UNISA HEADS FOR FINALS

Field narrows for music competition finalists, which include Durban’s Jacqueline Wedderburn-Maxwell.

As excitement mounts in the 2nd Unisa National String Competition, three young South African violinists – from Cape Town, George and Durban – advanced to the final performance of this Vodacom-sponsored competition.

They are Durban’s Jacqueline Wedderburn-Maxwell along with Avigail Bushakevitz (George) and Vicente Espi (Cape Town).

Dot Field, Chief Communications Officer of Vodacom Group, said: “The selection of the finalists has been made following their presentation of a strenuous 60- to 70-minute recital during the third round of the competition. As they prepare for the final performance on July 3, we wish each one the very best of luck and look forward to an evening of wonderful music with the orchestra.”

The competition is underway in Pretoria and concludes on July 3 with the final round, when the finalists will perform with the Johannesburg Philharmonic Orchestra under the experienced and skilled baton of Netherlands conductor Arjan Tien.

First prize in the competition is R50,000, second prize is R35,000 and third prize is R20,000. Cash prizes have all been sponsored by Vodacom. There are also a number of smaller prizes sponsored by the James Verwey Memorial Trust and the Desmond Willson Memorial Trust. The South African Music Rights Organisation (SAMRO) also provides a prize for the best performance of a South African violin and cello composition.

All three finalists automatically qualify to compete in next year’s 5th Unisa International String Competition, also sponsored by Vodacom.

Conductor for Friday’s final, Arjan Tien, made his first appearance in South Africa in 1998 with the KwaZulu Natal Philharmonic Orchestra. That was to be the first of many musical associations with several orchestras in this country. Commenting on South African classical music performers, Tien said: “It is evident that there is a lot of musical talent in South Africa. During the 5th Unisa International Voice Competition in 2006, Erica Eloff and Bronwen Forbay outdid themselves on stage. Last year, Ben Schoeman won the 11th Unisa International Piano Competition, once again reflecting the great talent found in the country.

“Great soloists are very rare in the world; it doesn’t have much to do with where they come from, but thanks to this competition, talented South African youngsters get a platform to show their skill and love for music in the hope of beginning successful careers,” he added.

The Unisa International Music Competitions is a member of the World Federation of International Music Competitions in Geneva. It is the only music competition in Africa to be recognized by the world body and fulfils stringent criteria to do so.

Tickets for the final are available from Computicket. Information about ticket prices and performance times are available from the Unisa Music Foundation on 012 429 3344 or 012 429 3336.