Endler Concert Series collaborates with Woordfees

Hailed as the most popular Arts Festival in South Africa in 2011, the 2012 Stellenbosch University Woordfees (Wordfest) is collaborating with the Endler Concert Series in the presentation of its classical music concerts between 2 and 11 March this year.

The Festival will open with a grand symphony concert featuring the music of France performed by the Stellenbosch University Symphony Orchestra under the baton of resident conductor, Prof Corvin Matei.

The programme to be presented on both 2 and 3 March will open with Offenbach’s overture Orpheus in the Underworld, which contains the very popular Can-can! Following this, Peter Martens, one of South Africa’s leading cellists, will feature as soloist in the fiendishly difficult Romantic cello concerto by Vieuxtemps. After the interval the orchestra, and organist Mario Nell, will perform the magnificent Organ Symphony by Saint-Saëns.

On Sunday 4 March at 16:00 the world renowned brass quintet, Harmonic Brass, from Munich, will entertain with a fabulous programme entitled Concerto Festivo. This programme will include much loved favourites including Bach’s Toccata and Fugue in d minor, O Fortuna from Carmina Burana and the Triumphant March from Aïda. On 8 March, respected local organist Zorada Temmingh will team up with Flemish organist Stijn Hanssens in a shared programme of Flemish and South African compositions. On 9 March, Cape Consort, well known for their historically informed performances of baroque music will present, “a Venetian Tonic”, a concert of Monteverdi Madrigals and instrumental music from Venice’s golden age featuring singers Antoinette Blyth, Lente Louw (sopranos), Minette du Toit-Pearce (mezzo-soprano), Nick de Jager and Lance Phillip (tenors) and Charles Ainslie (baritone) supported by a basso continuo group lead by Hans Huyssen on Baroque cello. Finally on 10 March, Schola Cantorum, the University’s resident academic choir under the direction of Rudolf de Beer will present Die Afrikaanse Lied. They will be joined by the sensational operatic soprano Zanne Stapelberg in a programme including works by Hubert du Plessis in commemoration of his passing one year ago.

All concerts take place in the Endler Hall on the corner of Victoria and Neethling streets in Stellenbosch and unless otherwise indicated, start at 20:00.

• Tickets @ R110/R99 and R85/R75 are available at Computicket outlets countrywide or on 0861 915 8000. For further enquiries, please call the Endler Hall Concert Series on 021 808 2343 during office hours.