s also in the ability to instantly change the mood in the music which is one of Mozart’s musical characteristics. The clearness of the finger articulation you can achieve on the instrument captures me.” The transition from the modern piano to the fortepiano and even the predecessor of the two, the harpsichord, came naturally for Tan, despite requiring an entire separate skillset. “You need much more finger articulation, finger lightness and technique for the fortepiano, and no arm weight, as not much physical strength is needed to produce the sound,” says Tan. “Therefore, one has to un-learn many aspects of modern piano playing to achieve the kind of musical freedom and expression that one would like on the instrument. Dynamic range on the fortepiano is a limitation, but within that constraint, one can achieve a kind of subtlety not possible on modern instruments.
“The instruments Mozart and Beethoven had were radically different from the modern instruments we play today,” Tan elaborates. “One is able to hear a diverse range of textures and timbres encapsulated by the music. This allows the listener comprehension of why composers wrote the musical masterpieces they did.”
“IT’S ALSO IN THE ABILITY TO INSTANTLY CHANGE THE MOOD IN THE MUSIC WHICH IS ONE OF MOZART’S MUSICAL CHARACTERISTICS. THE CLEARNESS OF THE FINGER ARTICULATION YOU CAN ACHIEVE ON THE INSTRUMENT CAPTURES ME.” Keeping the fortepiano’s rich cultural history alive is vital. Tan does this through his captivating international performances. He is yet to bring his fortepiano performance to Cape Town’s thriving orchestral scene, but, in May 2016, orchestral enthusiasts will have the privilege of listening to the piano man at Cape Town’s historic City Hall.
Theo Wendt, the orchestra’s first conductor, describes the enchanting experience:
“ONLY THOSE WHO HAVE BEEN PRESENT CAN REALISE THE DELIGHT OF LISTENING TO THE STRAINS OF A WELL-REHEARSED ORCHESTRA ON THE MOONLIT PIER. IN THE INTERVAL, YOU CAN GO ONTO THE DECK, AND ON ONE SIDE YOU SEE THE TWINKLING LIGHTS OF THE CITY AND THE RAILWAY AND ABOVE ALL, THE MAJESTIC AND SOMBER BEAUTY OF TABLE MOUNTAIN. LOOKING SEAWARDS, THERE ARE THE DOCKS WITH THEIR BRILLIANTLY LIT LINERS...” – ME van der Post, Theo Wendt 1874-1974, a Biography (Tafelberg 1974)
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FESTIVE YEARS The 10th Cape Town International Summer Music Festival brings a proud history of multiculturalism and an international calibre line-up to the Mother City
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Feature
“It embraces music as a way of connecting diverse communities of the Western Cape.”
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or a decade now, the Cape Town International Summer Music Festival has positioned Cape Town as a global city and African music hub. The first festival was held in November 2006, and was followed with annual festivals for three years, until it was decided in 2009 to move the date to early 2010, a time that fitted the city’s tourist profile perfectly.
ANTI-CLOCKWISE, TOP TO BOTTOM The Russian “Paganini” of the trumpet, Sergei Nakariakov in 2014; Yvonne Chaka Chaka performing with the orchestra; cellist Mischa Maisky; pianist Olga Kern, who was the festival director for several years; violinist Barnabás Kelemen.
The mix of local artists like Yvonne Chaka Chaka, township choirs and international artists like Krzysztof Penderecki (who conducted his own Largo for Cello and Orchestra with cellist Alexander Ivashkin and his Piano Concerto – Resurrection with Florian Uhlig), caught the public’s attention. Early festivals included recitals, and the Verdi Requiem, with a choir of 200. Cape Town Philharmonic Orchestra CEO Louis Heyneman noted in the festival’s first programme that Cape Town’s musicians would not fulfil their role as custodians of a multicultural civilisation if they did not transfer their skills to a new generation of musicians. To address this, the Cape Town Philharmonic Youth Orchestra (CPYO) was included from the beginning, and continues to perform in all the festivals.
