TWO local artists are among 12 extraordinarily talented young classicial musicians who will perform at the Youth Music Festival (YMF) with the Cape Philharmonic Orchestra (CPO) on Saturday 21 August at the Artscape Theatre. They are Lynelle Kenned (soprano) and Lourens Fick (piano) who will be part of this celebrations.
) Growing up in a musical family, Lynelle learnt to appreciate classical music from an early age.
She received an Exhibition Award from Trinity International Board of Examinations for the highest mark for a practical exam in South Africa in 2005.
After forming part of the South African Youth Choir and Stellenberg Girls’ Choir in 2005 and 2006, Lynelle knew she wanted to pursue a career in singing.
Since enrolling at the UCT Opera School in 2007 she was the Class Medalist Award in 2007, 2008 and 2009.
In 2009 she also received the Chisholm Prize for meritorious work in opera and sang the roles of Frantik and the Grasshopper in Janacek’s production of The Cunning Little Vixen and in May 2010 she sang Maddalena in Rossini’s Il Viaggio a Reims.
This will be her first performance as a soloist with the Cape Philharmonic Orchestra.
) Lourens Fick is a first year BMus student at the University of Stellenbosch, studying piano with Bennie van Eeden. He started his music career at the age of five with recorder lessons and at seven with piano lessons under Abrie Wentzel of the Noord-Eind Arts School in Paarl.
He is on the Unisa Honorary Roll for Achievers for recorder and piano. He also trained to play the euphonium, German flute and violin.
Lourens is a member of the Stellenbosch University Wind Ensemble.
In 2007 he was selected for the Artscape National Youth Music Competition and was a finalist in the Johann Vos Piano Competition, which he won in 2008.
Unisa invited him to enter the music study bursary competition after his Grade 8 piano results. He also received the Vladimir Viardo Piano study bursary for best pianist and walked away as the overall winner.
South African born Conrad van Alphen, Artistic Director and Chief Conductor of Sinfonia Rotterdam, will conduct the varied exciting two hour programme with musicians selected from over 45 participants in auditions.
Their ages range from 10 to 25 years and they are considered to be amongst the finest of the Western Cape’s young up and coming classical music talent.
The adjudicating panel is represented by Alastair Cockburn (Artscape), Cape Town Conductor George Michie and Ronnie Samaai (Member of the CPO Board of Directors) for all the auditions and Marisa Marchio (Cape Town Opera) for the vocal auditions.
Because the emphasis of the festival is a celebration of young musical talent and not a competition, the appeal of the works presented, as well as good variety in the overall programme content, plays an important part in the final selection of these soloists.
Tickets cost R60 through, Artscape Dial-a-Seat 021-421-7695, or Computicket at www.computicket.com and Shoprite/Checkers outlets.
