Celebration of young musical talent

Artscape and the Cape Town Philharmonic Orchestra (CPO) will present the 53rd Youth Classical Concert on Saturday October 5 at the Artscape theatre, at 7.30pm.

Thirteen young classical music instrumentalists and singers auditioned to perform with the CPO. The annual event will be conducted by the distinguished principal guest conductor of the CPO, Maestro Bernhard Gueller.

Since the inception of this programme in 1971, over 600 young musicians have had the opportunity of performing for the first time with the CPO on the Artscape stage. Many are currently performing internationally, are members of philharmonic orchestras and opera companies or have prominent positions in the music industry in South Africa.

The emphasis of this concert is a celebration of young musical talent. The appeal of the works presented at their auditions was an important element in the final selection of these musicians, as their specific concertos form the programme.

This concert also serves as an important launching pad in playing on a concert stage with a professional symphony orchestra. In preparation of their performance, they will receive individual, comprehensive mentorship sessions with Bernhard Gueller.

The soloists are Chanda Lupambo, 18, Charlotte Alexander, 11, and Caleb Thomas, 19, on piano; Corban Beukes, 16, Catherine Stiff, 21, and Gilah Kellner, 20, on violin. Nathan Huysamen, 23, plays clarinet, Ethan Lawson, 23, cello, and Loren Ehlers, 20, the accordion. Singers include sopranos Sashon Johnson, 27, Karabo Rabaloi, 24, Carmen Traut, 22, and baritone Sisa Mjekula, 22.

Produced by Artscape and the Cape Town Philharmonic Orchestra and supported by the City of Cape Town, the Youth Classical Concert is widely advertised early in the year at universities, music schools, libraries or through private music teachers. The main criteria are that the entrants be bona fide music students, that they perform at a very high standard, and are resident or studying in the Western Cape.

Currently they are students at institutions such as the SA College of Music at the University of Cape Town, Stellenbosch University, Hugo Lambrechts Music Centre and with distinguished music teachers. They will perform concertos by Rachmaninoff, Crusell, Mozart, Mier, Strauss, Elgar, Kabalevsky, Handel, Glazunov, South African composer Loren Ehlers, Beethoven, Moreno and American composer MacDowell.

The concert is two hours including a 30 minute interval.

Tickets cost R100 for adults, or R50 for students, pupils and pensioners. There is a 10% discount for block bookings of 10 or more. Book through Webtickets or Artscape Dial-a-Seat on 021 421 7695.

Fine Music Radio (FMR) will be recording the concert for broadcast on Sunday October 20 from 2pm until 4pm.