IMAGE OF BARNABÁS KELEMEN PHOTOGRAPHED BY TAMÁS DOBOS
The first programmes were also honoured by messages from Minister of Arts and Culture Pallo Jordan, and Premier of the Western Cape Ebrahim Rasool, who in 2007 wrote: “As the epitome of reconciliation and tolerance, Madiba thus provides a genuine and realistic benchmark for the festival’s ultimate goal: to embrace music as a way of connecting diverse communities of the Western Cape.” To this end, a festival of Indian music, a performance by both the CPYO and Wind Ensemble, and the finals of the third Len van Zyl Conductors’ Competition have added to its value. Other high points over the years have included world premieres like that of Schnittke’s oratorio Nagasaki, which were included and recorded for a CD, and premieres of works by local composers. Renowned Russian pianist Olga Kern was the festival director for several years. We are proudly celebrating the 10th Cape Town International Summer Music Festival and thank the City of Cape Town for joining us for the second year as the major festival sponsor. Without the city’s commitment, producing such a high-quality festival would be even more daunting.
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Profile
50 years of music
with the orchestra in 1994, and the subsequent association and friendship they enjoyed over the years. The pianist holds the CPO close to his heart. “I cannot stress enough the role the CPO and its forerunners have played in my musical education and personal life,” says Du Toit. “Tony Kuhnert, who was for many years the artistic director of the orchestra and placed so much faith in me in the beginning, so deserves a special mention. Other people who supported me include Friends of the Orchestral Music’s Ruth Allen, Shirley Parkfelt and Gabi Dahl, Shirley Gueller and many more.”
It is hard to believe that Cape Town’s Peter Pan, François du Toit, turns 50 this March. The CPO is marking this with a momentous cycle – all five Beethoven Piano Concerti played by one of its favourite sons
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rançois du Toit is one of South Africa’s most prolific musicians. He has over 40 concertos in his repertoire, ranging from Bach to Scharwenka, and has also performed the concerto premieres of South African composers Hendrik Hofmeyr and Adrian More. He has performed with conductors including Bernhard Gueller, Victor Yampolsky, Omri Hadari, Thomas Sanderling, Piero Gambo, Arjan Tien and Alexander Lazarev. Together with Anmari van der Westhuizen and Farida Bacharova, he formed the UCT Piano Trio and also appears with Franklin Larey as the Ixopo Piano Duo. The year 2016 will represent 30 years since Du Toit’s first performance with the former Cape Town Symphony Orchestra (CTSO), when he played the Rachmaninov Paganini Variations on a Sunday night. “I had previously played with the CTSO,” he tells Concerto, “but these were just movements of concertos as part of competition prizes. Since then, I have performed virtually every year with the orchestra, sometimes twice a year, for something like 40 performances.” One of his first ventures with the CTSO was to accompany its musicians on tour to Taiwan in 1988 to mark the orchestra’s 75th year. “I was thrilled to be invited,” he says. “David de Villiers was the conductor, and Steven de Groote the other soloist. I played the Tchaikovsky Piano Concerto No. 1 and everybody was nervous, as CTSO had stuck its head out by asking me at the age of 22 to play on tour.”
