Artscape celebrates 50 years with 10 soloists in performance with the CPO Wind Ensemble are the flagships.” Artscape chief executive Dr Marlene le Roux echoed these sentiments. “Fifty years ago the building opened to an exclusive white audience only. Pe
A DOUBLE jamboree will light up the Artscape Theatre stage on Saturday as two golden jubilees celebrate the extraordinary milestones of 50 years in the entertainment industry.
This year not only celebrates the 50th Anniversary of the Artscape building but also the 50th annual Youth Classical Music Concert. The prestigious event acknowledges the exceptional talent of young instrumentalists and singers and provides an opportunity for them to perform on a professional stage with the Cape Town Philharmonic Orchestra (CPO).
A highlight on the classical music calendar, the historic concert will be conducted by Brandon Phillips, resident conductor of the CPO.
Divided into three groups, the soloists who have all performed in previous concerts represent past, present and the future stars: Brandon Phillips (bassoon), Dane Coetzee (cello), Samantha Durrant (violin) represent the past; Lisa van Wyk (flute), Ying-Shan Tseng (soprano), Daniel Brodie (piano) the present, and Eléna Monvoisin (oboe), Jake-Ando Pretorius (trumpet), Lulama Taifasi (tenor) and Qden Blaauw (piano) the future.
The main criteria when auditioned to perform in these concerts is that the soloists are bona fide music students, that they perform at a high standard and are a resident of, or studying, in the Western Cape.
Included are concerto movements and arias by Mozart, Bruch, Mendelssohn, Ardit, Beethoven, Cimarosa, Haydn and Chopin.
The selection panel for this concert comprises Alastair Cockburn (artistic co-ordinator), Aviva Pelham (opera Star, director / educator), Charles Banjatwa (Artscape community liaison officer) and Phillips.
For CPO chief executive Louis Heyneman, the fact that three professional CPO orchestral musicians were selected to perform in the early days, shows the value of the Youth Classical Music Concert.
“This aligns perfectly with our own goal which is to provide opportunities for the foremost up and coming young musicians in the community. What's more, three of the ‘future' musicians have already performed with the CPO in a community gala. The fourth is a member of our CPO Music Academy which teaches theory and practice to musicians across the peninsula as part of our vast CP Youth Education and Development Programme of which the CP Youth Orchestra and CP Youth