Odeion String Quartet

Our History

The story of the Odeion String Quartet reaches back more than thirty years before its formal establishment in 1991. It is a story of artistic vision, institutional courage and an enduring commitment to string music in the Free State.

Pre-history

35 years of quartet music at the UFS

The founding of the Odeion String Quartet in 1991 can be traced to the establishment of the Free State String Quartet at the UFS in 1960, more than thirty years earlier.

The first members were Jack de Wet, first violin and leader; Noël Travers, second violin; Francois Bougenon, viola; and Harry Cremers, cello. After Travers left the ensemble, he was succeeded by Jonas Pieters. The formation of the quartet marked the beginning of sustained string and symphony-orchestra development in the Free State.

The Free State String Quartet dissolved when Jack de Wet moved to Port Elizabeth at the end of 1972. In the early 1980s, the tradition was renewed through the UFS Piano Quartet, comprising pianist Johan Potgieter and string players Derek Ochse, John Wille and Michael Haller.

The fiftieth anniversary of string-quartet music in the Free State was celebrated in August 2010 with a special Odeion String Quartet concert attended by Jack de Wet.

Archival portrait representing the early history of string-quartet music at the University of the Free State
An early chapter in the UFS tradition of string-quartet music.
1991The founding of the Odeion String Quartet

Courage in the midst of difficulty

A brave institutional decision

The founding of the Odeion String Quartet in June 1991 was a milestone and emblematic of the university’s thinking during a period of financial pressure. The possible rationalisation of the cello post threatened the future of the UFS string section and its role in the Free State Symphony Orchestra.

Prof Frederick Fourie, himself a cellist, made an urgent appeal to Rector Prof Francois Retief. Prof Retief involved Vice-Rector Prof Dawfré Roode, a music lover and the son of Prof Dawid Roode, founder of the UFS Department of Music.

Their vision led the university to reconstruct four string posts as a separate academic entity: the Odeion String Quartet, a permanent, full-time resident ensemble. Its mandate combined countrywide professional performance, leadership in the symphony orchestra and the teaching of string students in the Department of Music.

The result: a threatened academic resource was transformed into an enduring artistic institution.

The Odeion String Quartet

The first twenty years

The founder members were Derek Ochse, first violin and leader; Abrie de Wet, second violin; John Wille, viola; and Michael Haller, cello. The quartet gave its debut concert on 13 September 1991 and soon established itself as a flagship of the UFS.

  1. 1991

    Debut and mandate

    The newly established quartet begins its work as a professional performing ensemble, a leader in orchestral training and a centre for string teaching at the university.

  2. 1990s

    A national profile

    The OSQ carries the UFS banner to major cities and rural communities, participates in leading South African arts festivals and contributes to annual chamber-music festivals in Bloemfontein.

  3. 1996

    International invitation

    The quartet appears by invitation at the Kamermusik Fest in Oslo, strengthening its international profile.

  4. 1999

    A new leader

    After Derek Ochse’s retirement, Juan Muñoz joins as leader and introduces an entrepreneurial approach, new recordings and energetic school marketing.

  5. 2004

    Continuing excellence

    Renowned Cape Town violinist Jürgen Schwietering is appointed leader. The ensemble continues to perform at prominent concert series and venues throughout South Africa.

  6. 2008

    Reconstitution

    Following an extensive national and international search, Denise Sutton, Sharon de Kock, Jeanne-Louise Moolman and Anmari van der Westhuizen are appointed. Their inaugural concert takes place on 6 November 2008.

  7. 2010

    Fifty years of quartet music

    The UFS celebrates fifty years of string-quartet music in the Free State, linking the OSQ’s contemporary achievements with the tradition begun in 1960.

  8. 2011

    Twenty years of the OSQ

    The quartet marks two decades of professional performance, teaching, orchestral leadership and cultural contribution.

Artistic reach

A substantial repertoire and international company

By the mid-2000s, the quartet’s repertoire exceeded seventy major works, in addition to more than twenty string quintets, several sextets and octets, and numerous single-movement works.

70+Major works in the repertoire by the mid-2000s
20+String quintets, alongside sextets and octets
National and internationalConcert halls, arts festivals, rural communities and international festivals

Selected collaborators

  • Anton Nel
  • Setta Tanyel
  • Leslie Howard
  • Piers Lane
  • Arve Tellefsen
  • Tasmin Little
  • Elizabeth Wallfisch
  • Nokuthula Ngwenyama
  • Colin Carr
  • Vertavo String Quartet
  • Albie van Schalkwyk
  • Catherine Foxcroft
  • James Grace
  • Leon Bosch
  • Marian Lewin

Education and legacy

Performance connected to learning and development

The members of the OSQ have played an important role as teachers at the UFS, attracting string students from across South Africa. Their work has extended beyond the concert platform to orchestral leadership, youth development, chamber-music training and community engagement.

They have led string sections of the Free State Symphony Orchestra, coached musicians in the Free State Youth Orchestra, trained the Junior Odeion String Quartet and supported the Mangaung Strings Project.

Through these activities, the quartet has become an essential part of collaboration between the UFS and the wider musical community of the Free State.

Members of the Odeion String Quartet performing in an industrial architectural setting
The OSQ’s legacy continues through performance, artistic renewal and engagement.

Historical source: From Grey to Gold—The First 100 Years of the University of the Free State (UFS Centenary History Book, 2006), supplemented by the OSQ’s twentieth-anniversary historical account.


FACULTY CONTACT

T: +27 51 401 2240 or humanities@ufs.ac.za

Postgraduate:
Marizanne Cloete: +27 51 401 2592

Undergraduate:
Neliswa Motebang: +27 51 401 2536
Phyllis Masilo: +27 51 401 9683
Thandeka Deeuw: +27 51 401 5460

Humanities photo next to contact block

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