“The CPO is my musical family and I am always at my happiest performing with its musicians.” 1001 0
“I cannot stress enough the role the CPO and its forerunners have played in my musical education and personal life.” Today, Du Toit is the Associate Professor of Piano and Head of Practical Studies at the University of Cape Town. He completed an honours degree under Merryl Preston and Laura Searle at the University of Cape Town. He also holds diplomas up to fellowship level from the Trinity College of Music, London, and studied for the Solistendiplom at the Hochschule für Musik und Theater in Hannover, Germany, under renowned pedagogues Arie Vardi and Bernd Goetzke. During his study abroad, he distinguished himself in several important international piano competitions, taking top prizes in the 1991 Hannover Music Competition, the 1992 Rotterdam and 1993 Marsala Internationals as well as the Callas Competition. While Du Toit may be acknowledged as one of South Africa’s leading concert pianists and musicians, he is also one of the nicest with whom to work, and he is known for having a close relationship with his colleagues. “The CPO is my musical family and I am always at my happiest performing with its musicians,” he says. “I remember the days of Artemisio Paganini as concertmaster, Oliver De Groote as principle clarinet and players such as Ingo Holland (bassoon), Lazlo Bohr (oboe) and Haim Hadar (associate concertmaster).” He warmly remembers being the soloist in Bernhard Gueller’s first appearance
“Words cannot express the gratitude I have towards the role the orchestra has played in my life and the opportunities it afforded me,” the pianist continues. “The second prize I received at the Maria Callas International Piano Competition in Athens in 1994 was a direct result of many years of playing with the CTSO. The audiences of Cape Town merit a special mention for their warm support over the past 30 years. Although I am always nervous before performances, there is an indefinable warmth I pick up on when I walk onto the stage. Thank you for the journey! “ Du Toit has had many highlights over his long career. “I remember doing the recordings of the Rachmaninov and Tchaikovsky with Omri Hadari,” the musician enthuses. “It was a jam-packed weekend with every minute counting, and with not much time for retakes. There was the Shostakovich Piano Concerto No. 2 with Alexander Lazarev, the Beethoven Piano Concerto No. 1 with Bernhard Gueller and the Scharwenka Concerto with Victor Yampolsky. At that time, CEO Louis Heyneman and Artistic Executive Sergei Burdukov were going through a phase of asking me to play unknown works – Scharwenka, Bernstein’s The Age of Anxiety, Bartok’s Piano Concerto No. 3 – this all resulted in my going grey prematurely!” Another high point for Du Toit was when he was asked to perform all five Beethoven Concerti. “You can imagine my delight,” he says. “This has been my dream for as long as I can remember and I grabbed the opportunity with both hands. I feel a strong affinity with Beethoven (hugely uncool as it is ancient Western classical art in this country). As I am not getting any younger (most composers were dead by 50), it is now or never.” François du Toit remembers both sad and joyous occasions, even as a concertgoer – he was in the front row when the American soprano Joy Anderson collapsed on stage (she sadly passed away later) and saw Stephen de Groote’s first performance in Cape Town after a plane crash nearly paralysed him. He also remembers well the drive to save the CTSO in the 1990s. “It makes me realise how time has flown,” he laughs. François du Toit will be playing on Wednesday, 24 February and Thursday, 25 February in the 10th Cape Town International Summer Music Festival, when he will perform the complete Beethoven cycle of Piano Concerti under the direction of Victor Yampolsky.
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Profile
The renegade conductor Conrad van Alphen, one of the most talented and innovative conductors to come out of South Africa, has never been afraid to perform by his own rules. After spending the past 15 years building up his own orchestra in Rotterdam, there’s no stopping him
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hen you are a conductor, life rarely stands still. When you are a conductor like Conrad van Alphen, who 15 years ago established in his own backyard a very successful chamber orchestra of between 23 and 50 members, the Sinfonia Rotterdam, that travels outside of its native Holland to Russia and South America regularly, then you can imagine how much time he has to call his own. Van Alphen, who was born in South Africa and moved to Holland 26 years ago, still considers himself a South African, for his life has become divided between the two countries, as he returns to South Africa annually to conduct. He will direct two concerts with the Cape Town Philharmonic Orchestra (CPO) in April and May 2016. Van Alphen puts his success down to the same values as the CPO – having the community take ownership, reaching out to different audiences and to young people – and is a fan of CPO’s outreach and development programmes. As he said to The Strad: “What’s important is to experience all aspects of your musical life with sincerity, openness and the will to communicate. Never forget why you play and you will find ways to reach new audiences.” The conductor’s South African origins have given him a firm understanding of what adds to the concert experience. He takes this from his time with the CPO and its predecessors, by continuing a tradition they have upheld for decades – finishing a performance with a glass of wine. Van Alphen took this a little further with his Classics and Wine series, which took Sinfonia Rotterdam on the road with a quartet playing salon music for 90 minutes, followed by wine and socialising. Word spread, audiences swelled, and the series now travels much of the length of Holland. He’s even added oysters to the series he runs in The Hague. Because of this approach, Van Alphen has been accused of commercialising high culture. He sees the need to get to new audiences, and while the quality of the music remains at the highest level, there are no boundaries between ‘high culture’ and otherwise. In the musician’s experience in South Africa, the Balkans and some areas of Russia, he has seen many different reactions, and while he was a
