Latest News Archive

Please select Category, Year, and then Month to display items
Previous Archive
14 October 2019 | Story Rulanzen Martin | Photo Sonia Small
OSM Camerata
The OSM Camerata also performed at the Rector’s Concert on 6 September under direction of conductor Elsabe Raath.


The Odeion School of Music Camerata (OSMC) is one of the flagship music ensembles at the University of the Free State (UFS). Its reputation as one of the country’s top student chamber ensembles far equlas its impeccable music.

At the end of September the Camerata undertook a tour with concerts in Pretoria and Johannesburg. They held a concert in the new Javett Arts Centre at the University of Pretoria (UP) where they presented a lunch-hour concert which featured modern musical arrangements. At a gala concert, on 28 September 2019, which was hosted in the Musaion Concert hall at UP they collaborated with the UP Department of Music and the Gauteng Chamber Music Festival.  

The last leg of the tour ended at the University of the Witwatersrand Atrium on 29 September 2019. According Marius Coetzee, innovation manager at the OSM: “it is important to go on tour in order to recruit new outstanding students and to showcase the excellence of the Camerata and the Odeion School of Music.” 

The OSMC has also forged a professional internship with the Cape Philharmonic Orchestra to solidify and advance the skills of the young orchestral musicians. 

The OSMC was also the 2017 and 2018 winner of the International Ictus Music competition.  

The OSMC was strategically founded by Marius Coetzee to serve as a feasible incubator for nurturing of fully rounded musicians who are thoroughly prepared for the demands of their trade as orchestral musicians, soloists and conductors.  

News Archive

Kovsies play hockey across the country
2010-03-01

Pictured: Cherie Smith
Photo: Hannes Pieterse

The men’s and women’s hockey teams of the University of the Free State (UFS) recently played against some of the best university hockey teams in the country. The Kovsies (first team) and Reds (second team) played impressively against Tukkies, Pukke and the University of Johannesburg’s (UJ) hockey teams.

“Unfortunately the Kovsie teams couldn’t beat Tukkies. The women lost 2-3 and then the men also lost 1-3,” says Frans van der Watt, assistant director and hockey coach at Kovsiesport.


After this, the UFS stood their ground against Pukke. Kovsies’ women’s team played to a draw with 2 each. The men’s team triumphed 2-1.

Next up was UJ and this time Kovsies really did us proud. Both the Kovsies and the Reds’ great games led to triumphs. The Reds won with an impressive score of 3-0 and the Kovsies won 2-0 against UJ’s best.

For the men’s team the challenge was a somewhat bigger. “The Reds played to a draw at 2-2 and the Kovsies lost 1-4 against an incredibly strong team of UJ,” says Van der Watt.

Kovsies’ men’s and women’s teams are currently ranked ninth and eighth on the list of the best university teams. The women’s teams in particular are making their mark with their victory over UJ and their impressive game against Pukke.
- Lize du Plessis

We use cookies to make interactions with our websites and services easy and meaningful. To better understand how they are used, read more about the UFS cookie policy. By continuing to use this site you are giving us your consent to do this.

Accept