Cape Classic 2012

World Doctors Orchestra (WDO) – Charity Concerts in Cape Town and Johannesburg

Programme:
Peter Klatzow, Overture “The Healing Melody”
Allan Stephenson, Concertino Pastorale for Clarinet and Orchestra
Franz Schubert, Symphony No. 8, C major
African Traditionals (Johannesburg and Elandsdoorn)

For more information visit:
World Doctors Orchestra: www.world-doctors-orchestra.org
Hugo Tempelman Foundation: www.hugo-tempelman-stiftung.de
Ndlovu Care Group: www.ndlovucaregroup.co.za
Baxter: www.baxter.co.za
Linder Auditorium: www.wits.ac.za/linderauditorium/2915/linder_auditorium.html

The horn welcomes 2012

After completing her Examen Supérieur at the conservatory of Luxembourg, she continued her studies with Prof. Sibylle Mahni-Haas and Prof. Erich Penzel at the Academy of Music and Performing Arts in Frankfurt-am-Main. Thereafter, in 2007 she continued her studies with Prof. Marie-Luise Neunecker and then finalised her studies in 2010 with a Master degree at the Hanns Eisler conservatory in Berlin. Amanda performed with the Orchestre Philharmonique du Luxembourg and the European Youth Orchestra from 2005 to 2008.

During 2006 and 2007, Amanda participated not only as a soloist but also as a musician at the international chamber music festival, Le Domaine Forget, in Canada and at the Zermatt Festival in Switzerland. She was awarded first prize at the Concours Artistique d'Epinal, and was a laureate at the International Young Soloist Competition, Grand-Duc Adolphe, and the Polytechnic Society chamber music competition in Frankfurt-am-Main.

In 2008, she was awarded the IKB Youth-Promotion prize in Luxembourg and, as the recipient of the Ferenc-Fricsay bursary in 2008, Amanda performed with the Deutschen Symphonie Orchester Berlin. She is also a bursary scholar of the Villa Musica Rheinland-Pfalz.

In 2010, she obtained a fixed term contract with the Kiel Philharmonic Orchestra She became an awardee of the Deutschen Musikrats and was chosen in the Bundesauswahl Konzerte for Young Artists in 2010. Currently, Amanda plays with the Berlin Radio Symphony Orchestra and the Hanover opera.

Cape Classic’s Exciting Serendipities

Come and enjoy our ‘Courtyard Serenade’ and experience cheerful music with that dash of flair of the Classical and Romantic periods in the charming courtyard of Winchester Mansions Hotel in Cape Town, with its beautiful colonnade courtyard built in the Italian piazza style. This tranquil oasis, encircled with palm trees and water fountains, is a perfect setting for this romantic concert.

For those seeking an elegant and sophisticated day out in the country, there is nothing quite like a Sunday-morning matinee with a programme of some of Mozart’s most festive compositions and a summer picnic shaded by an historic old oak tree at Allée Bleue in the Cape Winelands.

Babylonstoren’s beautifully preserved gardens pay tribute to the gardening traditions and diversity of the Cape. See the beauty of nature, smell the fragrance of flowers, taste the exquisite cakes of Babel and enjoy a program of ‘Lieder’ which will surprise you with its bouquet of violas and roses, courtesy of Mozart and Schubert! A fragrant surprise awaits each and every lady!

All fine art needs both the spirit and labour as does, obviously, a piano recital. What better venue than the historical University of Stellenbosch Museum, a 1907 national monument, for this particular piano concert? In the midst of a permanent art exhibition, experience the exciting atmosphere of our final concert of the 2012 season with a programme of Brahms, Chopin and Beethoven’s ‘Tempest Sonata’.

Now, you have the choice!
I am looking forward to welcoming you at Cape Classic 2012,
Last greetings of 2011 from Germany
Gabi Zahn

Cape Classic 2012, Summary:

Wednesday, 15 Feb, 20h00, Endller Hall “The Conservatory and Cape Classic”

Thursday, 16 Feb, 19h30, Courtyard of Winchester Mansions “Courtyard Serenade”
(Three course menu to be booked separately.)

Friday, 17 Feb, 19h00, Morgenster Wine Estate “Exclusivly”
Three course menu to be booked separately.

Saturday, 18 Feb, 19h00, Morgenster Wine Estate “Intimate”
Three course menu to be booked separately.

Sunday, 19 Feb, 11h00, Allée Bleue Wine Estate “Morning Pleasure”
Picnic after the concert: Picnic baskets to be booked separately.

Tuesday, 21 Feb, 18h00, Babylonstoren “Music and Gardens”
High Tea from 15h00 followed by a guided garden tour (16h30) to be booked separately.

