Saturday 11 May, 11:30, Dutch Reformed Church, Greyton, R180
The Cape Town Camerata, formerly known as the Cape Town Youth Choir, is a city-based choir for young singers. Their mission is to provide an opportunity for excellent choral singers residing in the Cape Peninsula to sing in a choir of the highest international standards while delivering a moving musical experience to its audiences. Some of the choir’s more recent accolades include: Best Performance of a contemporary work and the Publikumspreis at the ICCC in Spittal an der Drau (2019), Grand Prix Competition winners at the International Choir Festival in Karpenissi, Greece (2019) and placing in second place in the mixed voice category at the 2022 Marktoberdorf International Chamber Choir Competition. The choir of the Emil Weder High School in Genadendal will also perform at this concert.
Biographies
Leon Starker
Leon Starker completed a B.Sc. degree with Chemistry and Maths as well as the Higher Education Diploma at Stellenbosch University. During his student years he studied singing with Prof. George van der Spuy and sang in the Stellenbosch University Choir.
He holds both an advanced Diploma in Choral Conducting as well as an M.Mus. in Choral Conducting from the Nelson Mandela University where he studied with well-known South African composer-conductor couple, Péter-Louis and Junita van Dijk.
Leon has been the conductor of the Cape Town Youth Choir since 2003. While they focus on a cappella music they have also performed major works such as the Rachmaninov Vespers, Händel’s Messiah (broadcast on national television in 2018), Arvo Pärt’s Passio (St John Passion) and Karl Jenkin’s Armed Man a Mass for Peace. They have recorded numerous CDs.
With CTYC, Leon has travelled the world where they presented concerts in venues such as Carnegie Hall in New York, St Paul’s Cathedral in London, and the Mozarteum Großer Saal in Salzburg. The choir has participated in various international competitions, winning gold and most recently winning the prize for the best performance of a contemporary work at the International Chamber Choir Competition in Spittal an der Drau, Austria (2019) and placing second in the mixed voice category of the 2022 edition of the Marktoberdorf International Chamber Choir competition.
