The 2026 Cape Town Baroque Festival runs from 19 to 27 September, featuring concerts, masterclasses and a study day on historical instruments across four Cape Town venues.

Presented by the Cape Town Baroque Orchestra (CTBO), the festival spans repertoire from the Middle Ages through the early Classical era, performed on period instruments or copies thereof. The CTBO is described as the only ensemble in South Africa currently presenting all its annual orchestral concerts on instruments appropriate to the Baroque era.

Woodwind study day and masterclasses

The festival opens with a Baroque Woodwind Study Day on Saturday 19 September, from 09:00 to 14:00 at the Imbewu Music Centre, Westerford High School, Rondebosch. The programme includes lectures, masterclasses and student ensemble performances covering baroque flute, recorder, oboe, traverso and chalumeau.

Presenters include Anna Stoddard, Ingo Müller, Marion Treupel-Franck, Bridget Rennie-Salonen and David Cyster.

Advanced recorder masterclasses with visiting artist Erik Bosgraaf follow on Thursday 24 September, from 10:00 to 13:00 at St Andrew’s Presbyterian Church, De Waterkant.

Bosgraaf is noted in festival material as the recently appointed Artistic Director of The London International Festival of Early Music. The masterclass ticket includes admission to the Woodwind Study Day on 19 September.

Motet and Madrigal

On Sunday 20 September at 15:00, the ensemble Here Be Dragons presents Motet and Madrigal at St Andrew’s Presbyterian Church, De Waterkant. The programme offers instrumental reimaginings of vocal repertoire from the Trecento to JS Bach, with original texts projected. A panel discussion led by Anna Stoddard follows at 16:10.

Here Be Dragons comprises Joshua Frank (recorders), Annien Shaw and Odile Burden (violin and viola), Jan-Hendrik Harley (plucked strings, Artistic Director), Mariechen Meyer (double bass) and John Pringle (percussion).

Road to the Symphony

The festival’s centrepiece concert, The Road to the Symphony, takes place on Saturday 26 September at 11:00 at the Baxter Concert Hall. The CTBO explores early classical symphonies by CPE Bach, Joseph Haydn and a young Mozart, alongside a Telemann concerto for recorder and traverso from around 1740.

Bosgraaf conducts and appears as recorder soloist, with Marion Treupel-Franck as traverso soloist. The concert is presented in collaboration with the Cape Town Concert Series.

Two concerts at the Sufi Temple

The festival closes on Sunday 27 September with two concerts at the Sufi Temple, Newlands.

At 16:00, Lente Louw (mezzo-soprano) and Rosamund Roth (viola da gamba), members of the Lutesong Consort, present Consort of Two, exploring repertoire for voice and viola da gamba from the 16th and 17th centuries, including works by Caccini, Dowland, Monteverdi, Hume and Purcell.

At 18:30, the Adamastor Consort presents Meditatio Sonorum, a contemplative programme tracing soundscapes from the Middle Ages to the Baroque for nyckelharpa, viola da gamba and baroque violin. Performers are Emile de Roubaix, Rosamund Roth and Ralitza Macheva.

Tickets and information

Individual concert tickets range from R100 to R280, with pensioner and student concessions available. A limited festival pass offers access to all concerts except the Woodwind Study Day, at R850, R750 for pensioners and R300 for students.

Bookings are at Quicket and Webtickets, with a complimentary glass of wine after each concert.

Enquiries: info@ctbaroque.co.za.

Full programme and booking links at www.ctbaroque.co.za/festival.

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