Nöthling Strydom Duo

7 September 2017

Odeion

19:30

South African musicians, clarinetist Danrè Strydom and pianist Grethe Nöthling has started a fresh and very exciting collaboration. After recently returning from several years abroad, these two young musicians aim to provide audiences with exhilarating performances of not only well-known and loved repertoire, but also of more underplayed and unknown repertoire.

Danrè Strydom

“...first-class performer and an impressive artist. Her total involvement with the music and unique ability to communicate makes her a very compelling player.”

“Her solo work was incredibly memorable....played with a lot of personality and refinement...”

Buffet-Crampon, the world-renowned instrument manufacturing company, has recently added Odeion School of Music woodwind lecturer Danrè Strydom to their select list of prestigious artists. Hailed as the “Steinway” of clarinet manufacturers, Buffet has selected Danrè as the first South African ambassador for the brand.

Danrè has been performing on Buffet clarinets since age twelve. She received her formative musical education at the Windhoek Conservatoire, before completing her undergraduate degree under the tutelage of Heinrich Armer at the University of the Free State. Her playing then won her several prestigious scholarships for overseas studies. She began her postgraduate studies at Indiana University’s Jacobs School of Music, where she worked with famous clarinetists Eli Eban and Eric Hoeprich. Further studies in Belgium with Eddy van Oosthuyse resulted in two separate Master’s Degrees in Clarinet – and Bass Clarinet Performance from the Royal Conservatory (Ghent University).

Except for winning various national competitions (Namibia) as a young musician, she has won numerous awards and scholarships, including the R. Muller Award for highest achievements in music and academics, the FAK music award, ATKV Cultural Diversity Award and the Old Presidency Award. During 2016 she was selected as the South African Chair of the International Clarinet Association.

Strydom has appeared globally as a concerto soloist with several renowned orchestras. As an avid chamber musician, she has performed with various musicians throughout Europe, including major tours to France, Spain, Switzerland, Italy and the Netherlands. Besides currently serving as principal clarinetist for the Free State Symphony Orchestra, she was a member of the esteemed Brussels Philharmonic (2009 – 2013). The spell with the Brussels Philharmonic included an Academy Award for the soundtrack to the motion picture “The Artist”.

Principal clarinetist of the Brussels Philharmonic, Eddy van Oosthuyse, describes her as “a remarkably talented and deeply motivated musician... who has established herself as a premier solo, chamber and orchestral musician through her global concert experience.”

Danrè is currently clarinet and saxophone lecturer at the OSM.

Grethe Nöthling

“..one performance was enough to win the hearts of music lovers..”

“Nöthling impresses as pianist with gravitas”

Grethe Nöthling started her musical career at age five. At age seven she made her musical debut performing as soloist with the Johannesburg Symphony Orchestra. She won several national music competitions, awards and bursaries including the Sanlam Music Competition (1994), ABSA National Music Competition (Piano Category, 1998), ATKV Prelude Competition (2000), Hennie Joubert National Piano Competition (2000), Lionel Bowman Beethoven Competition (2001) and UNISA Overseas Scholarship for Teachers (2003).

She has been a soloist with major orchestras in the country between 1989 and 2005 including the Cape Town Philharmonic, KwaZulu-Natal Philharmonic and the Chamber Orchestra of South Africa.

Between 2001 and 2004 she completed a Bachelors of Music (cum laude) at the University of Pretoria under Ella Fourie and Joseph Stanford. In 2006 she continued her studies abroad. She completed her Master’s of Music at the Cleveland Institute of Music (2008) and Doctorate of Musical Arts (2014) at the University of Iowa (US). Her teachers included Daniel Shapiro (CIM), Paul Schenly (CIM) and Uriel Tsachor (UIowa). In addition, she has received masterclasses from well-known piano pedagogues including Andrzej Jasinski, Lionel Bowman, Frank Heneghan, Joseph Banowetz, Adam Wodnicki, Eric Larsen, Enrico Elisi, Rebecca Penneys, Christopher Harding and Sean Duggan.

During her studies at the University of Iowa she was appointed as teaching assistant for three years. In addition to that she was the pianist for the University of Iowa’s New Music Ensemble during 2012, directed by composition professor David Gompper at the University of Iowa. The ensemble performed at several different universities in the United States, including the University of Minneapolis and the University of Kansas.

Grethe is also an avid chamber musician and has performed with guest artists and faculty of the University of Iowa, including Nicole Esposito, Anthony Arnone, Melissa Kraut, Larry Stomberg and Sarah Frisof.

In 2015 she returned to South Africa and in 2016 she was appointed as principal piano lecturer at the OSM.

Programme

• J. Brahms Clarinet Sonata for Clarinet and Piano Op. 120 Nr. 1
• R. Schumann Fantasy Pieces for Clarinet and Piano Op. 73
• L. Bernstein Sonata for Clarinet and Piano
• N. Burgmüller Duo for Clarinet and Piano Op. 15
• M. Arnold Sonatina for Clarinet and Piano

Admission

• R110 (adults)
• *R70 (pensioners)
• *R60 (UFS staff)
• *R40 (students, learners and block bookings of 10+)

Tickets available at Computicket or online at http://online.computicket.com/web/

*Please note that tickets for pensioners, students, learners and UFS staff can only be purchased at a Computicket outlet (Shoprite Checkers) or at the door since a valid card or ID has to be presented to qualify for the above mentioned discount.

Enquiries

Ninette Pretorius (tel. 051 401 2504)