FREE STATE SYMPHONY
ORCHESTRA
In concert at the
INTERNATIONAL CLARINET
EXTRAVAGANZA
4 – 8 October 2016
Conductor: Alexander
Fokkens
Clarinet Soloists:
1. Severine Sierens - Concert fantasy on themes from
Rigoletto (L. Bassi)
2. Becky
Stelzner - Clarinet Concerto No. 3 (C. Stamitz)
3. Danre Strydom + Zhen Sun - Il
Convegno (for two clarinets; A.
Ponchielli)
4. Marco Mazzini - Concertino Silvestre
for bass clarinet, strings and percussion (R.Junchaya)
Date: Saturday,
8 October 2016
Time: 7:30pm
Venue: Odeion,
UFS
Admission: R50 donation
MUSICIANS
Alexander Fokkens
Alexander Fokkens
Alexander Fokkens’ extensive experience, both locally and
internationally, his professionalism, and his intense passion for music have
led him to become one of the most sought-after conductors in South Africa.
Committed to ensuring that performances under his baton are of the very highest
calibre and level of musicality, Alexander’s artistic integrity,
personality and energy on the podium , and his excellent rapport with musicians
and singers alike, have made him popular with performers and audiences
everywhere.
Since returning from the USA in 2005, Alexander has been involved
in many different areas of classical music in South Africa, and he currently
holds a number of posts.
In 2011, he was appointed Artistic Director and CEO of the
Free State Symphony Orchestra as well as Conductor of the Free State Youth
Symphony Orchestra. He has been Music Director of the Symphony Choir of Cape
Town since 2005 and holds the positions of General Music Director of the
Swakopmund Musikwoche in Namibia (since 2010) and Musical Advisor to the
Namibian National Symphony Orchestra (since 2013).
He made his European debut in 2006 , conducting Joplin’s Treemonisha in
La Turbie, France. Many soloists have enjoyed appearing with Alexander ,
and some of those who have played or sung under his baton include John
Owings, Curt Thompson, Pretty Yende, Koos Kombuis, Tumi Molekane, Leslie
Howard, Anmari van der Westhuisen and Samson Diamond, to name but a few.
Graduating from the University of Cape Town in 1998 with a BMus in
Orchestral Studies (Double Bass), Alexander then went to America and
furthered his studies at Texas Christian University, where he obtained his
Masters in Double Bass performance and completed 3 years of Additional Studies
in Theory and Conducting.
He has studied with world-renowned conductors such as Omri Hadari,
Gerard Korsten and German Gutierrez, and has participated in Master Classes
with Henry Charles Smith, William LaRue Jones, Jorge Mester, Joann Falletta,
Leslie B Dunner and Ron Spiegelman. Appearances in the near future include
performances with the Free State Symphony Orchestra, Eastern Cape Philharmonic,
Cape Philharmonic, Cosi van Tutte with Gauteng Opera, Symphony
Choir of Cape Town and the Namibian National Symphony Orchestra, and
presentations in the USA. Alexander lives in Cape Town with his wife, pianist
Margaret Foxcroft, and their four children. He is currently represented in
South Africa by Charl van Heyningen (http://www.charl.co.za)
Severine Sierens
Severine
obtained her Master's degree in Arts at the Lemmens Institute at the class of
Mr Eddy Vanoosthuyse in 2007. After she graduated she obtained a Master after
Master degree in 2011 and a Master degree in Chamber Music at the same
institution. Besides clarinet Severine further specialized in E-flat clarinet with
Mr David Van Maele and took a year of classes for bass clarinet by Mr Marc
Kerckhof. Severine is currently studying at the 'Conservatoire Royal de Liège'.
Severine has
also attended masterclasses by: Freddy Arteel, Robert Spring, Robert Walzel,
Louis Rossi, Howard Klug, Thomas Friedli, Thomas Röthlisberger, Eli Eban,
Michel Arrignon, Hideaki Iwai, Marie Picard, Fan Lei and Jan Guns.
Severine has
succesfully taken part in several competitions in Belgium and abroad. She was
provincial champion in 2000 when winning the soloist competition by Fedekam and
in 2001 she won the National title. Severine was a semi finalist at the 'Young
Artist Competition' by the International Clarinet Association in Vancouver in
2007 and semi finalist at the 12th International Clarinet Competition Ciro
Scarponi in
Severine has
been a soloist with 'Ciurlionis Stringquartet' from Lithuania, 'The University
of Utah Windensemble', 'The International Clarinets', music association 'Da
Capo' from Leeuwarden, windband 'Yver en Eendracht' from Kaprijke,
'Claribel' at TMEA in San Antonio and Midwest Clinic in Chicago and
'Simon Bolivar Youth Symphony Band'.