little bemused in Mexico to have the members of the audience chatting, he realised this common first reaction needed to be embraced. With a chamber orchestra Van Alphen has more flexibility because of the smaller size. He holds pop-up concerts in Rotterdam’s largest shopping mall where young children sit around the orchestra, but he says that this is only possible for a small chamber orchestra that doesn’t have to sit to play. They sometimes have the soloist in the next concert join them – Bennie Schmidt, whose Friends
“What’s important is to experience all aspects of your musical life with sincerity, openness and the will to communicate.” of Orchestral Music gala concert last year was so stunning, played in one pop-up, where tickets to the real performance were sold on the spot. Musicians in Rotterdam play in bookshops and other community venues, all of which help to show how relevant these musicians are to the city. Van Alphen gets 25 per cent of his budget from the city, another 25 per cent from sponsors, and then 50 per cent from activities. Similarly, the CPO scores very well compared to the international norm of 20 to 25 per cent; the orchestra’s income is about one-third from concerts. When he is not working with Sinfonia Rotterdam in the ensemble’s series’ in De Doelen, the Nieuwe Kerk in The Hague and the Concertgebouw in
Amsterdam, Van Alphen is often out of Holland. In the past 12 months, he has conducted the Moscow Philharmonic Orchestra in the Tchaikovsky Hall, the Russian National Orchestra, Brussels and Bochum Philharmonic orchestras, the Israel Camerata, Jerusalem Philharmonie, Zuidnederland SO and the Svetlanov State Orchestra. He will also be returning to Xiamen in China for the fourth time in December. Welcome back, Conrad. It’s always good to have you home!
www.sinfoniarotterdam.nl www.conradvanalphen.com
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Outreach CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT: Violinist Jeffery Armstrong; CPYO in action; Brandon Phillips, artistic director of the CPYO.
Centres of excellence
knowledge to continue their education and follow careers in music.”
The Western Cape’s educational music centres have been a vital part of CPO’s youth development and educational projects It has long been the Cape Town Philharmonic Orchestra (CPO)’s mission to help disadvantaged young people enter the world of classical music. Partnerships with music schools Beau Soleil, Hugo Lambrechts* and Frank Pietersen have helped this goal be fulfilled, as CPO youth development and education manager Laurika Steenkamp explains: “These centres provide training to a high standard. CPO then builds on these foundations, giving young musicians orchestral experience on a professional level, with one-on-one mentorships, helping to prepare many of them for a career in music.”
BEAU SOLEIL Beau Soleil holds a special place at CPO, as many of the young players who now play and teach in CPO’s music programmes have come through its ranks. Take Noluvuyo Nteta, now a student at Stellenbosch University. She began studying the violin in 1999 when she was 11, with Kathy Garrity at Beau Soleil’s IFIDYOLI Strings Project. By 2008, she joined the Cape Town Philharmonic Youth Orchestra (CPYO), and she has also become a teacher in the CPO’s Masidlale grassroots project. Other graduates like Shaun Moir (tuba) and Siyathemba Nteta (violin) have completed the circle, having gone on to establish good careers, and are now back teaching at the centre. Several are nationally and internationally acclaimed, like CPO resident conductor Brandon Phillips, or Xandi van Dijk of the Signum Quartet in Germany. Beau Soleil Music Centre was the first of its kind. Started in 1982 by the Western Cape Education Department to meet the needs of specialised instrumental music tuition in the Cape Town area, it has grown from 100 to some 400 pupils at its Kenilworth home. There are now
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eight full-time teachers and 29 part-time instrumental specialist instructors. The institution also has an extensive ensemble training programme. Marina Louw, principal of Beau Soleil, says the CPO and CPYO have contributed greatly to their work: “The music world in Cape Town is so small that it is essential that we all work together to build a strong industry.” Since 1999, the school has been actively involved in developmental projects such as the highly successful IFIDYOLI String Project, and in 2003 established the Beau Soleil Music for Africa Trust. “The further training and work opportunities that the CPO makes available gives meaning to the work that we do at a foundation level,” Louw says. “Taking hands and working together to change the life of a child for the better through enabling them to pursue a music career is the most satisfying result of our collaboration.”
