Ané van Staden (neé du Toit) obtained her MMus (cum laude) in Violin Performance from the University of Pretoria in 2015. Since 2008, Ané has been active as chamber musician and soloist.

During her years of study she had lessons with Johanna Roos and Irene Tsoniff, and was awarded numerous prizes such as the prestigious DJ Roode Overseas Scholarship for Teachers at the UNISA Overseas Scholarship Competition in 2010, and the Jennie Perreira Prize for Strings and the Overall Second Prize at the UNISA South African Scholarship Competition in 2009. This enabled her to further her musical education in the UK where she had lessons with Natalia Lomeiko and Corina Belcea. Ané was also awarded a Pretorium trust Bursary in 2008 and 2010. In 2009 she was selected to participate in the UNISA National String Competition and chosen as a concert master of the Miagi Orchestra. Between 2009 and 2014, she toured Europe with Miagi performing at festivals such as the Young Euro Classic Festival, Schleswig-holstein Festival and the Ludwigsburger Schlossfestspiele. She also appeared as soloist with Miagi in 2012.

Ané is a founding member of the Evolution of 4 String Quartet and performs with them throughout the country since 2012. Ané was appointed as the concertmaster of the Gauteng Philharmonic Orchestra in 2015 and often appeared with them as soloist. In 2016, Ané was invited to spend a month as a guest post graduate student at the University for Music and Performing Arts in Vienna. She shares her passion for the violin through teaching and maintains a private violin studio. She also performs with the JPO, JMI and other South African orchetras on a freelance basis. Ané was appointed as head of Assistant Director of the Gauteng Chamber Music Festival in 2016.

Anmari van der Westhuizen is Adjunct Professor and Head of the Odeion String Quartet at the University of the Free State. She graduated from the University of Stellenbosch (BMus.Hons cum laude), from the Mozarteum, Salzburg (Grosses Diplom cum laude), and from the Hochschule für Musik, Cologne, under the tutelage of Prof. Maria Kliegel (Konzertexamen). In 2013 Anmari received her PhD in Music Performance from the University of Pretoria and was awarded full academic honorary colours for her thesis Solo Violoncello music: a selective investigation into works composed between 1980 and 2010 and the compilation of a catalogue.
Anmari has won prestigious competitions including the ATKV Forte Competition, the SABC Competition, the Oude Meester Competition and the University of Natal 75th Anniversary Prize. As a young cellist, she was selected to participate in the International Youth Music Festival in Interlochen, U.S.A. She received extensive chamber music training by members of the world’s best string quartets like the Alban Berg String Quartet, the Amadeus String Quartet, the Borodin String Quartet, the Brodsky String Quartet and the Hagen String Quartet.

While living in Europe she appeared in numerous solo and chamber music performances, inter alia with Viennese ensembles Music-on-Line and the Wiener Streichorchester, and was a member of the Koehne String Quartet, Wien. She performed as a chamber musician and soloist in Australia, Austria, Belgium, Faroe Islands, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Japan, Poland, South Africa, Spain, Switzerland, Turkey, United Kingdom, U.S.A., Zambia and Zimbabwe. Anmari has made several CD recordings and both her solo CD’s with Ilse Schumann received excellent reviews in South Africa and in Austria. During 2015 Anmari received the Vryfees award for the Best Classical performer of the Arts festival and the Rose award from Radio Rosestad for her remarkable contribution towards arts and culture.
In addition, Anmari has performed several world premieres of cello compositions. In 2007 the Austrian Composers Union invited her to give a solo recital of contemporary solo cello works in Vienna, Austria, which included the world premiere of Roelof Temmingh’s Variations, which was dedicated to her. She also gave the first performances of solo cello works by Austrian composers Wolfgang Nening and Hannes Heher, as well as works dedicated to her by Hubert Du Plessis and Hendrik Hofmeyr. She was the conductor/ director of the UCT String Ensemble for ten years and is currently the conductor of the Odeion Sinfonia and co-conductor of the Free State Youth Orchestra.

