NYO:Strings come to Joburg
Violinists Martijn Wildervanck and Lebogang Ledwaba rehearsing some Tchaikovsky
Nearly half a century of commitment to young musicians has made the South African National Youth Orchestra Foundation the leader of the youth orchestral movement in the country, inspiring musicians with a commitment to pursue the highest standards of musical performance. 2010 boasts a series of courses in addition to the annual Sasol National Youth Orchestra Course.
The National Youth Orchestra: Strings ensemble is selected from the créme de la créme of South Africa’s young string players between the ages of 18 and 25. In July 2010 the young musicians travelled across the country to the National Arts Festival in Grahamstown, where they formed an all-new and exciting group. They rehearsed and learned in a jam-packed session of string playing for the Festival period, and then gave three performances to show off what they had achieved. Now it’s time for Johannesburg to experience the electricity and excitement of this young orchestra at the Sasol Concert at 20:00 on 30 August 2010 at the Linder Auditorium.
This project would not have been possible were it not for the loyal support of our main sponsor, Sasol, the National Arts Festival and our Nordic Partnership for 2010. The Nordic Cultural Initiative (embassies of Finland and Sweden), orchestras in Finland, Sweden and Denmark, and Nordic companies represented in South Africa aided the Foundation in bringing top musicians from Finland, Sweden, and Denmark to tutor at the NYO:Strings course.
This partnership has enabled the Foundation to import some of the very best teachers to tutor at the course. Cellist Ilkka Uurtimo (Lahti Symphony Orchestra, Finland) and double bassist Marja-Helena Ojanperä (Sibelius Academy, Finland), Ian van Rensburg, a National Youth Orchestra alumnus and now concert master of the Åarhus Symphony Orchestra in Denmark, and our conductor, Fredrik Burstedt (Helsingborg Symphony Orchestra, Sweden). Emile de Roubaix (viola) also joined the faculty and is a proud National Youth Orchestra alumnus.
The National Youth Orchestra: Strings Sasol Concert will be conducted by the young Finnish conductor, Nikke Isomöttönen, who is an orchestral conducting lecturer at the School of Music at the Jyväskylä University of Applied Sciences in Finland. He works regularly with the Jyväskylä Sinfonia, and will make his début as opera conductor later this year with the same ensemble. In 2008 Isomöttönen was selected to participate in the prestigious International Jorma Panula Conducting Competition in Finland.
Look forward to a varied programme of the best string orchestra music through the ages, including the passionate Tchaikovsky String Serenade, Britten’s not-so-simple Simple Symphony, Grieg’s exquisite Two Elegiac Melodies and get back to baroque with our guest artist, Ockie Vermeulen, at the harpsichord. For some local flavour, Pata Pata, arranged by Standard Bank Artist for 2010, violinist Samson Diamond will get the audience on their feet!
CONCERT
30 August at 20:00 at the Linder Auditorium
Tickets will be available at the door and range in price from R40 – R60. For more information on the South African National Youth Orchestra Foundation please visit www.sanyo.org.za or call 083 272 2117.
Media enquiries: Marius Coetzee, Media Relations, South African National Youth Orchestra Foundation on 072 338 2240 or partnerships@sanyo.org.za