THE FRANK PIETERSEN MUSIC CENTRE The late Frank Pietersen founded the Paarl Schools Music Centre in 1970 with a vision to empower aspiring young musicians by creating a youth orchestra for the Paarl community. In remembrance of its founder, the centre was later renamed the Frank Pietersen Music Centre (FPMC). Vaughan Pietersen, Frank’s son and the school’s current principal, is keeping the dream alive. “We strive for musical development of learners and adults, to provide a stable and dependable infrastructure, to complement musical activities in surrounding day schools and the broader community,” says Pietersen. “We also continually search for new talent to equip all learners with the confidence to make the most of their acquired skills and
The centre runs an outreach programme aimed at identifying underachieving schools in and around the Paarl and Wellington areas, striving to expose younger students to music who might never have been. Through this programme, talented individuals can be discovered and students are given the opportunity to receive tuition to further their studies. The CPO and Laurika Steenkamp have established a growing relationship with the FPMC and its outreach initiatives. Several members of the CPYO hail from FPMC, including Bevan Efraim on trombone and Madre Loubser on flute. “The amount of learners wanting to study orchestral instruments excites us,” says Pietersen. “We try and reach out to the learners by choosing popular pieces in our orchestral repertoire. Popular pieces lead them to more serious repertoires. The emotions that accompany the satisfaction, excitement and achievement of a successful concert are the driving forces behind musical inspiration and consistent interest. If one can evoke these emotions in more youngsters it would boost the future of orchestral music enormously.” * Hugo Lambrechts Music Centre will be featured in an upcoming issue of Concerto.
“The satisfaction... and achievement of a successful concert is the driving force behind inspiration.”
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Details were correct at the time of going to print. The Cape Town Philharmonic Orchestra reserves the right to alter programmes and replace conductors and/or soloists as may become necessary, but will endeavour to give notice of such changes in the media.
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Calendar
CAPE TOWN INTERNATIONAL SUMMER MUSIC FESTIVAL
FEB 2016 THURSDAY 8 PM • CITY HALL
German-born BERNHARD GUELLER has been a guest conductor in Cape Town for more than 20 years, bringing his internationally acknowledged insight, passion, and profound interpretations to audiences in South Africa. He is especially revered in Canada, where he has been music director of Symphony Nova Scotia since 2003, and is also principal guest conductor of the Victoria Symphony in British Columbia. He has been music director of the Nuremberg Symphony and has conducted on all continents, in addition to having several contemporary works dedicated to him. Gueller’s most recent album, featuring music by Canadian composer Tim Brady, was released in September.
DONOHOE PLAYS TCHAIKOVSKY CONDUCTOR: BERNHARD GUELLER SOLOIST: PETER DONOHOE (PIANO) BERLIOZ ROMAN CARNIVAL TCHAIKOVSKY PIANO CONCERTO NO. 1 IN B-FLAT MINOR, OP. 23 DVOŘÁK SYMPHONY NO. 6 IN D, OP. 60
Since PETER DONOHOE’s unprecedented success as joint winner of the 1982 International Tchaikovsky Competition in Moscow, he has developed a distinguished career in Europe, the USA, the Far East, New Zealand and Australia. He is acclaimed as one of the foremost pianists of our time, for his musicianship, stylistic versatility and commanding technique. Most recently, he released two recordings; one of Shostakovich’s Preludes and Fugues for Signum Records, and a disc of solo piano works by Scriabin. Peter Donohoe is an honorary doctor of music at seven British universities, and was awarded a CBE for services to classical music.