Wednesday, 22 Feb, 20h15, Oude Libertas Amphitheatre “Under the stars”

Thursday, 23 Feb, 19h00, Blaauwklippen Vineyards “ Music and Wine”
Picnic-concert, Picnic baskets to be booked separately

Friday, 24 Feb, 19h00, Lanzerac Wine Estate “Established”
Three course menu to be booked separately.

Saturday, 25 Feb, 19h00, Sasol Art Museum Piano Recital “Sound and Art”

All tickets available at Computicket from 1 December 2011.

Christmas in Vienna, 1781

After the final break with his employer, the prince archbishop, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart settled in Vienna in 1781. His subsequent years in Vienna coincided almost exactly with the reign of Joseph II and turned out to be a very creative period in Mozart’s life.

During the year, Mozart created the sonata for violin G Dur KV 379, which will be performed at the Cape Classic festival on 16 February. The sonata represents a highlight of Mozart’s work in this field and Cape Classic visitors can look forward to the emotional and sensitive interpretation of it by Franz Peter Fischer and Boris Kusnezow.

In 1781, Mozart also caught the attention of Emperor Josef II. In fact, the Emperor was so impressed that he arranged a competition between Mozart and Muzio Clementi for Christmas, 1781.

Exactly 230 years later and also by way of Mozart, Cape Classic and I would like to wish you a blessed Christmas and a peaceful and stable 2012.

With best wishes,

Gabi Zahn

November 2011

Dear Friends,

Maria Callas says: “Music is the most elevated way to express things”

Come to Cape Classic 2012, be enchanted by the voices of our singers and listen to what Ann Katrin Naidu and Sebastian Noack have to tell you!

Ann Katrin Naidu
There are soloists who are extremely extroverted and throw emotions all around them. While displaying this explosion of feelings these artists often overdo it. Ann Katrin acts in a different way: she does not belong to this kind of emotional acrobat but shows that most of the time less is more! In her performance every gesture is thought through and carefully initiated. Ann Katrin convinces with her precise execution. Besides her fantastic voice her charisma takes centre stage. Our mezzo-soprano succeeds to point out all the hidden finesse of the words through her indescribable and subtle interpretation.

Sebastian Noack
The event at the "Tannhaeuser" Premier in Halle was not the forceful Rompilger, but his quiet competitor. Sebastian Noack sang at the Wagner debut 2010 as Wolfram von Eschenbach in such a heartfelt and touching way that he should have won the singing competition at the Wartburg. The baritone from Berlin waited for a long time before he dared to star in operas: 14 years ago he won the country-wide singing competition (the Bundeswettbewerb Gesang) and a scholarship of the Wagner society. For a long time he preferred to sing oratorios and especially songs.

Sebastian delivers his songs clearly, making it easy to understand the lyrics while showing all facets of his character. He manages to hit the high notes at any volume with such clarity that it rivals a young Fischer Dieskau with whom Sebastian actually took some courses.

September 2011
Where to find us in 2012: Approved and established Cape Classic locations

Dear friends,

Once again, as in the past, we are proud and grateful to be hosted in Stellenbosch’s Endler Hall with its outstanding acoustics and in some of the most beautiful and historical Wine Estates of the Western Cape in 2012!

These locations will provide the jewels of our colourful chamber-music, with the horn at its centre, with the appropriate frame! The result will be evenings of magical moments!

A solitaire, like a rare diamond, is Morgenster, where Cape Classic will perform two exclusive concerts: one on Friday 17 February, with the dreamlike instrumental programme of horn, strings and piano; the other, on Saturday 18 February, a delightful concert of light classical enchantment.

The concert at Oude Libertas on Wednesday 22 February, promises to be a swinging, playful open-air experience under the stars of South Africa’s sky!

Music is in the air at our picnic concert at Blaauwklippen on Thursday 23 February. There, we will span the musical panorama from Mozart’s “Kleine Nachtmusik” to Bernstein’s “Tonight”. Music with lots of flavour, profoundness and pageantry, like a full-bodied Merlot!

An atmosphere of the good old days will welcome you in the elegant Wine Estate of Lanzerac, where we offer you the adequate classical music written by such famous composers like Beethoven, Schubert and Brahms.

I will introduce the new highlights of the eighth Cape Classic concert in our next news-letter.But all concerts of 2012 will pledge you moments of enthralling dramatic experience and swinging joy!

Swinging greetings already today,
Gabi Zahn

August 2011
The Invisible Ghosts Of Cape Classic

Ghosts may not always be visible - but they are here. At times, they are very important! Without them, our thoughts and ideas would remain but dreams. Each and every ghost is vitally important for Cape Classic, regardless of each particular sphere of expertise.

