July 9, 2014 View this email in your browser In Memoriam * The CPO board, management and musicians would like to extend its condolences to the family of Lois Lan, who passed away last week. Lois was one of the most indefatigable Friends of the various orchestras over the years.   She was first invited on to the Friends committee by Sheila Catzel, who told us what an asset she always was.    One of the things that Lois did was institute an award in the name of her father, Ben Carklin, an award which was given to a musician who made a mark on the orchestra. *Former principal conductor of the CTSO from 1980- 1986, Brian Priestman has died in France.  Priestman was also Dean of the Faculty of Music at UCT.  His career took him around the world, and people here will remember his “gregarious personality …. and his vivacious conducting style.”    The CPO sends condolences to his family. *Another loss to the city is Cecil Golding, who was man who ran the CTPO Investor Plan, the ingenious project in which people invested in unit trusts, retained the principal, but let the orchestra take the dividends.  The CPO  board, management and musicians also extend their sympathy to his wife, Pam, and their family. Concert dates: Three of the Best Artscape Theatre 15:00 The CPYO, Hugo Lambrechts and Beau Soleil music centres bring you the concert you would have heard had Midori not cancelled. Winter Symphony Concert Cape Town City Hall 20:00 Conductor: Bernhard Gueller; Soloist: John Ntsepe (piano) Mozart, Liszt, Rachmaninov Rise curtain raiser 19:00 Winter Symphony Concert Cape Town City Hall Conductor: Bernhard Gueller; Soloist: Zuill Bailey (cello) Dvořák, Brahms Curtain raiser: CPY Wind Ensemble Winter Symphony Concert Artscape Opera 20:00 Gala Concert Conductor: Theodore Kuchar; Soloist: Shlomo Mintz (violin) Verdi, Mendelssohn, Tchaikovsky Winter Symphony Concert Cape Town City Hall 20:00 Conductor: Theodore Kuchar; Soloist: Lukás Vondráček (piano) Elgar, Tchaikovsky, Dvořák Beatle-mania is back Artscape Opera Theatre American rock group kicks off a tribute to the Beatles in Cape Town Rockville 2069 Techologically exciting rock opera   Download here Watch our donation video World Design Capital for 2014 is Cape Town! Two more Symphonic Spectaculars The Cirque de la Symphonie may be behind us, but there are more spectaculars and specials coming up …. A Tribute to the ‘Beatles’, four concerts in the symphony season (August 7 – 28) including a gala  concert on August 21 with the legendary violinist Shlomo Mintz, and the technologically sophisticated Rockville 2069. "The Beatles" Fifty years after the first appearance of The Beatles, an American rock group, backed by a symphony orchestra, is touring the world with iconic Beatles songs. The “Classical Mystery Tour” is joining the CPO under the baton of Brandon Phillips. The internationally acclaimed top symphony attraction features more than two dozen Beatles songs  played by four incredible musicians who look and sound just like The Fabulous Four”.  From early Beatles music on through the solo years, Classical Mystery Tour has been called the best show the Beatles never did! The concerts take place on Friday, August 15 at 20:00, on Saturday, August 16 at 14:00 and 20:00 and on Sunday, August 17 at 20:00...read more Rockville 2069 Fast on its tracks comes South Africa’s biggest, fully orchestrated, technologically sophisticated rock musical production set at the 100th anniversary of Woodstock. It will have its world première with the Cape Town Philharmonic Orchestra,  the Kyle Petersen Band and a cast of 25.   The artistic brainchild of composer Johnny Ray, who wrote the music and, with Bruno Pailo, the lyrics and script, Rockville 2069 has been five years in the making. The end result is an emotionally soaring journey of caution, hope, optimism, rebellion and joy which aims to transform and create music while sending a powerful message of change through a sustainable way of life. Says Johnny Ray, this will be the musical experience of a life time! The shows will take place from August 29 – September 7..read more Three of the best The Cape Town Philharmonic Youth Orchestra with Brandon Phillips on the podium will perform the concert it would have played with Midori, had she not cancelled her appearance in Cape Town. In Three of the Best, the musicians will play the Verdi overture, La Forza del Destino, the Mendelssohn Violin Concerto in E minor with Jeffrey Armstrong, followed by the 4th movement of the Symphony no 5 by Beethoven.  The second half will feature the Hugo Lambrechts Senior String Ensemble and the Beau Soleil Senior String Ensemble...read more Notes from all over The UK Half the versatile Cape Town Philharmonic musicians are in the UK, accompanying Cape Town Opera singers in Showboat. Lead singer Magdalene Minnaar will be back when they are, ready for the first RISE cocktail curtain-raiser which precedes the first concert of the new season on August 7. The other half open in Oklahoma at Artscape on July 19. Germany *Baritone Siyabulele Ntlale, who sang in last year’s CPO/Richard Wagner Society/ Verdi Society gala concert, took 2nd prize overall in the International Belvedere Competition in Dusseldorf.  He also won another cash prize and the opportunities to sing in Dusseldorf, Erfurt and in the Kirsten Flagstad Festival in Norway. Four South Africans, three of them from the UCT Opera School, were among 17 semi-finalists of more than 1300 entrants from around the world. Congratulations, Siya! *Brandon Phillips has had the ride of a lifetime. He conducted the Miagi Orchestra in a European festival in Berlin in the Berliner Philharmonie! Several CPYO musicians are also on the tour.  Says Brandon,  “When I walked through the doors of the Philharmonie for the very first time, my heart was filled with immense joy ... the posters of legends, Karajan, Rattle, Abbado just humbled my soul.  Following the high standard of the Chinese Youth Orchestra meant we really had to show the world what South Africa could do. I am glad to say we had never performed the programme so well.  Deutsche Welle agree: it headlined the concert with this: South Africa's MIAGI youth orchestra enchants in Berlin. The US *The news is out – Midori is pregnant and we wish her all the best as she enters a new phase of her life. She will still be coming to Cape Town... *The US has instituted very stringent controls for protecting ivory, in itself laudable but a problem for musicians since many violins have traditionally made use of ivory in small parts.  The Budapest Festival String Orchestra had seven bows confiscated at JFK last month …  On payment of a fine, they got them back.  In addition to asking for proof of provenance of the ivory, some airlines are making it difficult to travel with instruments. Cellist Raphael Wallfisch was recently told he had to buy SIX seats for one cello. He changed airlines! At Home *Last week the CPY Wind Ensemble and the SA Army Band held a joint workshop which included training in repertoire,  playing while marching and time management disciplines.  Such collaborations are important to the CPO Youth Orchestras and the community, for all are enriched. *Conduct us at the Waterfront! Click here to view the video clip. 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