Anmari van der Westhuizen (cello) & Ilse Schumann (piano)

Wednesday, 26 February 2014

Odeion

19:30

Anmari van der Westhuizen is one of the most sought-after cellists in South Africa, both as soloist and chamber musician. After she obtained a BMusHons degree with cum laude at the University of Stellenbosch, she furthered her studies at the Mozarteum in Salzburg under Heidi Litschauer and was awarded the Grosses Konzertdiplom with distinction. At the Hochschule für Musik in Cologne she received the Konzertexamendiplom under Maria Kliegel.  During her stay in Europe from 1988 to 1996 she appeared as soloist and chamber musician in such groups as the Ensemble music-on-line, Vienna (specialized in the performance of contemporary music), Koehne String Quartet Vienna and the Wiener Streichorchester.

She also performed at international festivals in Austria, Italy and Spain. As a young musician she was the winner of several national competitions such as the ATKV Forté, SABC and the Oude Meester competitions. Anmari has made several CD recordings. From 1999 until 2008 she was the conductor and director of the UCT String Ensemble and the violoncello lecturer. She was a founding member of the UCT Trio, the Collage Ensemble and I Grandi Violoncellisti. Since 2008 she is appointed as senior lecturer and cellist of the Odeion String Quartet at the University of the Free State and since January 2013 she has been appointed Head of the String Department as well as the Odeion String Quartet.

Born in Cape Town, Ilse Schumann studied at the College of Music (UCT) where she received her BMus degree with distinction in 1986. In the same year she also obtained the Performers' Diplomas from UNISA and the Royal Schools of Music. She made her debut at the age of thirteen with the Capab Orchestra, and performed as soloist with the CTSO, the Johannesburg Symphony Orchestra and the National Symphony Orchestra. After working as vocal coach at the Artscape Opera House in Cape Town for one year, she continued her studies in Chamber Music and Lied Accompaniment at the Konservatorium Wien Privatuniversität in Vienna (Austria). From 1990 to 2002, she was active as vocal coach at the Konservatorium Wien Privatuniversität. At present she works as vocal coach and accompanist at the Universität für Musik und Darstellende Kunst in Vienna.

She has taught masterclasses in accompaniment in Stellenbosch and piano masterclasses in Tirana (Albania), and since 2009 she teaches chamber music masterclasses in Burg Feistritz (Austria). Since living in Europe, she has performed extensively as chamber musician and Lied accompanist in most European countries, Japan, South Africa and Turkmenistan. She has given recitals with notable singers like Mimi Coertse, Walter Berry, Johan Botha, Clemens Unterreiner, Rebecca Nelsen and Hermine Haselböck. She has concertized with world class cellists such as Maria Kliegel and Robert Nagy and performed with the Ensemble Wien in the Musikverein in Vienna. She has performed as soloist with the Lyon Orchestra, Die Reihe Orchestra and the Johann Strauss Ensemble Wien.

CD-recordings of IIse Schumann with the tenor Michael Knapp, Anmari van der Westhuizen, soprano Noriko Motoyoshi and works by the Austrian composer Hannes Heher have been released. Her latest CD with tenor Robert Wagner and the Color Quartet was released in May 2013.

Admission:

R130 (adults)

R90 (pensioners)

R70 (UFS staff)

R50 (students & learners)

R50 (block booking of 10+)

Programme:

Beethoven: Sonata for cello and piano No.3 in A major, Op. 69

Schnittke: Sonata for cello and piano (1978)

Popper: Fantasy on Small Russian Songs

Rachmaninoff: Sonata for cello and piano, Op.19