Saturday 13 May 2023, 19:00, Moravian Church, Genadendal, R170
Local pianist Philippus Hugo with two audience favourites, tenor Thobela Ntshanyana and soprano Lynelle Kenned, perform with the 30-piece Windworx Symphonic Wind Ensemble under the baton of Riaan van Wyk and Pamela Kierman. The WindWorx Symphonic Wind Ensemble comprises some of the finest wind and percussion players in the Western Cape. The newly-established choir of the Emil Weder High School in Genadendal makes their Classics for All debut at this year’s festival.
Biographies
Lynelle Kenned
Lynelle Kenned, graduate of the UCT Opera School under the tutelage of Prof Virginia Davids, is a Multi-disciplinary Performing Artist, TV Presenter, Corporate MC, Actress and Media Personality. Her list of awards includes the Kunste Onbeperk YOUNG VOICE 2019, a 2018 Naledi Award, a Fiësta Award in 2017, a Fleur du Cap Award in 2016, and in 2022, a Woordtrofee along with being a recipient of the Global Spotlight Honoree Award. Performances include Maria in “West Side Story”, Maria in “The Sound of Music”, Mattie Allen in “Orpheus in Africa”, Musetta in “La Boheme”, Julie in “Showboat”, Cherubino in “Le nozze di Figaro”, and Grace in the world premiére of “Calling Me Home”. Classical performances as soprano soloist include The Messiah, Easter Oratorio, St Matthew Passion, Jauchzet Gott in allen Landen, Brahms’ Requiem, Faure Requiem, Les nuits d’été, Handel’s Gloria and the Gloria by Vivaldi. Since 2012, she’s been a television presenter on “Pasella”, and subsequently hosting “Jý Geld”, “123 Fixit” and “Uit die Spens” on KykNET and VIA respectively. Films include “A Christmas Chorus”, “Wonderlus”, “Playboyz” en “Twee Grade van Moord”. A few memorable career highlights are the FNB/RMB Starlight Classics, live broadcasts of Dancing with the Stars and the KykNET Fiëstas, performing with Welsh crossover superstar Katherine Jenkins, receiving master classes with Juilliard’s Brian Zeger, and adjudicating the singing category for the national Huisgenoot Eisteddfod.
Thobela Ntshanyana
South African tenor Thobela Ntshanyana is a member of the International Opera Studio at Opernhaus Zurich for the season 2018/19. He is an alumnus of the International Opera School of Royal College of Music in London as a H F Music Scholar supported by a Jessie Sumner Award. He also holds a Postgraduate degree in Music from the South African College of Music in Cape Town. The tenor has won Les Azuriales Karaviotis Prize at Les Azuriales International competition 2016 in Nice, 1st prize Clonter Opera Prize 2016 in London, 1st prize Schock foundation Competition 2014 and is a finalist of 2015 Neue Stimmen International competition, Semi Finalist in Kathleen Ferrier Awards and Royal Overseas League Competition 2016 in London. On stage Thobela has appeared as Alfredo (La Traviata), Rinuccio (Gianni Schicchi), Mr Owen (Postcard from Morroco), Le Chavalier (Dialogues of the Carmelites), Belfiore (La Finta Giardiniera). His concert repertoire includes Dvorak Stabat mater, Mendelssohn’s Elijah, Haydn’s Creation, Gounod St Cecilia mass, Mozart Requiem, Mozart Coronation Mass, Mozart’s Solo Organ Mass, Mozart’s Spartzen messe, Mozart’s Missa brevis K192. In Zurich Thobela has done roles that include Belfiore (La Finta Giardiniera), Lucano (L’incoronazione di poppea), Harry (La Fanciulla del west), Jungling (Die Dezeichneten), Zweiter Priester (Die Zauberflote), Coryphee (Le Comte Ory), first Gralsritter (Parsifal), , Giuseppe (La Traviata) all with Opernhaus Zurich.
Philippus Hugo
Philippus Hugo obtained the degrees B.Mus, B.Mus(hons) and M.Mus (Cum Laude) in piano performing from the University of Stellenbosch under the guidance of Juliana de Villiers. He makes his solo debut with the Cape Town Philharmonic Orchestra at the age of 16. During his student years, he regularly performs as soloist with the CTPO, Natal Philharmonic, Stellenbosch Symphony Orchestra and the Hugo Lambrechts Symphony Orchestra. In 1992 he was appointed the post as official accompanist at the Hugo Lambrechts Music Centre, a post he held for 5 years before accepting a teaching post at Rustenburg Girls school. From 1994 until 2010 he was the official accompanist for the ABSA National music competition in Port Elizabeth and performed as accompanist for the SANLAM music competition in Cape Town. He is a regular accompanist for the ATKV Musique, Artscape Competition, UNISA gr8 and Overseas Bursary Competition as well as freelance accompanist for national arts festivals like the KKNK, KKK, Vryfees, Hermanus FineArts Festival, Darling Voorkamerfest and the Greyton Genadendal Classics for All Festival. In 2011 he was asked to perform with the American singers Kennethia Mitchell and Lawrence Craig Jr at the annual Maputo International Music Festival. He performed again in 2014, 2016 and 2017 as accompanist at the Maputo International Music Festival. From 2012 until 2016 he was the official accompanist for the Muziquante Competition. He is also the producer, accompanist and programme arranger for the prize winners of the ATKV competition’s country tours. For his production of the opening concert at the Klein Karoo Klassiek festival in Oudtshoorn in 2013, the production was nominated for a Fiesta Award for best classical concert at a national festival. He regularly is appointed as adjudicator for various eisteddfods in South Africa. In 2012 he was a guest artist at the Harare Music Festival in Zimbabwe. In 2014 he is appointed as a member of the board of examiners for UNISA. Since 2000 he is one of the official accompanists at the Conserve, University of Stellenbosch and he specialize in working with singers. In 2019 he was on the panel of adjudicators for the Hubert van der Spuy National Music Competition.
