Chamber music: CTCS presents Summer Nights with The Cape Chamber Music Collective and the SACM

Chamber music: The Cape Town Concert Series presents Summer Nights with The Cape Chamber Music Collective and in collaboration with the South African College of Music at UCT

Exciting collaborations are happening in classical music, in Cape Town. The Cape Town Concert Series, in collaboration with the Cape Chamber Music Collective, is opening the new season of concerts for the South African College of Music at UCT on February 15, 2022, in the Baxter Concert Hall at 7.15pm. All the performers in this concert have a close connection with the SACM. The programme features works inspired by Summer Nights, led by the recently formed Cape Chamber Music Collective. The collective, will be joined by soprano, Lynelle Kenned.  Info as supplied:

The Cape Chamber Music Collective

The Cape Chamber Music Collective [CCMC] features: Liesl Stoltz (flute), Shannon Thebus (horn), Cameron Williams (clarinet), Joshua Frank (oboe) and Brandon Phillips (bassoon). The CCMC will perform Samual Barber’s Summer Music for Wind Quintet. Soprano Lynelle Kenned, will sing a “special arrangement of Berlioz’s Les Nuits d’ete. “The programme also includes a world premiere of…. that wintry summer of ’21/22 – a song cycle by jazz pianist Paul Hamner commissioned by the CCMC as part of its mandate to support South African music. The CCMC was formed in January this year [2022] and will present “the finest quality chamber music and recitals”. The collective looks forward to “complimenting its own season with more collaborations in the future.” The concert- Summer Nights– is indicative of its collaborative approach- by working with the SACM and the Cape Town Concert Series.

Tuesday evenings with the South African College of Music

The South African College of Music (SACM), presents concerts every Tuesday evening, during term time. The concerts featuring a mix of rising star students and orchestras. There are staff events with “some of Cape Town’s finest musicians”. This opening concert for the SACM first term of 2022, is a wonderful collaboration with Cape Chamber Music Collective and the Cape Town Concert Series.

The Cape Town Concert Series – the spirit of collaboration

Louise Howlett, who is manager of the Cape Town Concert Series – an established platform for classical music in Cape Town – is excited with the collaboration with the newly formed Cape Chamber Music Collective and the SACM. She says that the Concert Series will be doing another collaboration with the CCMC, in April [2022] and the line-up will also include  a quintet, with Francois du Toit, Farida Bacharova, Bonolo Kgaile, David Pinoit and Uliana Alexie. “We want to do regular collaborations with the SACM, to highlight the musicians at the college and the incredible music that is being created. In terms of this first concert by SACM, for term 1 of 2022, the Cape Town Concert Series felt that in the first half of the year, it is important to join audiences and work together to bring back a vibrant concert going crowd.” She is delighted that the concert on February 15, Summer Nights with The Cape Chamber Music Collective.

The Cape Town Concert Series – on the boards

Howlett assisted in organising the recent season, featuring acclaimed pianist, Gustavo Romano who played all of Beethoven’s concertos in the Baxter Concert Hall, over seven concerts [https://thecaperobyn.co.za/concert-review-virtuoso-concert-pianist-gustavo-romero-performing-32-beethoven-piano-sonatas-in-cape-town/]

The season was not part of the Concert Series but resourced were combined from the Concerts Series and the SACM. The collaboration from all the partners made the season a huge success. Taking a cue from that success, it was decided to collaborate with the Cape Chamber Music Collective, as the opening for the SACM concerts in 2022. As Howlett points out, in these pandemic days, with limited tickets in a venue, it makes sense to unite – “rather than to divide.” The Concert Series will continue with its Saturday morning concerts “which people seem to enjoy”. She says that on March 19, 11am, in the Baxter Concert Hall, there will be violin and piano with David Bester and Jose Dias – an hour recital of Art Deco inspired music. After the concert, there will be a short in-conversation with the artists. She adds: “As mentioned, on Tuesday, April 5, 7.15pm, the Concert Series will again collaborate with Cape Chamber Music Collective. Then in May, CTCS presents Music of Spain and South America with guitarist James Grace – a one hour recital at 11am, with a short in-conversation with the artist, after the concert. Howlett adds: “In June, we will not present a concert but support other events:  Cape  Chamber Collective, Cape Town Philharmonic symphony series and other events, leading up to the Stellenbosch International Chamber Music Festival at the beginning of July as well as a big strings competition taking place at the SACM at the end of July. This is enough for the winter months and hopefully by spring, we will have Covid under our belt and we can move forwards with more concerts at the end of the year and more tickets available for sale.”

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