MOTHER/MOEDER

Philippus Hugo (piano), Van Wyk Venter (baritone), Chloe Loggenberg (soprano), Ethan Lawson (cello) and  Gilah Kellner (violin).

To celebrate Mother’s Day, local pianist and director Philippus Hugo invited some of his musician friends to join him on stage in a production called Mother/Moeder. Audiences can look forward to a feast of music from famous operas, operettas, music from well-known musicals and, to commemorate the 100th anniversary of Afrikaans as official language, some of the most beautiful music made famous by Afrikaans composers/singers.  Performers well known to Classics for All audiences Van Wyk Venter (baritone) and Ethan Lawson (cellist) join newcomers soprano Chloe Loggenberg and violinist Gilah Kellner.  We are delighted to welcome back as part of this production, Axolile Hoza, a flautist who hails from Caledon and is currently a teacher at the Hugo Lambrechts Music Centre in Cape Town.  Axolile has performed at the festival several times, the first time in 2011 as a 16 year old.

BIOGRAPHIES

Axolile Hoza

Axolile Hoza started with music lessons in the middle of his Grade 8 year and in his Grade 12 year played his Grade 8 Unisa Flute exam with 96%. He went on and completed his Diploma in Music Performance (2015) and Advanced Diploma in Music Performance Cum Laude at the University of Stellenbosch in 2016. During his studies, he had the opportunity to participate in choir and orchestra performances under the guidance of renowned mentors. He was a part of the prestigious Stellenbosch University Choir (led by André van der Merwe), Stellenbosch University’s Symphony Orchestra (led by Corvin Matei), and Windband (led by Pamela Kierman) and also served as the concertmaster of the Windband.

Axolile has received numerous awards and trophies over the years for his exceptional skills as a flutist. He has participated in national and international competitions and attended masterclasses with renowned flutists such as Raffaelle Trevisani (Italy), Carol Wincenc (USA), Damarre McGill (USA), Nicola Mazzanti (Italy), and Sir James and Lady Jeanne Galway (Switzerland). In 2016, he attended the Galway Flute Festival in Switzerland and was honored with a Gemeinhardt flute by Sir James Galway. He was also a finalist in the Mabel Quick Overseas Scholarship Competition. 

Axolile played in numerous orchestras as soloist and principal flute or piccolo. He was a member of the SANYO orchestra from 2013 to 2016 and in 2018 was the principal piccolo player for the MIAGI orchestra that toured through Europe. In January 2020, Axolile was appointed as the Artistic Director of the Handevat Music Project. He served as the woodwind and marimba teacher, orchestra, and choirmaster. While at the Handevat, he completed a DipLCM in Piano teaching. In 2022, he started working full-time as a teacher at Lilyfontein School in East London and was later appointed as Head of Department. Since February 2025 he has been appointed as a Music Teacher at the Hugo Lambrechts Music Centre. Axolile is currently completing his PGCE under Two Oceans Graduate Institute in Cape Town. 

Chloe Loggenberg

Chloe Loggenberg is a second-year BMus student at Stellenbosch University under the guidance of Minette du Toit-Pearce. She began singing in the New Apostolic Cape Town Children’s Choir at a young age, performing in Germany and France. In 2022, the year Chloe matriculated from Belhar Secondary School, she started her vocal training with Marcelle Steinmetz at the Hugo Lambrechts Music Centre through the Belhar Development Programme. She was selected as a finalist in the 25th annual Hugo Lambrechts Concerto Festival. In 2023, Chloe performed with the Cape Philharmonic Orchestra at the Youth Classical Concert, won best soloist (ages 18-21) at the Stellenbosch Eisteddfod, and performed in numerous local concerts at Hugo Lambrechts, including Messiah (Handel) and Hansel und Gretel (Humperdinck). Her recent achievements include winning first place in the 2024 Neues Lied duo competition as well as winning the 2024 SU Mabel Quick Vocal Bursary.

Ethan Lawson

Ethan Lawson (23) started cello when he was 8 years old. He has been the principal cellist of many orchestras, namely the Cape Philharmonic Youth Orchestra and the University of Stellenbosch Symphony Orchestra. He is currently an ad hoc member of the Cape Philharmonic Orchestra and the KZN Philharmonic Orchestra.

Ethan has won many prestigious competitions and awards, most recent being the Mabel Quick Overseas Bursary, Cello Prize, and Instrumental Prize. He has been selected as a soloist in many concerto festivals, including the Hugo Lambrechts Concerto Festival, CPO Youth Music Festival, and USSO Concerto Festival. Ethan is currently doing his MMus in Cello Performance at Stellenbosch University with Dr Peter Martens. In his free time, Ethan works as a session musician and enjoys songwriting, singing, playing electric guitar, piano, bass, and drums. He is currently recording his own alternative rock album.

Gilah Kellner

Gilah is a third year BMus violin student at Stellenbosch University under Dr Suzanne Martens. In 2024, Gilah was concertmaster of the Africa United Youth Orchestra that toured from Pretoria to Carnegie Hall, New York, as part of the WOW! (World Orchestra Week) Festival. In 2023, Gilah performed Ravel’s Tzigane with the Cape Town Philharmonic Orchestra and the University of Stellenbosch Symphony Orchestra for their Concerto Festivals.

In 2022, Gilah recorded the Mendelssohn Violin Concerto under conductor Adam Szmidt with the Gauteng Philharmonic Orchestra (Brooklyn Theatre TV and Art Music TV) for their “Mozart and Mendelssohn” concert. Gilah was a semi-finalist in the 3rd UNISA National Strings Competition 2021 and won the Gold Medal at the National Youth Music Competition 2017. She has had masterclasses with Emily Sun (Royal College of Music, London), Andrey Baranov (Folkwang Universität der Künste), Réka Szilvay (Finland Sibelius Academy), Philipe Graffin (Paris Conservatoire) and Borika van den Booren (RCO first violinist). In 2019 Gilah was selected for the RCO Young (Royal Concertgebouw Youth Orchestra) in the Netherlands. She has also played as a first violinist in the Johannesburg Philharmonic Orchestra’s Early Spring and Spring Seasons 2022.

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.

Since 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 specializes in working with singers. In 2019 he was on the panel of adjudicaters for the Hubert van der Spuy National Music Competition. Philippus is also a chef and he and his partner run the well-known 254 Catering Company in the Overberg.

Since its inception 21 years ago, Philippus has directed various productions of the Greyton Genadendal Classics for All Festival.    

Van Wyk Venter

Van Wyk Venter is a baritenor currently based in Cape Town. He began his musical training at the Drakensberg Boys Choir School where he received a very diverse musical education as a soloist, chorister and instrumentalist. He started focusing his training on solo singing and stage performance at high school. Amongst several theatre performances, he was also chosen to perform with the KZN Philharmonic Orchestra under the baton of Naum Rousine and later again under the baton of Richard Cock.

After receiving the first-year music scholarship to Stellenbosch university, he started training as a singer under Minette du Toit-Pearce and completed his BMus (Hons) Cum Laude in 2020. As a Student at Stellenbosch, he furthered his stage experience by performing regularly as a soloist in various festivals, oratorios and opera productions.

Van Wyk is currently a member of the Cape Town Opera Judith Neilson Young Artist programme, and was nominated for a Fleur du Cap theatre award for best performance in an opera – Male – in recognition of his performance of Belcore in Donizetti’s L’elisir d’amore.