Riaan van Wyk
Riaan van Wyk, founder member and chairman of the WindWorx Symphonic Wind Ensemble has been involved with the wind band movement for almost 40 years. Starting at school level where he launched his first ensemble and studied the flute and saxophone, he continued at the Stellenbosch University Symphonic Wind Ensemble while obtaining degrees in Accounting. After 14 years at Stellenbosch, the need arose for a post-graduate wind ensemble which was founded in 2001 with the late Mervyn Solomon at the helm. This was the forerunner of WindWorx for which he has been playing baritone-sax for the last 17 years. Riaan enjoys and has been involved at wind band grass roots by coaching the Bellville High School Symphonic Wind Band since 2007, taking them to winning acclaims at local and national eisteddfodau and competitions. To further the wind band movement he launched the WindWorx Fanfare in 2010 where hundreds of young players participate every year. He also adjudicates the Christmas Band competitions on an annual basis. In recent years Riaan launched the SmallConcerts initiative which supports smaller and non-mainstream classical events. This includes wind band coaching, placement of players, recording and publishing of concerts and musical direction of various genres. He has conducted the Stellenbosch University Band multiple times and is also involved in the Malay Choir movement and classical-pop scene. To ensure he had a well-founded base for conducting, in particular, he attended conducting clinics with the likes of Sean Kierman (WindWorx), Garreth Williams (NMU) and international visiting conductors Phil Golson, Richard Fischer and Rik Ghesquière. Riaan obtained his master’s degree in project management from UCT and is currently working in the IT industry.
Pamela Kierman
Pamela Kierman graduated with a BMus from the University of Port Elizabeth and MMus from Stellenbosch University and is currently pursuing PhD studies at Stellenbosch University. In 2004, she was appointed as brass lecturer, convener of Service-Learning, and conductor of the University of Stellenbosch Symphonic Wind Ensemble at Stellenbosch University. She is a member of the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences Community Interaction Committee, of which she was chairperson from 2012-2015. As ad hoc horn-player, she has performed with the Cape Sinfonia, Cape Town Chamber, Con Spirito, former CAPAB and Namibian Symphony Orchestras and performs regularly with the Symphonic Wind Orchestra, WindWorx. She is deputy-chair of the South African Horn Society. Pamela works extensively in the sphere of community music, regularly adjudicates community band competitions and conducts workshops with ‘community brass’. She worked with Children’s Theatre and the RAD Ballet as arranger and accompanist, played French horn in the Prince Alfred’s Guard Band and was principal horn of the former-CAPAB orchestra. She was the brass teacher at Alexander Road High School, Port Elizabeth (1986-1987) and Hoërskool Voortrekker, Cape Town (1987 – 1989). She was instrumental in the upgrading of the SACC Band, Wynberg (South African Army Band, Western Cape), brass teacher at Plumstead High School (1991-1998), where she was HOD Music from 1994-1998. She was Head of Brass, Beau Soleil Music Centre from 1998 -2004, part-time brass lecturer at the South African College of Music, UCT and taught in the Genesis Community Music Project
WindWorx Symphonic Wind Ensemble
WindWorx was founded in 2005 to provide a platform for professional and semiprofessional musicians to perform the crème de la crème of wind band music. Over the last 17 years it has played and recorded this fine music under the baton of then resident conductor, Sean Kierman and guest conductors, Allan Stephenson, Mathew Reid, Phil Golson and Rik Ghesquière, for which it has gained considerable local and international attention. WindWorx is a non-profit organisation which assembles some of the finest wind and percussion players in the Western Cape, including music teachers, present and past symphony players and professionals in other fields who are highly proficient musicians. WindWorx aims to provide a vehicle for postgraduate musicians from all walks of life who might not otherwise have the opportunity to practice their art in public, to create an ensemble of such quality that it stands as an example to the Cape’s many other bands, and to play music at an advanced level. Over the last couple of years WindWorx has built a closer relationship with the THE UNIVERSITY OF STELLENBOSCH SYMPHONIC WIND ENSEMBLE (USSWE) where it has provided a broader stage for advanced students. During the pandemic, and hence restricted performing opportunities, WindWorx established a smaller ensemble for corporate events with great results. Concerts with vocalists Niël Rademan, Lynelle Kenned and Amanda Osorio and instrumentalists Elna van der Merwe (Rhapsody in Blue) and Peter Martenz (Gulda Cello Concerto) were very well received.