Deadline: April 18, 2014
A reminder that the closing date for entries
from music students at junior level for the prestigious SAMRO Hubert van der
Spuy National Music Competition is April 18.
Now in its fourth year, the project builds
on the strong foundation laid by the SA Society of Music Teachers (SASMT) 26 years
ago when fledgling musicians competed on a national basis for the first time. Auditions
in the main centres will commence at the beginning of June. About 60 candidates
will eventually be selected to compete over four rounds at the Hugo Lambrechts
Auditorium in Parow, Cape Town, from September 29 to October 3, 2014.
Candidates will compete in four categories:
Piano, Strings, Woodwind & Brass Instruments, and Other Instruments
(percussion, recorder, classical guitar and harp), with a sub-category for
developmental groups. Candidates must still be 13 (14 for developmental groups)
at the time of the competition.
This year South African works are
compulsory. “As a composer organisation, we would love to see more South
African works being performed at this competition and others around the country,”
comments André le Roux, Managing Director of the SAMRO Foundation. “As we
celebrate our performers, so too should we celebrate those who create uniquely
South African music.”
The competition includes an incentive for
developmental groups from disadvantaged communities to compete on equal terms.
Medals, prize-money totalling more than R80,000 and other attractive prizes are
at stake.
Full particulars and entry forms are
available at www.samrohubertvanderspuy.wordpress.com
According to Hilda Boonzaaier, president of
the SASMT: Tygerberg, the competition has a broad appeal amongst instrumentalists
across the music spectrum at junior level: “It offers participants the chance
to distinguish themselves within the ambit of their own sections, and also
facilitates interaction and contact between students, teachers and parents from
divergent communities in South Africa. The 25th winner last year, Arjen van
Renssen, happened to be a student of the very first winner in 1989, the
acclaimed cellist Anzél Gerber."
André le Roux expressed his appreciation
for the exceptional and inspiring performances he witnessed during the past
three competitions: “SAMRO is proud to be the link between the two platforms
for music excellence - the SAMRO Hubert van der Spuy Competition and the SAMRO
Overseas Scholarships Competition, the latter now in its 53rd year of
existence. We feel privileged to be part of this trajectory of excellence in
music. A number of candidates who excelled in this competition, such as Jan
Hugo, Megan-Geoffrey Prins, Avigail Bushakevitz and Jacques-Pierre Malan, have
also been highly successful in being award winners in our SAMRO Overseas
Scholarships competition.”
He added that SAMRO is committed, through
the SAMRO Foundation, to support projects of excellence, at many levels. These
projects include the Gauteng and Cape Town Big Band Jazz Festivals for high
school students, the SAMRO Music Bursaries at tertiary level and finally, the
pinnacle of its flagship projects, the SAMRO Overseas Scholarships
competitions.
Enquiries in writing can be directed to
Carin Brand at tygerbergbranch@gmail.com
or 021 939 9105 between 10h00 and 18h00. Alternatively contact Hilda Boonzaaier
on 021 945 3861 between 20h00 and 21h00.
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