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11 May 2022
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Story Dr Nitha Ramnath
Belinda Janeke
Belinda Janeke is the proud recipient of the Dean’s Medal for best honours student in Industrial Psychology in the Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences (EMS), which was awarded during the recent April graduation ceremonies. Janeke, a career adviser specialising in career services with a focus on career development and work-readiness programmes, is currently studying for a master’s in Industrial Psychology, with a view to becoming a registered industrial psychologist.
“The Dean’s Medal was a huge surprise and shock, and I couldn’t have done it without the amazing lecturers I had,” says Janeke. “They have done so much to engage with us, teach us, and help us with online teaching in 2020 and 2021.”
Janeke began her career as an orientation officer at the University of the Free State (UFS) in 2009 and was promoted to advising and lecturing before being appointed as Head: Career Services (Student Affairs) in 2013, a position she currently holds.
“I really enjoyed my studies; I could live my passion and apply the work experience I gained over time as well. It is just a super blessing from Above; only by God’s grace that this happened,” explains Janeke.
‘Celebrating the music of our times’
2013-07-25
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| 25 July 2013 |
The Odeion School of Music’s (OSM) New Music Week, hosted from 17–20 July 2013, offered an experience of profundity.
This was the second week-long festival of its kind to be hosted by the OSM – last year the 90th birthday of the South African composer, Stefans Grové, was celebrated with concerts and a symposium. This year the New Music Week focused on the visit of Ensemble Trans-Z under the artistic leadership of former OSM student, Alfred Vorster, a composer living in Zürich. The Order of the Odeion School of Music was bestowed upon Vorster during the festival. The members of the ensemble are the Belgian pianist Lukas Huisman, Danré Strydom (currently an OSM doctoral student in clarinet, based in Ghent), the Argentinian violinist Juan Braceras and the Swedish cellist Karolina Öhman (both currently living in Basel, Switzerland).
The week included three lectures. Lukas Huisman elucidated his doctoral project, Alfred Vorster offered an analytical perspective on the work of Helmut Lachenmann and Hannes Taljaard (Potchefstroom) delivered a commentary on his own
composition practice. In addition to presenting masters’ classes in their individual instruments, Ensemble Trans-Z also hosted two workshops – one for the Mangaung String Project and another for OSM students and staff. These workshops focused on creative improvisation practices within an avant-garde style.
The highlight of the festival was two gala concerts that were held on 19 and 20 July. The first concert was hosted by Ensemble Trans-Z themselves, with a selection of compositions in the avant-garde style. The programme included challenging listening material and was creatively presented with unconventional lighting techniques and visual material.
The concert on 20 July consisted of New Music of a more conventional nature. The Odeion String Quartet offered a varied presentation which consisted of a rich mix of talent. OSM postgraduate students Marianne Cilliers, Karol Legierski and Eljee du Plooy formed part of this spectacular performance. The OSM flute lecturer, Handri Loots and the members of Ensemble Trans-Z supplied additional depth to the concert. The experience was made extra special by the recently-formed New Music Ensemble of the School of Music at the North-West University – led by Augusto Arias. Under conductorship of Jan-Moritz Onken, the OSM Camerata completed this impressive collaboration.
The Camerata’s recital of Hendrik Hofmeyr’s Phantom Waltz, which the composer newly arranged especially for this ensemble, was but one of the artistic highlights of an inspiring presentation.