Deadline: March 15,
2015
The 3rd Len van Zyl Conductors’ Competition, South Africa’s
only competition for young conductors, will take place in 2015/2016.
Entry forms are now available. The competition is open to
South Africans not older than 33 on January 1, 2016.
The competition offers performance opportunity and master
classes with international conductors; the semi-finalists and finalists perform
with the Cape Town Philharmonic Orchestra, and the overall winner receives an
all-expenses paid one-month internship with the famed Philadelphia Orchestra in
America and two months of study at Northwestern University in Chicago with
maestro Victor Yampolsky. The overall winner is also invited to conduct the CPO
at a suitable time.
Len van Zyl, former advertising luminary and board member of
the Philadelphia Orchestra, became aware that while instrumental players,
singers and dancers had access to many good teachers at a several music
education facilities, the same could not be said for the advanced training of conductors.
“There is clearly a gap for training and performance
experience for this most specialised and vitally important function of music
making, which is essential to ensure that ensemble playing is achieved to
maximise the quality and co-ordination of the orchestra, in particular.”
In 2008, his dream was realised and the Len van Zyl
Conductors' Competition was established in partnership with the Cape Town
Philharmonic Orchestra. Two competitions have been held: in 2009/10 and
2012/2013.
“Those competitions attracted dozens of aspirant conductors,
of which 36 were chosen to go further, some of whom benefited from the first
competition and returned for the second,” he says. “We have been fortunate to
have had the participation of Victor Yampolsky of Northwestern University,
Chicago, who gives the master classes as well, and have had other international
conductors on the panels then and now.”
Entry forms can be downloaded from the CPO website at www.cpo.org.za. The closing date is March 15,
2015, after which a preliminary selection will be made. Those chosen will
participate in the preliminary round in June 2015 in Cape Town, with the
semi-finals and finals in February, 2016.
More information email: info@cpo.org.za
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