This year marks the 10th Stellenbosch International Chamber Music Festival (SICMF).
For this event (5-14 July), more than 300 participants and 27 national and international artists will be welcomed at the Music Department for concerts, workshops and lectures.
"This festival attracts participants younger than 28 years from all over the world, who come together to make music – they will be playing in two orchestras, as well as in smaller chamber music groups," explains Prof Nina Schumann, Artistic Director of the Festival. Schumann is an internationally renowned pianist who teaches at the Stellenbosch University Konservatorium.
"Participants will be taught by some of the world's leading musicians and are also given the opportunity to perform on stage. The Chamber Music Festival offers the participants incredible exposure – every year we invite groups from diverse communities and institutions to participate. Some of the musicians are reached through outreach groups, while others are linked to national as well as international universities."
Among those on this year's programme are the KwaZulu-Natal Youth Orchestra, and groups from the University of Cape Town, the SUNY Purchase College of Music (America), Basel (Switzerland) and Salzburg (Austria).
"The festival is important not only for the quality of concerts that are presented, but also for the incredibly high level of tuition that the students receive," says Schumann.
The festival was held for the first time in July 2004. Now, to celebrate its tenth year of existence, a commemorative book that maps the history of the festival through reviews and photos, among others, will be released and a number of 10 x 10 bursaries will be awarded. The bursaries entail that ten students are offered the opportunity to spend ten days with one of the international professional musicians who are attending the festival.
"We are also privileged to have Desmond Tutu act as narrator in one of the concerts."
As many as 10 000 people come to Stellenbosch every year to enjoy the musical feast. Special access tickets offer festivalgoers access to all the concerts, master classes and lectures.
"There have been many highlights," says Schumann. "But I definitely will never forget the logistical problems in 2010, when our concerts coincided with the Fifa Soccer World Cup tournament. Tutu's visit definitely will be one of the highlights for many years to come. And this year's opening evening will also be special, because that is when the book is being released."
