Rebecca Tong led the festival orchestra on 7 and 9 July (Carmen Reynolds Photography).
Stellenbosch International Chamber Music Festival ends on a high note!
The final concert of the SICMF ended on a high note with its first ever woman conductor, Rebecca Tong, directing one of the most spirited performances ever to have been heard from an orchestra in South Africa. The soloist in this concert was clarinettist YaoGuang Zhai who after his stunning performance of Weber’s second clarinet concerto, brought the house down with Mango Groove’s Special Star.
Attendance for the 10 days of the SICMF was the highest it had ever been, with the three orchestral concerts completely sold out. And whilst the students of the Festival Symphony Orchestra presented two scintillating performances, the Festival Concert Orchestra must also be commended, on amongst other things, the rousing finale to Respighi’s Pines of Rome.
There were way too many special performances to single out highlights. In fact every performance was followed by a standing ovation – from Bach’s sublime Goldberg Variations to Tchaikovsky’s violin concerto, delivered with world-class virtuosity by Andrey Baranov and the FSO. As per Festival Director Peter Martens’ foreword, “both the old and the new were heard side by side in perfect proportion”.
New music by Mikhaila Alyssa Smith and Matthijs van Dijk were heard alongside, Schubert’s iconic string quintet and Rachmaninoff’s awesome piano trio, the programming of Artistic Director Nina Schumann giving context and a platform for these excellent South African compositions.
The SICMF is always characterized by stories of generosity, camaraderie and upliftment, each and every student participant having had the experience of a lifetime. The lucky student who won the 10-day job shadow scholarship was Shannon Thebus. Thebus is already the Cape Philharmonic Orchestra’s principal French horn player who will shadow SICMF faculty member Geoffrey Pilkington in Washington DC in the USA.
Anyone who missed out on the buzz, can rewatch the excellent livestream videos moderated by the much-loved classical music presenter John Woodland on https://www.sicmf.co.za/video/.
The 2024 SICMF will take place from 5 to 14 July.
Saterdag 8 Julie 2023 (Carmen Reynolds Photography)
Stellenbosch Internasionale Kamermusiekfees eindig op ’n hoë noot!
Die finale konsert van die SIKMF het op ’n besonder hoë noot geeindig. Die fees se eerste vrouedirigent, Rebecca Tong, het gesorg vir een van die mees opwindende uitvoerings wat nog deur ’n orkes in Suid-Afrika aangebied is. Die solis in hierdie konsert was die klarinetspeler YaoGuang Zhai wat ná sy verbysterende uitvoering van Weber se Tweede Klarinetkonsert die gehoor oorrompel het met sy weergawe van Mango Groove se Special Star.
Die bywoning van die konserte oor die tien dae van die fees was die hoogste ooit, met die drie laaste orkesuitvoerings heeltemal uitverkoop. En terwyl die studente van die Fees-Simfonieorkes twee indrukwekkende uitvoerings gelewer het verdien die Fees-Konsertorkes ewe veel lof vir hul sprankelende vertolking van Respighi se Pini di Roma.
Daar was te veel uitnemende aanbiedinge om hoogtepunte uit te sonder. Elke konsert is staande toegejuig – van Bach se verhewe Goldberg Variasies tot by Tsjaikofski se Vioolkonsert, waar die Russiese vioolvirtuoos Andrey Baranov saam met die Fees-Simfonieorkes vir ’n uitvoering van wêreldgehalte gesorg het. Soos Feesdirekteur Peter Martens dit in sy voorwoord tot die programboekie stel: „Beide die oue en die nuwe is langs mekaar in volmaakte balans gehoor.“
Nuwe musiek deur Mikhaila Alyssa Smith en Matthijs van Dijk is saam met Schubert se beroemde Strykkwintet en Rachmaninof se Klaviertrio aangebied, waardeur die programsamestelling deur die Artistieke Direkteur Nina Schumann ’n ideale konteks vir hierdie uitstaande nuwe Suid-Afrikaanse werke geskep het.
Die SIKMF word telkens gekenmerk deur verhale van vrygewigheid, kameraadskap en opheffing, waardeur elke deelnemer ’n lewensverrykende ervaring kon hê. Die gelukkige student wat ’n werkskadu-beurs van tien dae in die buiteland ontvang het was Shannon Thebus. Thebus is tans die eerste horingspeler van die Kaapstadse Filharmoniese Orkes en hy sal nou die geleentheid kry om Geoffrey Pilkington in Washington DC in die VSA te besoek.
Iedereen wat die opwinding van die fees misgeloop het kan dit nou aanlyn hoor. Die uitstekende regstreekse stroom word deur die alombekende John Woodland aangebied by https://www.sicmf.co.za/video/.
Die volgende SIKMF vind van 5 tot 14 Julie 2024 plaas.