In 1992, Farida, then the youngest female concertmaster in Russia, was the soloist for more than forty performances of ballets such as The Golden Age, The Nutcraker and Swan Lake in Tokyo’s Metropolitan Hall. During twelve years of experience performing in Russia and on international tours, she has appeared as a soloist for ballets and as a symphonic soloist in many of the world’s major halls, including, among others, Fischer Hall and Carnegie Hall in New York, Champs d’Elysees in Paris, Consertgebou in Amsterdam, Berlin’ Schauspiel Haus, Gevandhause in Leipzig, Tonhalle in Zurich as well as the Moscow Conservatory Main Hall and Tchaikovsky Hall. A highlight of her orchestral career was a joint-concert with the New York Philharmonic, under the baton of Zubin Metha.

As a Solo Recitalist in Moscow Farida as performed in the Chamber Hall, Rachmaninov hall and White Hall with international acclaimed pianist, Natalie Trull. She appeared as a soloist in the City Hall, Cape Town in November 2000, performing Mozart’s Symphonia Concertante with violist Oleg Alexeyev and the Cape Town Symphony Orchestra. Farida is a regular soloist and performer in the Four-by-Two Baroque ensemble with Prof. Shirley Gie and in 2003 performed a concert of Piano Quintet music in the Baxter Concert Hall with Dr. Franklin Larey, Prof. Jürgen Schwietering and Peter Martens.
Since 2000 Farida has dedicated much of her time to teaching at various institutions and regular performances in and around Cape Town with her String Quartet, The Four Seasons Quartet. Since 2002 Farida has been extremely active in training various groups such as the Sontanga Quartet and preparing her students for international exposure. Her students at UCT have shown remarkable achievements: Marc Uys, as Masters violin student has won the 2004 SAMRO/Gettleson String Study Award; Paula Fourie, a second year viola student, has begun studies in Moscow after receiving acceptance in the World renowned Violist, Yuri Bashmet’s class at the Moscow Tchaikovsky Conservatory. Another of Farida’s students, Patrick Goodwin, who graduated in 2004, has received acceptance into the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester for 2005 but he is currently a student of Ilya Kaler at the De Paul University in Chicago. He has also received study grants from the W. Ackerman Education Fund and the Oppenheimer Trust for performance studies abroad. Another student, Katherine Roussopoulos, has been accepted to attend the Boston University to continue her studies in September 2006.
As head of String Department, Farida has been fundamental in the promotion of the String Department across South Africa and abroad. The Department to date includes a student from Soweto and next year a student from London has chosen to continue her post graduate studies with Farida. The Department has also collaborated with Musedi to promote String studies in the Western Cape. This includes a very successful concert by her students in Elsies Rivier in 2005 and in 2006 two concerts have been scheduled at Beau Soliel and Diocesan College, Rondebosch. Farida also maintains an active schedule as a chamber music musician, including a string quartet, the UCT Piano Trio and various Baroque ensembles with Shirley Gie.

Jeanne-Louise Moolman was appointed as violist of the Odeion String Quartet and senior lecturer at the Odeion School of Music at the University of the Free State in 2008. She studied at the under Prof Alan Solomon University of Pretoria, where she obtained the BMus and BMus Hons. degrees with distinction. She subsequently also studied in Salzburg under Thomas Riebl. As student, she won, among others, the ATKV Forté and Oude Meester competitions and in 1985 she was the first winner of the University of Natal 75th Anniversary Prize. She is an experienced musician who regularly performs with some of our country’s foremost musicians in various chamber music combinations. Jeanne-Louise was one of the founding members of the Rosamunde String Quartet, which was one of the leading string quartets in the country for 10 years. Other musicians with whom she has performed include the violists Gérard Korsten, Philippe Graffin, the pianists Leslie Howard and Albie van Schalkwyk, and the clarinettist Robert Pickup. Jeanne-Louise has given numerous solo performances in South Africa (including Pretoria, Johannesburg, Bloemfontein, Kroonstad and Potchefstroom) and in Zimbabwe (Harare and Bulawayo). As soloist, she has performed with various orchestras in the country, among them the KZNPO (Durban), the Chamber Orchestra of South Africa (Pretoria), NAPOP (Pretoria) and the Free State Symphony Orchestra (Bloemfontein). In 2012, she was invited to perform at the International Viola Congress in Rochester, New York. On that occasion, she performed the world premiere of Matthijs van Dijk’s Viola Sonata No. 2, “Sukulala”, which had been composed specifically for her. In 1994, the well-known South African composer Stefans Grové dedicated his Sonata for Viola and Piano to Jeanne-Louise and her husband Piet Moolman. In 2008, she performed the world premiere of Grové’s Concerto for Flute and Viola with the Chamber Orchestra of South Africa, after which she was invited to perform the work at the International Viola Congress in Stellenbosch. Jeanne-Louise has had more than twenty years of experience as principal violist of several professional orchestras in Gauteng and the Free State.

