Grade 10 learners Zoë Torres and Danielle Kock are two proud examples of leading young string performers with the blue thread of Parel Vallei High School excellence woven into their art.
Zoë is a member of the Cape Town Philharmonic Youth Orchestra (CPYO) and Danielle Kock is an individual artist who performed at the 60th Suidoosterfees at Artscape Theatre, which ended on Wednesday 1 May.
Zoë has been with the CPYO for two years and received school colours for special orchestra, an honour bestowed on the school twice only.
She makes use of the broad instrumental opportunities that the school offers and thoroughly enjoys playing in the school orchestra and string ensemble. She also looks forward to the school’s upcoming musical, Fiddler on the Roof, which will be staged from Friday 26 July.
For the rest of the year she looks forward to the Lunch Hour Concerts series and other festivals that are a highlight of the CPYO lineup for the year.
Besides the guidance, support and training Zoë receives at school, she also takes lessons from French cello teacher David Pinout, who is a member of the Cape Town Philharmonic Orchestra.
Danielle has been playing the violin for seven years and was invited to perform at the Suidoorsterfees, after she was spotted by the organiser of the Samro Hubert van der Spuy National Music Competition last year.
She made it to the finals of this prestigious competition.
At school, Danielle enjoys singing in the choir as well as being part of the school orchestra and string ensemble. She has a busy year ahead and has one of the lead roles in Fiddler on the Roof, as the Fiddler.
Danielle is a very dedicated and disciplined musician, but acknowledges she would not have come as far as she has were it not for the lessons with her private teacher Francois Voges and her PV music teacher Helena van der Merwe.
