Left: Artistic director Nina Schumann and festival director Peter Martens honoured for the 20th year of the festival, picture ©Tiffany Schultz; right: picture of Nina Schumann, artistic director of SICMF - ©Vincent Rowley. Pictures provided and published with permission.
Naomi Meyer talks to Nina Schumann, artistic director of the Stellenbosch International Chamber Music Festival (SICMF).
Nina, it is time for a mature Stellenbosch International Chamber Music Festival: 21 years old! Where did it all start?
It started in 2004 when Luis Magalhães and I decided to attempt putting on a festival that combined orchestral playing with chamber music. Initially, we thought we would attract 50 participants, but we welcomed 97 participants! The concept was drawn on a piece of paper – with orchestral practices in the morning, chamber music coaching in the afternoon, and concerts and master classes taking place at 1:00 pm, 3:00 pm, 5:00 pm and 8:00 pm. We are very proud that we still use exactly the same schedule.
Performing in front of an audience is usually a solo business or done as a full orchestra. A chamber music group is a different situation – the audience even gets to hear the second violin player for a change. 😉 Why a chamber music festival?
The name was originally supposed to be Stellenbosch International Music Festival, but that name was already taken. So, the intention right from the beginning was to offer both chamber and orchestral playing. That said, chamber music was, and remains, the ideal vehicle to bring together people from different backgrounds. It creates a level playing field, and we experience this not only in the participant groups, but also in the faculty programmes.
Who is on the programme this year, and could you please mention a few of the highlights?
As usual, we have representative student groups, as well as fantastic international faculty members. The student groups include a string quartet from the Royal College of Music in London, as well as a Dutch viola ensemble. Many of our faculty members return, but we do welcome some new faces: Karin Hendrickson, who will conduct the Festival Concert Orchestra; Titus Underwood (oboe); father and daughter violists Mikhail and Dana Zemtsov; as well as Miclen LaPaing.
Is the festival open only to student groups? Are there school groups attending as well? When is a good time for young musicians to become exposed to orchestral music playing – whether in a small group or in a larger orchestral situation – and how do you facilitate this at this festival?
The festival is open to participants aged 12 to 28, and approximately 60% of the students are under the age of 19. This bodes very well for the future of classical music in South Africa. Many who come for the first time have never played in either a chamber music group or an orchestra, and it is a wonderful surprise to them how they can develop camaraderie through the shared musical experience. It forms part of the feeling of community – where the musicians find a community who understand their world.
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Many who come for the first time have never played in either a chamber music group or an orchestra, and it is a wonderful surprise to them how they can develop camaraderie through the shared musical experience. It forms part of the feeling of community – where the musicians find a community who understand their world.
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Why do you consider chamber orchestra music of importance in a country like South Africa in 2026 – and into the future?
As I mentioned before, chamber music is the great equaliser. When students play together in a group, their background, socioeconomic situation and skin colour become irrelevant. It is a wonderfully uplifting experience for all. We need more of this in South Africa.
- The Stellenbosch International Chamber Music Festival (SICMF) takes place from 3 to 12 July at the Konservatorium Building on the campus of Stellenbosch University.
The full list of SICMF artists can be found here: https://www.sicmf.co.za/artists/.
Full programmes and ticket sales can be found here: https://www.sicmf.co.za/tickets/.
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