Tickets to the 34th Hubert van der Spuy National Music Competition are available as of last Monday (11 September).
The week-long competition will run from Monday 25 to Friday 29 September at the Hugo Lambrechts Music Centre in Parow and is set to showcase 48 participants, with two out of 21 from the Western Cape flying the Helderberg and Winelands flags.
Somerset West violinist Milana du Toit and Stellenbosch pianist Stef Maree will vie for title honours in the competition, which is the brainchild of widely respected music educator Professor Hubert van der Spuy, former chairman of the Tygerberg branch of the South African Society of Music Teachers (SASMT), which organises and presents the competition.
Inaugurated in 1989, the competition, currently the only one of its kind in South Africa, offers a unique opportunity for children aged 13 years and younger to compete against their peers from all across the nation. Several previous winners of the competition have not only gone on to study music at tertiary level, but have also in turn become critically acclaimed performers and educators themselves. On occasion, others have returned to the competition as esteemed members of the jury panel.
The rigorous programme demanded of participants ensures a high standard of quality is maintained, while providing them with a platform from which to gain invaluable performance experience. As custodians of young talent, the competition seeks to foster a positive environment, in which the musical community of educators, their students and parents, can share ideas and support for one another.
“We are utterly thrilled with the number and quality of entries received for this year’s competition,” said SASMT Tygerberg’s current branch chairperson Hilda Boonzaaier. “The audition panel found it quite challenging to elect 48 participants only as the standard of playing was so high. We wish everyone the best as they prepare for this exciting event.”
Dr Marlene le Roux, CEO of the Artscape Theatre Centre in Cape Town, has served as patron of the competition since 2019. She is also a South African disability and women’s rights activist, and co-founder of the Women’s Achievement Network for Disability.
This year’s adjudicators are Danré Strydom, Bennie van Eeden and Samantha Durrant.
Locals are implored to share in the Hubert van der Spuy National Competition by booking their tickets for the opening ceremony on Monday 25 September. The event, which is set to feature performances by 2022 competition winner Weiru Yan alongside the Hugo Lambrechts orchestra symphony, is scheduled to begin at 18:00.
Tickets at R50 each can be booked at tygerbergbranch@gmail.com; or contact Merinda on 076 191 0076 (after 18:00). Please note, seats are unreserved.
The competition final will be live-streamed on Friday 29 September at 18:00 from our YouTube channel.
