The 11th Wakkerstroom Music Festival will be held from March 18 to March 21, offering a fantastic selection of classical music.
The programme includes baroque favourites to chamber music, as well as classic–jazz crossovers – guaranteed to satisfy the most discerning classical music lover’s demands.
Altogether 20 not-to-be-missed performances will be hosted, as well as a workshop for choir conductors, which will address conducting, singing, musicianship, performance and vocal pedagogy.
The festival opens with a concert version of Verdi’s most performed opera, the ever popular La Traviata in the historic Dutch Reformed Church on Friday, March 18 at 20:00.
The poignant opera tells the heartrending love story of one of opera’s most celebrated heroines Violetta Valéry (soprano Hanli Stapela) and her one true love, Alfredo Germont (tenor Stéfan Louw) which ends tragically when Alfredo’s father, Giorgio Germont (baritone Danie Verster), forces Violetta to end the relationship so he can protect his family’s reputation.
Other highlights are Song of Norway, focusing on Edvard Grieg’s majestic Cello Sonata with Gerrit Koorsen (cello) and Eugene Joubert (piano) – a work of great beauty and scope that evokes the inherent inspiration Norway’s folk music had on the composer; and the exciting duet programme for piano Twenty fingers, one piano with pianists Theresa Prinsloo and Janette Rottcher from Nelspruit, featuring duet works by Franz Liszt (Hungarian Rhapsody No 2), the Petite Suite by Debussy, and the dramatic and technically challenging Fantasia in F minor by Franz Schubert.
Musical cross-pollination is the theme in this year’s programme and the new kid on the block is the Scullery Quintet.
They are a new South African classical and contemporary music crossover group, made up of a not-so-traditional string quintet that will be performing arrangements and improvising on compositions by their favourite composers which range from Vivaldi to Herbie Hancock and Radiohead.
Another concert filled with diversity and exhilaration will be performed by Sonja van Zyl (piano) and Morné van Heerden (clarinet) with jazz, Jewish, classical and folk music.
And in La vida es Bella, the Zarzuela-excerpts from the so-called Spanish operetta will be performed by Linelle Wimbles (soprano), Aukse Trinkunas (mezzo-soprano), Chris Mostert (tenor), Hendré van Zyl (baritone) and Paul Ferreira (piano).
More highlights to look forward to are The African Renaissance Ensemble performing arrangements for instruments and voices ranging from the Renaissance period to Late Baroque; a classical guitar recital by Thinus Boshoff; and an organ recital by Theo van Wyk where the polyphonic masterpieces of the Baroque period will be entwined with seminal works from the Romantic, Classical and 20th century including works by South African composers.
As usual, there are classical jazz concerts and this year, Ziza Muftic, originally from Croatia, performs with Sydney Mnisi (saxophone and flute), Roland Moses (piano), Peter Auret (drums) and Peter Sklair (bass guitar).
The Pretoria-based brass ensemble, Cantina Brass’s concert with theme music from well-known and lesser-known films is also not to be missed.
One of the objectives of the festival is to create an inclusive opportunity for both young and upcoming artists, as well as established artists to share the same stage.
This year, young artists in the likes of the Motsatse sisters, Neo on violin and Teboho on piano, join forces in their ever first public performance as a duo.
Another duo programme is presented by the soprano, Nosisa Dhlamini and mezzo-soprano, Asisipho Petu, both students at the Northwest University.
2022 also marks the sixth birthday of the WMF Marimba Ensemble project and they will perform an eclectic programme that moves between traditional and classical sounds.
Online bookings open on February 28 and can be made on the Wakkerstroom Music Festival’s webpage www.wmfestival.co.za.
As accommodation tends to be snapped up quickly during the festival weekend, it is advisable to make reservations early.
Details can be accessed at the same webpage which also provides additional information about the programme.
Any queries can be sent to info@wmfestival.co.za
Information Supplied.
