Sandton muso may book a spot in the finals
SANDTON – 19-year-old musician from Sandton Kate Watson has booked her spot in the final 18 of the National Youth Music Competition to be held in Cape Town.
Sandton-based Kate Watson has got her eyes firmly set on winning South Africa’s best youth music instrumentalist title at this year’s National Youth Music Competition.
Watson is one of just 18 young musicians who were selected from 30 entries for the annual competition. They will compete for the R145 000 in prizes at the 35th edition of the prestigious competition that runs from 8 to 12 October at the Hugo Lambrechts Auditorium in Parow, Cape Town.
Musos between the age of 14 and 19 auditioned in front of music experts. Watson’s skills on the flute has seen the judges grant her a spot in the final 18 where she will compete against other contestants from the Free State, Eastern Cape, Gauteng and Western Cape.
The competition is described as one of the most gruelling music competitions in South Africa. The competition commands stamina, technical excellence and strong interpretative skills. The contenders compete over four rounds, playing an extensive repertoire of works from different style periods.
All contestants take part in the first two rounds, after which a maximum of 12 musicians go through to the third round on 10 October. The six top musicians will then do their battle under the accompaniment of the Cape Town Philharmonic Orchestra at a gala concert on 12 October with resident conductor Brandon Philips on the podium.
There is an equal number of pianists, violinist and flautists. The rest of the pack consists of three cellists, two clarinet players and a bassoon player. This year, there are seven first-timers, eight players who are competing for the second time and three who are testing the field for the third time. The overall winner of the competition will be invited to perform in a concert at the Hugo Lambrechts Auditorium.
The competition is the flagship the National Youth Music Foundation chaired by Michael Maas who founded the competition 35 years ago in Port Elizabeth.
“The foundation has broadened the exposure of these rising stars over the past year, presenting four concerts where former competition prize winners performed as soloists. Called, the Young Artists’ Concert Series, the concerts surpassed all expectations, attracting packed houses,” said Maas.
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