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Calendar
18
FEB
11
FEB
THURSDAY 8 PM CITY HALL
CONDUCTOR: BERNHARD GUELLER SOLOIST: OLGA KERN (PIANO)
TCHAIKOVSKY Piano Concerto No. 3 in E-Flat, Op. Posth. 75 TCHAIKOVSKY Polonaise from Eugene Onegin RACHMANINOV Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini, Op. 43 BERLIOZ Symphonie Fantastique, Op. 14
OLGA KERN is recognised as one of her generation’s great pianists. With her vivid stage presence, passionately confident musicianship and extraordinary technique, the striking Russian pianist continues to captivate fans and critics alike. She jumpstarted her US career as the first woman in over 30 years to receive the gold medal at the Van Cliburn International Piano Competition and was first prize winner of the Rachmaninov International Piano Competition at the age of 17. Her vast discography includes recordings of the Tchaikovsky Piano Concerto No. 1 with the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra, Rachmaninov’s Corelli Variations, and her most recent recording of Rachmaninov’s Sonata for Cello and Piano with cellist Sol Gabetta. 14
THURSDAY 8 PM CITY HALL
24 FEB
WEDNESDAY 8 PM CITY HALL
25 FEB
THURSDAY 8 PM, CITY HALL
BRUCH AND BRAHMS
BEETHOVEN PIANO CYCLE ONE
BEETHOVEN PIANO CYCLE TWO
CONDUCTOR: VICTOR YAMPOLSKY SOLOIST: JACK LIEBECK (VIOLIN)
CONDUCTOR: VICTOR YAMPOLSKY SOLOIST: FRANÇOIS DU TOIT (PIANO)
STRAUSS Don Juan, Op. 20 BRUCH Violin Concerto No. 1 in G minor, Op. 26 BRAHMS Symphony No.4 in E minor, Op. 98
BEETHOVEN Piano Concerto No. 1 in C, Op. 15 BEETHOVEN Piano Concerto No. 2 in B-Flat, Op. 19 BEETHOVEN Piano Concerto No. 4 in G, Op. 58
CONDUCTOR: VICTOR YAMPOLSKY SOLOIST: FRANÇOIS DU TOIT (PIANO)
Conducting pedagogue VICTOR YAMPOLSKY studied violin with David Oistrakh at the Moscow Conservatoire, as well as conducting with the Nicolai Rabinovich at the Leningrad Conservatory. He joined the Boston Symphony’s violin section, and in 1977 became music director of the Atlantic Symphony in Halifax, Nova Scotia. Now a professor at the Northwestern University Bienen School of Music in Chicago, he moulds a significant number of young conductors and while in South Africa will give master classes at the third Len van Zyl Conductors’ Competition.
Acknowledged as one of South Africa’s leading concert pianists and musicians, FRANÇOIS DU TOIT is an Associate Professor of Piano and Head of Practical Studies at the University of Cape Town. After completing an honours degree there, he studied for the Solistendiplom at the Hochschule für Musik und Theater in Hannover, Germany. While overseas he won top prizes in prominent European competitions such as the Hannover Music Competition and the Marsala Internationals. This Beethoven cycle marks the musican’s 50th birthday.
JACK LIEBECK, one of the most compelling young violinists in concert today, performs widely with orchestras such as the Leipzig Gewandhaus and the BBC Philharmonic. He has made several acclaimed recordings and collaborated with many leading musicians such as Katya Apekisheva, Renaud and Gautier Capuçon and Piers Lane. He is professor of violin at the Royal Academy of Music and is Artistic Director of Oxford May Music Festival. His recordings include the first of three recordings of Bruch’s music for violin and orchestra. Liebeck plays the ‘Ex-Wilhelmj’ G.B. Guadagnini, dated 1785.
