JULIET STRING QUARTET

Saturday 11 May, 16:00, Dutch Reformed Church, Greyton R180

The Juliet String Quartet returns to the Classics for All Festival with a warm and light-hearted concert containing the Haydn C major string quartet Op. 20 no. 2, and the Dvorak “American” string quartet No. 12, Op. 96 in a programme titled ‘’Something old, Something New’’.  As part of the 20-year celebration of the festival, the Juliet String Quartet revisits memories of their first performance as an invited group, where they were hailed for their interpretation of the Haydn quartet (Something old). As something new, the American quartet refers largely to the “New World” where Dvorak composed the work during his time in America. Both pieces portray lyricism connectedness between the four instruments in exquisite quartet writing. Their debut album Maike, consisting of five South African compositions written by leading and upcoming local composers, was nominated for a SAMA award. The Quartet consists of Annien Shaw (violin), Matthew Stead (violin), Remi Ludick (viola) and Babette Roosenschoon (cello).

Biographies

Annien Shaw

Dr Annien Shaw is a soloist, chamber musician, baroque violinist and teacher based in Cape Town. She holds a PhD in Performance Practice from the University of Cape Town, a PGDip and FRSM in solo performance from the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester UK, a Masters in Chamber Music from the University of Stellenbosch, and an Honours in Psychology from UNISA. As a chamber musician she led the award-winning Stellenbosch University String Quartet on two international tours as well as being a founding member of the renowned Juliet String Quartet. She has been actively involved in the developing Baroque scene in Cape Town as a member of the Cape Consort and a Guest Concert Master and soloist of the Cape Town Baroque Orchestra (CTB). Annien is the founding member of The Flat Mountain Project and lectures at Stellenbosch University in violin, musicology, repertoire studies, teaching methodology, chamber music, and orchestral studies as subjects.

Babette Roosenschoon

Dr Babette Roosenschoon is a cellist who enjoys a career as performer, teacher and lecturer. In 2017, Babette joined the faculty at Stellenbosch University as part-time cello lecturer. Here, she approaches cello tuition and mentorship with a unique teaching philosophy, encompassing not only emphasis on developing musicianship, but also technical capability, body awareness and career guidance. Her subsequent acquired law degree (LLB) allows her to integrate legal understanding of the music industry within her cello studio. Being a keen chamber musician, Babette is cellist of the Juliet String Quartet while continuing to perform with the Cape Town Philharmonic Orchestra and Cape Town Baroque on an ad hoc basis. Serving on the board of the newly founded South African Strings Foundation, she hopes to further her vision of creating a platform for strings collaboration and skills advancement in South Africa. Babette furthered her studies abroad at Universität Mozarteum (Salzburg, Austria) as well as at the University of North Texas (Denton, Texas). Babette holds a LLB degree from UNISA and a DMus from NWU.

Matthew Stead

Matthew Stead studied with Suzanne Martens at the Konservatorium in Stellenbosch where he completed his BMus and MMus (cum laude) degrees. During that time, he participated in masterclasses with violinists such as Daniel Rowland, Philippe Graffin, Hugo Ticciati, and Priya Mitchell. A chamber musician as well, he is second violin in the Juliet String Quartet. He has also been a member of the prestigious Stellenbosch University Camerata, sharing in its versatile musical journey. Over the years, this has involved sharing the stage with international stars such as Joshua Bell and Pinchas Zukerman, collaborating with baroque specialists to perform Monteverdi and Bach and recording two albums for gypsy jazz moguls, the Tim Kliphuis Trio, on the Sony Classics label. He has also played for the Amici Quartet, the Flat Mountain Project, the Ensemble Je Ne Comprends Pas, and for numerous soundtrack recordings, most recently, Antoni Schonken’s score for MNET’s nature documentary series “Rooted”. Matthew Stead, appointed tutti violin in the Cape Town Philharmonic Orchestra since 2019 when he was 25, was recently promoted to co-principal second violin within the orchestra.

Remi Ludick

Remi Ludick is a violist, chamber musician, orchestral musician, and teacher based in Cape Town. They obtained their BMus (2021) and BMusHons (2022) with distinction in Viola Performance at Stellenbosch University under the tutelage of Petrus Coetzee. As an active orchestral musician, Remi is an ad hoc member of the Cape Town Philharmonic Orchestra and Cape Town Baroque Orchestra. Remi enjoys exploring historically informed performance practice, where they have performed as a member of the Confidencen Youth Baroque Ensemble in Sweden, and the Festival du Perigord Noir Baroque Academy in France. While a student at Stellenbosch University, Remi had the privilege of regularly interacting and performing new music through their involvement with KOMPOS, of which a highlight was the premiering of Poesis by A. Feder. Remi has a keen interest and passion for indigenous African music, where they were a member of the Stellenbosch University Conquering Spirits Ensemble in 2020.

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