JEANNE-LOUISE MOOLMAN is in 2008 as altviolis van die Odeion Strykkwartet en senior lektor by die Odeion Skool vir Musiek aan die Universiteit van die Vrystaat aangestel. Sy het aan die universiteit van Pretoria onder prof. Alan Solomon gestudeer, waar sy die BMus- en BMus Hons-grade met lof behaal het. Hierna het sy ook in Salzburg onder Thomas Riebl gestudeer. As student het sy onder andere die ATKV Forte – en Oude Meester-kompetisies gewen en in 1985 was sy die eerste wenner van die Universiteit van Natal se 75ste Herdenkingsprys. Sy is ’n ervare musikus wat gereeld saam met sommige van ons land se voorste musici in verskillende kamermusiekkombinasies optree. Jeanne-Louise was een van die stigterlede van die Rosamunde Strykkwartet wat vir meer as 10 jaar een van die toonaangewende strykkwartette in die land was. Ander musici saam met wie sy al gewerk het, sluit die violiste Gérard Korsten en Philippe Graffin, die pianiste Leslie Howard en Albie van Schalkwyk, en die klarinetspeler Robert Pickup in. Jeanne-Louise het al talle solouitvoerings in Suid-Afrika (onder andere in Pretoria, Johannesburg, Bloemfontein, Kroonstad en Potchefstroom) en in Zimbabwe (Harare en Bulawayo) gelewer. As solis het sy saam met verskeie orkeste in die land, waaronder die KZNPO (Durban), die Kamerorkes van Suid-Afrika (Pretoria), NAPOP (Pretoria) en die Vrystaatse Simfonieorkes (Bloemfontein) opgetree. In 2012 word sy genooi om tydens die Internasionale Altvioolkongres in Rochester, New York, op te tree. By dié geleentheid lewer sy die wêreldpremière van Matthijs van Dijk se Altvioolsonate no. 2, “Sukulala”, wat spesiaal vir haar gekomponeer is. Die bekende Suid-Afrikaanse komponis, Stefans Grové, het in 1994 sy Sonate vir Altviool en Klavier aan Jeanne-Louise en haar man Piet Moolman opgedra. In 2008 lewer sy die wêreldpremière van Grové se Concerto vir Fluit en Altviool saam met die Kamerorkes van Suid-Afrika, waarna sy genooi word om die werk by die Internasionale Altvioolkongres in Stellenbosch uit te voer. Jeanne-Louise het meer as twintig jaar se ervaring as hoof-altviolis van verskeie professionele orkeste in Gauteng en die Vrystaat.