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MAR
THURSDAY 8 PM CITY HALL
175TH ANNIVERSARY CONCERT: CAPE TOWN JEWISH COMMUNITY CONDUCTOR: OMRI HADARI SOLOIST: AVIRAM REICHERT (PIANO)
BERNSTEIN Overture, Candide GERSHWIN Rhapsody in Blue RACHMANINOV Symphony No. 2 in E minor, Op. 27
No stranger to Cape Town audiences, OMRI HADARI made his first appearances here in the 1980s, later becoming music director of the Cape Town Symphony Orchestra. He has returned several times over the years. He has been principal guest conductor of the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra, principal conductor and music adviser of the Ashdod Chamber Orchestra and music director of the “Classica” Chamber Orchestra Hadera, both in Israel. In recent years, he has been had great success in Turkey, where he conducted several major orchestras. Hadari started his career as one of Israel’s finest trumpeters.
BEETHOVEN Overture, Prometheus, Op. 43 BEETHOVEN Piano Concerto No. 3 in C minor, Op. 37 BEETHOVEN Piano Concerto No. 5 in E-Flat, Op. 73 (Emperor)
AVIRAM REICHERT is recognised for his thoughtful interpretations, formidable technique and ravishing tone. He won the Bronze Medal at the 10th International Van Cliburn Piano Competition in 1997, after having won several major competitions in the Far East and Europe. He is a frequent soloist with the leading orchestras in his native country, Israel, and in the Far East in particular, with orchestras such as the Tokyo Symphony, the Tokyo Philharmonic and the NHK Symphony. Reichert is also a sought-after teacher and is currently Associate Professor of Piano at Seoul National University. Reichert, a Steinway Artist, studied in Tel Aviv with Arie Vardi.
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Calendar
Autumn Season
28
APR
12
MAY
THURSDAY 8 PM CITY HALL
THURSDAY 8 PM CITY HALL
TIEN AND TAN CONDUCTOR: ARJAN TIEN SOLOIST: MELVYN TAN (PIANO)
VAUGHAN WILLIAMS IN LONDON CONDUCTOR: CONRAD VAN ALPHEN SOLOIST: ALEXANDER RAMM (CELLO)
PUCCINI Capriccio Sinfonico MENDELSSOHN Piano Concerto No. 1 in G minor, Op. 25 BRAHMS Symphony No. 2 in D, Op. 73
BALAKIREV Symphonic Poem, “Tamara” TCHAIKOVSKY Variations on a Rococo Theme, Op. 33 VAUGHAN WILLIAMS Symphony, No. 2 in G (A London Symphony)
ARJAN TIEN, winner of the first prize ‘Rotary-Faller’ in conducting in Switzerland, performs in Europe, Asia, South America and Africa, where he works with internationally established orchestras and opera companies such as Wermland Opera, the Dutch Touring Opera, Opera South, Gauteng Opera, the WDR Rundfunkorchester, the Belgrade Philharmonic and most major Dutch and South African orchestras. He was the artistic director and principal conductor of the Magogo Chamber Orchestra (2006-12) and recorded for many international record labels. He is a professor at the Maastricht and Fontys Music Academies, regularly gives master classes and is principal conductor of the Athenaeum Chamber Orchestra at the Royal Conservatoire.
05
MAY
CONRAD VAN ALPHEN is artistic director and chief conductor of Sinfonia Rotterdam. In the past 15 years, he has moulded it into an internationally acclaimed orchestra, which hosts a concert series in de Doelen in Rotterdam, the Nieuwe Kerk in The Hague and in the Royal Concertgebouw in Amsterdam. Recent international tours includ Russia, Mexico, Brazil, Colombia and Chile. He is also a frequent guest conductor in Russia, Germany, Holland and South Africa. The Dutch/South African conductor has gained tremendous popularity with orchestras and audiences alike for the unorthodox manner in which he rehearses and performs. ALEXANDER RAMM made his debut as a soloist at the age of nine with the Kaliningrad Chamber Orchestra, and has since then established himself as a brilliant cellist, not only with Russia’s leading orchestra, but across the world. Born in 1988, he belongs to the new generation of cellists recognized for his appealing artistic creativity and unprecedented technical skills. He has won several international prizes in Moscow, the US and China, as well as the UNISA International Strings Competition in 2010. Since 2012, he has been a postgraduate student at the Hanns-Eisler Hochschule fur Musik in Berlin.
