Saturday 9 May 16:00
Dutch Reformed Church Greyton
R200
This concert weaves a vibrant and intimate tapestry of light classical music, brought to life by clarinettist Féroll-Jon Davids and a string quartet (violins Ralitza Macheva and Shannon Cook; viola Azra Isaacs; cello Rosamund Roth). At its heart lie three elemental forces — earth, fire, and wind — each shaping the spirit of the programme. Moving effortlessly across genres, the music dances between klezmer, tango, opera, classical masterworks, ballet, and jazz. Audiences are invited on a richly coloured journey: from earth’s folk-inspired melodies and imagined landscapes, through the blazing passion and virtuosity of fire, to the breath, lightness, and sudden storms of wind. Along the way, works by Piazzolla, Satie, Mozart, Tchaikovsky, Weber, Kovács, Bizet, and John Rutter shimmer and unfold.
AZRA ISAACS
Azra Isaacs (viola), hailing from Cape Town, is an accomplished violist holding Bachelor of Music and Master of Music degrees (both with distinction) from the esteemed South African College of Music at the University of Cape Town, where she studied under Assoc Prof Farida Bacharova and achieved distinctions in Viola and Chamber Music of the highest calibre. Her early talent was evident in her performance as soloist with the Cape Town Philharmonic Orchestra at the 2006 Artscape Youth Music Festival, and as a finalist in the inaugural 2008 Schock Foundation Prize.
Her academic excellence continued with consistent placement on the Dean’s Merit List and the award of the Alfred Libochowitz Prize for Strings. Demonstrating a notable command of ensemble performance from a young age, Ms. Isaacs uniquely garnered the recognition of best individual player on three occasions at the Stellenbosch National Chamber Competition, representing the Rustenburg String Quartet during her high school years. This early achievement highlights her exceptional musical promise.
Since joining the Cape Town Philharmonic Orchestra as a full-time member in 2009, progressing to Associate Principal Viola in 2017, Ms. Isaacs has performed on prominent international stages alongside leading figures in the global musical community, undertaking tours throughout the United States, the United Kingdom, China, and the United Arab Emirates.
Recently a member of the established Juliet String Quartet, she also dedicates her expertise to the development of aspiring musicians as a faculty member at the University of Cape Town. Her instrument was custom-made in 2006 by Oleg Alekseev.
FÉROLL-JON DAVIDS
Féroll-Jon Davids (clarinet), principal clarinettist of the Cape Town Philharmonic Orchestra (CPO) and F. Arthur Uebel performing artist, holds a Masters Degree in Clarinet performance (cum laude) from Stellenbosch University where he is currently also a part-time lecturer in clarinet.
Féroll-Jon has been the recipient of numerous awards, highlights of which include: first prize at the Mabel Quick International Scholarship Competition; best Antonin Reicha ensemble prize; third prize at the Unisa Scholarship competition; finalist at the ATKV Muziq Competition; and category prizes at the South African National Youth Music Competition.
During his studies, he attended two semester exchanges in the USA at two different institutions, the University of Georgia, and Montana State University. Having a proclivity for chamber music, he was thrilled to be a member of a project pioneered by the Decoda Institute, a group of chamber musicians affiliated to Carnegie Hall. Their project Disa was a programme hosted in South Africa, focusing on interactive chamber music performance practices in diverse communities and contexts. At the 2023 International Society of Contemporary Music’s festival in South Africa called World New Music Days, he joined fellow-musicians in performing newly composed chamber works. Beside his duties at the CPO, Féroll-Jon has an active programme as a chamber musician, recitalist, and soloist.
RALITZA MACHEVA
Ralitza Macheva (violin I), Bulgarian-born violinist, is a Masters graduate of the “Pancho Vladigerov” Music Academy in Sofia, and the Conservatorium van der Enschede, The Netherlands. Ralitza was awarded First Prizes in several National Violin and Chamber Music competitions including the Nedyalka Simeonova, the Golden Diana and Béla Bartók, which led to numerous radio and television recordings.
After a brief period as Principal Violin in the Chamber Music Ensemble “Amadeus” in Seoul, Ralitza held the position of Associate Concertmaster of the Pleven Philharmonic Orchestra in Bulgaria. Relocating to South Africa in 2000, she held various leadership positions in the Durban-based KZN Philharmonic Orchestra before working with internationally renowned conductor Marin Alsop as Principal Second Violin in South Africa’s Mzansi National Orchestra.
