A pencil is provided; please don't remove it. Please treat the container with care.
Once a year, the Music Department of the University of Stellenbosch holds the Stellenbosch International Chamber Music Festival. This year was the 19th festival, and I was one of the lucky 300 musicians who took part in it. It took place from the 5th July until the 14th July. Each night, there was a world-class concert performed by international guests, who performed as soloists with the two student orchestras, the Festival Symphony Orchestra and the Festival Concert Orchestra. They also gave masterclasses in their respective instruments and coach the chamber groups that every participant is assigned to. The chamber groups had to perform in student concerts, which were held twice a day.
This year, under the baton of Grammy-winning Michael Repper, the FSO performed Brahms's Double Concerto for Violin and Cello, Sensemaya by the Mexican composer Sanchez, Bartok's Viola Concerto, and Borodin's second symphony. Simeone Tartaglione conducted the FCO, which played the famous William Tell Overture of Rossini, Khatchaturian's Sabre Dance and Adagio from Spartacus, and Dvorak's eighth symphony. The orchestras had just over a week to put all these pieces together, in addition to their chamber group pieces.
Each year that I participate, I will add another cache around Stellenbosch, as to form a sort of long-term series.
First to find honours go to: Andredj and terunkie!