THURSDAY 8 PM CITY HALL
PERFECT PRAGUE CONDUCTOR: CONRAD VAN ALPHEN SOLOIST: NIKITA BORISOGLEBSKY (VIOLIN)
MOZART Symphony No.38 in D, K. 504 (Prague) VIEUXTEMPS Violin Concerto No. 4 in D minor, Op. 31 DVOŘÁK Symphony No. 7 in D minor, Op. 70
NIKITA BORISO-GLEBSKY rose to prominence in 2010 when he won the International Jean Sibelius Violin competition and the International Fritz Kreisler Violin Competition. He has also won top prizes in the eight other prestigious violin competitions including the Tchaikovsky, the Queen Elisabeth of the Belgians and the Montreal Music competitions. He has been widely praised for the depth of his musical thinking, impeccable technique and a rare combination of elegance, naturalness and uncompromising severity of performance. He now performs with many of the world’s foremost orchestras under conductors such as Valery Gergiev. He is also an established chamber musician.
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MAY
THURSDAY 8 PM CITY HALL
Praised by The Guardian as being “among the most thoughtful, elegant and refined of pianists”, MELVYN TAN studied at the Yehudi Menuhin School and the Royal College of Music and has appeared as recitalist, chamber musician and concerto soloist around the world, including his native Singapore where he is artist in residence at the conservatory. Tan established his international reputation with pioneering performances on fortepiano. Tan has appeared as recitalist, chamber musician and concerto soloist at many of the world’s leading concert halls, from the Amsterdam Concertgebouw and London’s Wigmore Hall to New York’s Lincoln Center, and at the Salzburg and Edinburgh festivals.
SCOTTISH FLAIR CONDUCTOR: ARJAN TIEN SOLOIST: BRYAN WALLICK (PIANO) BRITTEN Passacaglia from Peter Grimes,
Op. 33 B PROKOFIEV Piano Concerto No. 2 in G minor, Op. 16 MENDELSSOHN Symphony No. 3 in A minor, Op. 56 (Scottish)
Gold medallist of the 1997 Vladimir Horowitz International Piano Competition in Kiev, American pianist BRYAN WALLICK has performed throughout the United States, Europe, and South Africa. He made his New York recital debut in 1998 at Carnegie’s Weill Recital Hall and his Wigmore Hall recital debut in London in 2003. He has also performed at London’s Queen Elizabeth Hall with the London Sinfonietta and at the St. Martinin-the-Fields Church with the London Soloists Chamber Orchestra. In recent seasons, Wallick has performed with many orchestras, particularly in the USA and South Africa. 15
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Bookings Cape Town City Hall
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How to book 10th Cape Town International Summer Music Festival subscription renewals will be running from 16 – 28 November. New subscriptions and single seats are available from 4 December. Subscribe today and get one Beethoven concert free. Autumn season subscription renewals are from 1 – 13 February. New subscriptions and single seats are available from 29 February. Subscribe to either season and save 20% (30% for members of FOM). Single seats start from R90 (platform, unreserved) to R230. Pre-concert talks, which take place before most concerts at 19:15, are open to ticket holders. Dress rehearsals are usually at 10:00am on concert days.
A discounted rate of R90 is given to students and senior citizens 30 minutes before the concert at the door, if available. Artscape Dial-A-Seat: Artscape and City Hall shows only on (021) 421 7695. Credit card bookings only. Advance bookings: through Computicket Mon–Fri, 9 am–5 pm/Sat 9 am–12:30 pm. For telephonic credit card bookings: call Computicket on 0861 915 8000 [Toll free] Computicket bookings can be made at selected computicket outlets or online at www.computicket.co.za. For more information, visit www.cpo.org.za, email info@cpo.org.za or call 021 410 9809.
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R230
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R90