Ralitza is currently Principal Second Violin in the Cape Town Philharmonic Orchestra, for which she also appeared as a Soloist. Ralitza is currently the Artistic Director and Leader of the Durban-based Baroque orchestra, Baroque 2000, with which she has appeared as Soloist on numerous occasions. Tours with Baroque 2000 have included the HIFA Festival in Zimbabwe and the Maputo Music and Arts Festival in Mozambique, as well as a production of Jean-Jacques Rousseau’s opera “Le Devin du Village” which toured South Africa. As Leader of this ensemble, she has worked closely with the distinguished French conductor François Xavier Roth.
Ralitza completed Baroque Violin course with the Early Music specialist Chiara Banchini at the renowned Schola Cantorum Basiliensis in Basel, Switzerland, and works in close collaboration as Soloist and Guest Concertmaster with the Cape Town Baroque Orchestra. In 2024 she was invited to be a Guest Soloist in the Montreal Baroque Festival and was awarded Best Performance in Classical Music for the 2024 KykNet Fiëstas in South Africa. An Early Music specialist, Ralitza performs on both a modern violin and a Baroque violin.
ROSEMUND ROTH
Rosamund Roth (cello) was born in Pretoria and started her musical education at an early age. She attended Pro Arte High School for the Arts and went on to obtain her BMus from the University of Stellenbosch, where she studied under Magdalena Roux. There she also completed honours degrees in both Latin and English Literature. During her studies she played with professional orchestras like the CPO and the KZNPO on a regular basis as an ad hoc player. Her studies next took her to Zürich, Switzerland, where she studied in the class of Professor Roel Dieltiens.
She obtained a Masters in Music Pedagogy, as well as a Masters in Transdisciplinary Studies from the Zürcher Hochschule der Künste. She was very active as a teacher in St Gallen, Appenzell, and Zurich, and as a performer throughout Switzerland. She was co-principal cellist with the Zürcher Kammerphilharmonie for six years. During the Covid pandemic she started playing the viola da gamba after discovering a great passion for early music, and took private lessons with Paolo Pandolfo in Basel. In 2022 she returned to Cape Town to play full time with the CPO, and to focus on a career as a performer on the cello, the Baroque cello, and the viola de gamba.
SHANNON COOK
Shannon Cook (violin II) started playing violin at the age of 11 and throughout her high school years she excelled in local eisteddfods as well as the UNISA practical examinations. She appeared on the UNISA Roll of Honour several times for her violin, piano, and music theory examination results. In 2014 she received distinction for her Grade 8 UNISA violin examination and appeared as a soloist with the Pretoria-based youth orchestra Simfonia Juventi. Throughout high school Shannon attended various youth orchestra and chamber music courses/camps including Simfonia Juventi, SANYO, and the SICMF – musical experiences which contributed greatly to her love of orchestral and chamber playing at a young age.
In 2015 Shannon began her studies under Professor Farida Bacharova at the South African College of Music and in 2018 graduated with BMus in Performance cum laude. Shannon received Dean’s Merit List for all four years of her undergraduate degree as well as the Alfred Libochowitz Strings Prize, the Myra Chapman Undergraduate Scholarship, the Humanities Faculty Scholarship, the Stephanie Garnett Memorial Prize, and the Percy Ould Memorial Prize. During her years as a university student she was an active chamber music player and played in multiple chamber groups. In 2018 she received 2nd Prize in the Schock Foundation Chamber Music Competition and the following year she went on to win 1st Prize in the same competition.
Throughout her studies Shannon participated in masterclasses with various internationally acclaimed violinists such as Daniel Rowland, Evgeny Bushkov, Frank Stadler, Jan Orawiec, Joanna Frankel, Jan Rekpo, Max Baille, and Alexander Gilman. In 2019 Shannon entered her Masters in Violin Performance under Professor Bacharova and in 2022 graduated cum laude once more.
During her studies at the UCT South African College of Music, Shannon developed a strong love for orchestral playing. She consistently played in the 1st violin section of both the UCT Symphony Orchestra and the UCT String Ensemble throughout her studies and in 2019 and 2021 she performed as Concertmaster of the UCT Symphony Orchestra. From 2017 to 2022 Shannon was also a manager for the UCT Symphony Orchestra which gave her a passion for arts administration and management. During 2022 Shannon taught violin at the Bishops Diocesan College and the Bishops Preparatory School where she developed a passion for teaching and coaching. She also competed as a semifinalist in the UCT Strings Competition 2022 shortly before auditioning for a permanent position with the CPO. She now enjoys multiple passions by incorporating her love of orchestra performance, chamber playing and teaching in a dynamic and engaging career.