Nowadays, a well-designed and informative Internet presence is synonymous with a compelling business card - the equivalent of a host of printed promotional material. Marijke Halberstadt has served as the creator of our website since it was founded in 2003.

Many original and imaginative ideas stem from Tanja Gebhard, our graphic designer. Her inspirational flights of fantasy give the festival a unique and convincing visual quality.

Every written word published by and about the festival must not only be translated, but also put across in fluent, easy reading and colloquial English! What would we do without the support of our ‘ghost writer’ Raymond E Hose?

Some ghosts are scared of flash lights and the sound of a trumpet, that’s why they hide like Marco Maritz and his mother Karen. Karen takes brilliant pictures of our artists and the wonderful locations where we are hosted and Marco, a young and very talented trumpet player is playing the fanfare: a piece which he just composed for Cape Classic.

The last concert of every annual festival always took place in Swellendam. This function was organised by Judi Rebstein, who also arranges free accommodation for our artists in the loveliest guest houses supporting the festival.

Cape Classic relies on its board of auditors, Roswitha and Karl-Heinz Scharf for invaluable assistance, not only throughout the year in Germany but also in South Africa for the duration of the festival.

As treasurer, Eberhard Zahn fulfils the important role of keeping accounts and budgets in impeccable order. These are reviewed by our internal auditors Martha Muller and Hanni Schmitt. However, there is more to Eberhard’s task. He also manages all flights and ensures that artists and their instruments are constantly conveyed from place to place in good time.

I’m left with almost nothing more to do except to express personally and on behalf of all the festival audiences, our heartfelt thanks to these, our invaluable - if not quite invisible - Cape Classic Ghosts!

Sunny greetings,
Gabi Zahn

July 2011
Cape Classic 2012 : Horn, Violin, Viola and Violoncello

After a history of more than 125 years, the Duisburg Philharmonic Orchestra still ranks among the richest in the German tradition.

Established in 1877, the orchestra soon achieved national acclaim by attracting renowned conductors such as Max Reger and Hans Pfitzner, who were amongst the first of the prominent guests to step onto the podium of the this young orchestra. Later it was to be further moulded by artistic personalities such as Paul Hindemith, Carl Schuricht and Bruno Walter.
The German premiere of Bruckner’s 9th Symphony featured among the early highlights in the orchestra’s history, as did the performance of Richard Strauss’ Tod und Verklärung under the baton of the composer himself.

This orchestra performs regularly at the Concertgebouw Amsterdam and participated in the famous German cultural project, the Kulturhaupstadtprojekt Ruhr 2010.

I am indeed proud and very fortunate to be able to reveal that four members of this outstanding orchestra have agreed to take time off and accept the invitation to perform at the Cape Classic of 2012!

First violin Nadine Sahebdel and the solo viola Mathias Feger (who will return for a second visit) demonstrate that it’s not necessarily only the music and orchestra which binds them together - This summer they will get married! Sincere congratulations from all of us!
Nicolai Frey (horn) was solo horn player at the Gustav Mahler Youth Orchestra under musical director Claudio Abbado and is currently deputy horn player at the Duisburg Philharmonic.

I am also especially pleased to announce that Friedmann Dreßler (violoncello), a member of the Bayreuth Orchestra who had arranged Wagner’s Ring des Nibelungen for orchestra, will be joining us.

June 2011
A Feast for the Senses!

Discover the Beauty of Nature
Smell the Fragrance of Flowers
Feel the Sun
Taste the Wine and Cuisine
Experience the Culture
Visit Cape Classic 2012

The New Year brings forth new ideas!

The motto of the eighth Cape Classic is: “Discover our wellness program. A feast for the senses. Enjoy a concert by Cape Classic!”

As a Friend of Cape Classic, you will know that we do not have to spell out the quality of our performances. Cape Classic is exceptional musical quality.

In 2012 we expand to new heights!

Beside the historical wine estates, such as Blaauwklippen, Morgenster and Lanzerac, where we have performed in the past, we are pleased to offer new and outstanding venues such as:

• The romantic courtyard of Cape Town’s Winchester Mansions Hotel;
• Allee Bleue in the picturesque valley of Franschhoek, with its remarkable view of the Drakenstein;
• The Sasol Art Museum in the heart of the lively university town of Stellenbosch.

Complementing our traditional open air concert at Oude Libertas, we will offer, for the first time, a summer garden picnic concert at the Blaauwklippen wine estate.

Cape Classic 2012 promotes a wellness program for all your senses. Come and enjoy it whole heartedly!