Johanna Roos is a passionate chamber musician. She teaches violin and coach chamber music from home and has lectured part-time at the University of Pretoria since 2005. She has adjudicated numerous Festivals and Eisteddfods, including the Final of the ATKV Muziq competition. As a student she toured Canada, Belgium and Germany with the Jeunesse Musicales World Symphony Orchestra 94/95 and to Moscow with SANYO 1998. In South Africa she obtained her MMus cum laude at UP. After winning the string category of the ATKV Forte Competition in 1995, she was awarded a SAMRO scholarship and won the Overseas Scholarship Competition (Nina Barry and DJ Roode) from UNISA. She continued her studies at the Royal College of Music (London) with an Associated Board Scholarship and obtained the Postgraduate Diploma (Solo- and Ensemble Recitalist) cum laude, under the tutelage of Natalia Boyarsky. In the UK she worked as Assistant Violin teacher at the Yehudi Menuhin School and was an artist for Music in Hospitals, performing with Elena Nalimova and as soloist (Dvorak Violin Concerto) with the Southbank Sinfonia. Johanna participated in Geza Szilvay’s Colourstrings Workshops in London and it still has a profound impact on her approach as pedagogue. In South Africa she played ad hock for the Chamber Orchestra of South Africa and has performed as soloist with many orchestras. She recorded the CD Violin Expressions with Annalien Ball and is the leader of String quartet, Evolution of 4

Irene was born in the city of Moscow in Russia . She began to play violin at age of six and made her first public appearance a year later . At the age of ten she had her first recital with the Gorky Philharmonic Orchestra . Irene graduated from Central Music School for Gifted Children attached to Moscow Conservatory in 1978 and entered the Moscow State Conservatory where she completed her Master Degree in Music in 1983.

Irene began her professional career in State Symphony Orchestra of the Soviet Union . She moved to South Africa in 1993 and joined the National Symphony Orchestra as one of the principals. She worked in Johannesburg Philharmonic Orchestra as Co-Concertmaster till 2013. She also appeared as Concertmaster and Concertmaster’s Assistant in JMI and JFO.

From 2013 Irene became a full time violin teacher.

Irene was lucky to study with successors of two branches of the Russian violin school: David Oistrakh’s and Yury Yankelevich’s. In her practice she combines knowledges and skills of

both schools.

Irene is the First violinist in Sunset Serenade Ensemble and founder and teacher of the Russian Violin school in Johannesburg . She is also a jury member of “ENKOR” International Music Competition and MUSICAL MIND Online Competition.

Susan Mouton grew up in Durban, where she began cello lessons at the age of 10. She commenced her B.Mus studies at the University of Pretoria under Professor Gerard van de Geest in 1979. Here she was the recipient of the Pretorium Trust bursary on 3 occasions, as well one of the winners of the SA Music Scholarship. After she graduated, she joined the NSO in 1983, and was appointed Principal cellist in 1987. She studied with Marian Lewin while completing her Performer’s Diploma at Wits University, and was one of the winners of the Unisa Overseas Study Bursaries in 1987, which she used to spend 3 months attending master classes in Europe with a number of esteemed cellists, including Arto Noras, William Pleeth, Johannes Goritski and Wolfang Laufer.

She is currently Principal cellist of the JPO- in addition to her orchestral playing, she is active as a chamber musician, and is frequently asked to examine for Unisa. During the past few years, she has also been involved in numerous productions with the well-known Afrikaans singer, Jannie du Toit

Valery Andreev (viola) was born in Moscow, Russia, where he attended the specialized Gnesen Music School from 1968 – 1978. He graduated from Gnesen University in 1983 majoring in viola, chamber music, orchestral playing and teaching. In 1981 he joined the prestigious Bolshoi Theatre Orchestra in Moscow, staying on to take up the post of principal A viola player in 1984. He attained first prize in the national music competition in the same year.

Following his appointment as principal with the Bolshoi Theatre Orchestra, Valéry toured Europe extensively, performing in numerous concerts and solo recitals. Upon coming to South Africa in 1991 Valery joined the PACT orchestra and was appointed to the post of principal B viola player. He performs regularly as a soloist and is currently teaching viola at Pro Arte High School as well as the University of Pretoria.

He is a sought after free-lance musician, working most often with Nataniël and Steinway Artist® Charl du Plessis.

Werner lives in Pretoria and completed his B.Tech: Music degree at the Tshwane University of Technology in 2007. He is part-time lecturer at the department
since 2009, also teaching bass guitar and double bass at the Pro Arté Arts Academy.