Severine is
the conductor of the Royal Windband 'Concordia' from Waarschoot and the
'Koninklijke Fanfare Willen is Kunnen' from Wippelgem. She is a member of the
PSGO-committee of Vlamo since January 2012 and since 2014 is she administrative
manager of International Music Promotion vzw.
Severine plays on the Buffet Crampon Tosca clarinets.
Marco Mazzini
Awarded by
the International Clarinet Association for “his dedication to enriching the
next generation of young South American clarinetists” and by the Peruvian
Ministry of Eduaction with a “Golden Chaski”, clarinetist Marco Antonio Mazzini
has performed internationally in such prestigious places as Carnegie Hall (New
York), Tama Center (Tokio), Paleis voor Schone Kunsten (Brussels), Bijloke
Concert Hall (Gent), Gasteig Cultural Center (Germany), FilmMuseum (Amsterdam),
Museo de la Nacion (Lima) and the Paris Conservatory. He has also appeared in
concert halls in Spain, Luxembourg, Italy, USA, France, Austria, Czech
Republic, Germany, Poland, Slovakia, Venezuela, Brasil, Costa Rica, Uruguay,
Chile, Ecuador, Colombia, Bolivia and Guatemala. In 2009 he won the competition
held by Google to be part of the YouTube Symphony Orchestra performing at
Carnegie Hall unde the baton of Michael Tilson Thomas.
He is currently director of Clariperu, the Peruvian Clarinet
Orchestra, member of the chamber music ensemble Nueva Lima Clásica and music
professor at the Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú. Marco Antonio is a
Vandoren París and Buffet Crampon artist.
Sun Zhen
Clarinet faculty of Si Chuan conservatory of China
Youth artist of Buffet clarinet
Artist of AW reeds
Concerts and
masterclass in China, Canada, US, Belgium, Japan
Danre Strydom
Buffet-Crampon,
the world-renowned instrument manufacturing company, has recently added Odeion
School of Music woodwind lecturer Danré Strydom to their select list of
representative artists. Strydom has been performing on Buffet clarinets since
age 12. She received her formative musical education at the Windhoek
Conservatoire, before completing her undergraduate degree under the tutelage of
Heinrich Armer at the University of the Free State. Her playing then won her
several prestigious scholarships for overseas studies. She began her
postgraduate studies at Indiana University’s Jacobs School of Music, where she
worked with famous clarinetists Eli Eban and Eric Hoeprich. Further studies in
Belgium with Eddy van Oosthuyse, resulted in two separate Master’s Degrees in
Clarinet – and Bass Clarinet Performance from the Royal Conservatory, Ghent
University.
During her
studies, she has won numerous awards and scholarships, including the R. Muller
award for highest achievements in music and academics, the FAK music award,
ATKV cultural diversity award and the Old presidency award. During 2016 she was
selected as the South African Chair of the International Clarinet Association.
Strydom has
appeared globally as a concerto soloist with several renowned orchestras. As an
avid chamber musician, she has performed a vast amount of the major clarinet
chamber music repertoire. Besides currently serving as principal clarinetist
for the Free State Symphony Orchestra and Namibian National Symphony, she was
an ad-hoc member of the esteemed Brussels Philharmonic from 2009-2013.
Currently, Danre Strydom is the clarinet and saxophone lecturer at
the Odeion School of Music, University of the Free State.
Becky Steltzner is a Senior Lecturer, and the Head of Woodwind
& Chamber Music Studies in the South African College of Music at the
University of Cape Town.
A clarinettist, she played with both the Cape Town Symphony
Orchestra and the Cape Town Philharmonic Orchestra. She is currently
Principal Clarinet with the Cape Town Pops Orchestra and is in demand as a
freelance clarinettist, teacher, chamber musician, and adjudicator.
She is also the Assistant Director for the Franschhoek Chamber
Music Workshop, a camp for talented high school music pupils, which runs in the
week between the first and second school terms every year. This Workshop
celebrated its 25th anniversary in 2015.
Ms. Steltzner is active in both orchestral and chamber music
playing. In 2013, she premiered Hendrik Hofmeyr’s Concerto for Clarinet
and Orchestra, and in 2014, premiered his Clarinet Sonata. She has also played
Mozart’s Clarinet Concerto in A, K.622 with the Cape Town Symphony Orchestra.
She does research in two areas: early clarinet history in South
Africa, and copyright/public domain syllabi for teaching. Ms. Steltzner
holds a Ph.D. from the University of Cape Town.
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