A St Cyprians pupil will be taking part in this year’s Hubert van der Spuy National Music Competition.
Annamarie Gelderblom, head of preparatory school music at St Cyprians in Oranjezicht, said Saara Orrie excels in academics, sports, and playing the violin.
“Saara started at age seven with me and right from the start she worked diligently and consistently with the violin, she has musical intelligence and she loves the violin, and she has a flair for performing, but she is also a top achiever all round, academics, sports and she is a ballerina as well,” said Ms Gelderblom.
“It’s a difficult instrument to play and the technical aspects are key to playing it, and once you have your technique right then that allows you to play with flair and musicality, which she does,” she said.
Ms Gelderblom said Saara has performed at the Kaapse Afrikaanse Eistedfod and received a medal for best string musician, and she that Saara being in the annual Hubert van der Spuy National Music Competition is an honour.
“She is one of 49 kids from the country including Namibia to be in this competition and the school is proud of her, as her teacher I’m very proud and excited as this is a chance for her to extend herself and to enjoy new musical adventures,” she said.
“We have to prepare a programme of repertoire from different style periods in music including a piece from a South African composer.”
Saara, 13, says she is delighted to participate in a competition against artists her age on a national level.
“I played at the eisteddfod twice and that was nice because there were not as many people watching, and it was at school which is a familiar environment. I am excited and nervous as this is a prestigious competition, there will be more people and it’s an honour to be part of it,” she said.
“I have to prepare a baroque piece, a classical timepiece, a romantic piece and then a piece by a South African composer, I also have to choose what I want to play. My favourite would be a Hungarian concertino composed by Oscar Rieding,” said Saara.
The competition is presented by the Tygerberg branch of the South African Society of Music Teachers (SASMT) and musicians come from all over the country. The first competition took place in 1989. This year, 49 musicians successfully auditioned to take part.
The competition offers a unique opportunity for children aged 13 years and younger to compete against their peers. Several previous winners of the competition have not only gone on to study music at tertiary level but have also in turn become acclaimed performers and educators themselves. On occasion, others have returned to the competition as members of the jury panel.
The rigorous programme demanded of participants ensures a high standard of quality is maintained, while providing them with a platform from which to gain performance experience.
The competition, in its 35th year, has announced a collaboration with Stellenbosch University Music Department.
The competition week will run from Monday September 16 to Friday September 20 at the Endler Hall, at Stellenbosch University. The competition final will be live streamed on September 20 from their YouTube channel. To join the audience at the Endler Hall, tickets will be available through Webtickets.