Werner has recorded with many artists, being featured most recently on the South African Music Award winning Charl du Plessis CD: BarocueSwing Volume 2 & Volume 3 for Swiss Record label, Claves Records.

Apart from Nataniël and Charl du Plessis, recording artists include: Herman Bergman, Andra, Annari, Nell, The Phat Brass Big Band, Jannie du Toit & Christa Steyn, Jak de Priester, Pilani Bubu, Frank Opperman and the Radio Kalahari Orkes.

Werner has performed overseas numerous times including tours to China, Switzerland, The Netherlands, Scotland and Namibia.

Marnus grew up in Johannesburg, South Africa, and started his first organ studies in Pretoria, in 2009. He received the top prizes in the National organ competitions of SAKOV (Southern African Church Organist Society) for five consecutive years from 2011. In 2012, he completed a Teacher’s Licentiate in piano, was accompanist to the TUKS Camerata (Pretoria University Choir), and won the Pretorium Trust bursary competition. Marnus went on to win the organ category of the prestigious ATKV Muziq competition in 2015, and was a prize-winning finalist in the overall round of the 2016 competition. He completed a BMus Honours degree cum laude at the University of Pretoria under the supervision of his organ professor, Wim Viljoen.

Marnus has frequently performed with the Symphony Choir of Johannesburg, Johannesburg Festival Orchestra, Gauteng Philharmonic, Apple Green Orchestra, Johannesburg Bach Choir and Chanticleer Singers. His performances with choirs – as solo organ accompanist – include Mozart’s Coronation Mass and Great Mass in c minor, Händel’s Dixit Dominus, Haydn’s Missa Sancti Nicolai and Mendelssohn’s Elijah. Big performances with choirs and orchestras include Faure’s Requiem, Elgar’s Dream of Gerontius, Bach’s Magnificat, and Van Dijk’s San Gloria as part of the Johannesburg International Mozart Festival. A recent highlight was a performance of Brahms’ Ein Deutsches Requiem with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra in St Albans Cathedral, England.

Marnus has taught at the Deutsche Internationale Schule in Johannesburg, worked as accompanist for the Johannesburg Bach Choir and the Welsh Male Voice Choir of South Africa. He has worked closely with some of the top musicians in South Africa, and also been involved in premiering – on the continent – works by composers such as Jan Dismas Zelenka.

While completing a Master of Music degree in 2017 at Jesus College, University of Cambridge, he performed with the Cambridge University Chamber Choir and Buxtehude Ensemble, and gave other recitals in the colleges of Trinity, Clare, Downing, Selwyn, St Catherine’s and Jesus. He was also Graduate Organ Scholar at Downing College, working closely with the esteemed Christopher Robinson. During his time in the UK, Marnus has toured with Cambridge choirs to Lithuania and Wales, and recently to Sweden with the Abbey Girls Choir of St Albans Cathedral where he was also organist. Having now returned to South Africa, he has been appointed Director of Music at St George’s Church in Parktown, accompanist to The Symphony Choir of Johannesburg and the newly established Studio Chorale in Pretoria.

Carin was a student at Pro Arte Alphen Park from 2004 to 2008. She completed her Bachalors degree in Music Performance at the University of Pretoria in 2012 and started her Masters degree in 2013. She has been teaching violin for the past six years.

While at Pro Arte and the university, she recieved the Pretorium Trust bursary from 2005 to 2012. In 2008 Carin was the concertmaster and soloist of the Simfonia Juventi Youth Orchestra. At the Pretoria Eistedfodd, she received the overall winner award in the string section. She also recieved the Ellie Marx bursary (R5000) in 2008, 2010 and 2013 (SA Music Teachers Association). She completed her school career in matric earning five distinctions and passed her Royal Schools Gr 8 Violin exam with distinction.

