The 2024 edition of the Stellenbosch international Chamber Music Festival (SICMF) will run from 5 to 14 July at the Department of Music – Konservatoium building – at Stellenbosch University.
Whilst the coveted evening concerts of the SICMF attract the lion’s share of public attention, it is the rest of the daily programme that really speaks to the mission and vision of the festival.
The SICMF is after all, a project of the Department of Music in the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences at Stellenbosch University
Chamber music is the great equalizer, and when a student string quintet comprises for example violinists from Stellenbosch and Germany, a violist from Soweto, a cellist from Durban and a double bass player from Bochabelo, those five students work together closely as equals in an intense programme with international coaches for a period of 10 days, using music as a vehicle for racial integration, social cohesion and ultimately, community development.
The SICMF has constituted around 90 such student ensembles this year including pianists, saxophonists and all the instruments of the orchestra.
The piano students engage in piano duet coaching whilst the others participate in full symphony orchestra rehearsals in the mornings.
After lunch, the full programme of chamber music activities is open to the public with one hour student ensemble concerts taking place every day at 13:00 and 17:00, public master classes taking center stage at 15:00 and the vibrant and interactive “in Conversation with” lecture series at 19:00 just prior to the evening concert at 20:00.
This year the SICMF will also be hosting free student composers jam session after the 20:00 concert on 10 July. The full programme of student concerts, master classes and lectures is available HERE.
The student concerts, master classes and lectures take place in the Fismer and Janasch halls and are free of charge for Festival Pass holders.
For daily patrons, tickets for R30 per session are available at the door only. Tickets for the evening concerts in the Endler Hall are available from WebTickets.
Watch this space for updates in the Music News category on SA Music Zone.
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