In 2009, she started her B-Mus studies at the University of Pretoria and became a member of the University Symphony orchestra. In 2010 she was a finalist in the Philip Moore music competition. She also performed as soloist with the UP symphony orchestra in September. During this year she recieved 94% for her Gr 8 Unisa violin exam and was invited to take part in the Unisa music bursary competition. At the gala evening she recieved the Jennie Pereira prize for the best string player as well as the Du Toit-van Tonder bursary. Throughout her studies the University of Pretoria awarded Carin an achievement bursary of R7500 for earning distinctions in all her subjects during 2010 and 2011. She was also chosen to compete in the 2nd round of the national Muziq music competition which took place in Stellenbosch during September. In her fourth year at university, she became the concertmaster of the University Symphony Orchestra.

In 2013 she passed her Royal School’s diploma exam with a distinction in the practical section. Since 2011, she was involved in productions presented at the Brooklyn Theatre in Pretoria, performing in small ensembles as well as becoming a member of the Gauteng Philharmonic Orchestra (2014), sometimes standing in as concertmaster. In March 2016, she completed her Masters degree in music performance and graduated in August (2016) with distinction.

She is currently teaching violin at Midstream Ridge primary while performing in monthly productions at the Brooklyn Theatre. She also enjoys performing with the Pretoria Bach choir and the Johannesburg Philharmonic Orchestra each year. She is currently the first violin of the Serendipity Quartet based in Pretoria (2015).

TBA

Laetitia started with piano at the age of 6 and cello at the age of 8, excelling in music exams and eisteddfods. Relocating to Pretoria with her family Laetitia continued her cello studies in 2009 under the tutelage of dr Anzél Gerber, and piano with prof Joseph Stanford. In 2011 she commenced her music studies at the University of Pretoria and completed her BMus cum laude in 2014. After being awarded a scholarship from the Birmingham Concervatoire and with the help of a generous grant from the Oppenheimer Memorial Trust Fund she was able to commence her MMus studies in England in September 2015. Over the course of these two years abroad she dedicated a big part of her studies teaching cello in and around Birmingham and working for the Birmingham Music Service. She was also member of the Lobkowitcz string quartet who performed across the UK. In September 2017 she returned to South Africa having completed her MMus with distinction in cello performance at the Birmingham Conservatoire in 2017, under the tutelage of Catherine Ardagh-Walter.

Laetitia has performed as soloist with the Simfonia Juventi, Rand Symphony Orchestra, and the University of Pretoria Symphony Orchestra. In 2015 she was hand-picked to perform the complete Saint-Saëns Cello Concerto no 1 in A minor as soloist with the University of Pretoria Symphony Orchestra as part of the prestigous farewell concert for prof Eric Rycroft. Laetitia has been principal cellist in several orchestras, including the South African National Youth Orchestra, MIAGI, the University of Pretoria Symphony Orchestra, and the Birmingham Conservatoire Symphony Orchestra. In 2013 she toured nationally as a member of SANYO under the baton of the world renowned Sir Roger Norrington alongside the Zurich Chamber Orchestra. In July 2014 Laetitia participated in a European tour as a member of Miagi and the leader of the cello section where they performed in highly acclaimed concert halls such as the Berlin Philharmonie and the Amsterdam Concertgebouw.

Beside being passionate about classical music, Laetitia enjoys playing various different styles of music. Laetitia currently teaches cello and piano, and she performs on an ad hoc basis for JPO, JFO and other orchestras in Gauteng.

Siobhan Lloyd-Jones is a versatile violinist. She plays a wide variety of styles including folk, jazz and classical music. She has her diploma in classical violin performance as well as a Btech degree in jazz training. Siobhan has attended jazz workshops and recieved master classes from world renowned jazz violinist Tim Kliphuis. She has also played with numerous orchestras and travelled with the MIAGI youth orchestra to Europe a couple of times. She is currently a member of the Gauteng Philharmonic Orchestra and performs in a string quartet called AVO. Siobhan is a jazz lecturer at TUT and is involved in ensemble instruction and individual jazz lessons. Siobhan also sings and writes songs in her spare time for a band called FOXTROT.