Good news for lovers of classical music
A classical concert will be performed by the Thalassa Duo at St Peter’s Anglican Church, Plettenberg Bay on Sunday, August 14 by musicians Anneke Lamont and Adri Smithers.
The concert is in aid of Hospice Plett and the 10 soup kitchens run by the Anglican churches within the parish of Formosa.
Anneke Lamont (née Van Heerden) had already played 12 preludes and fugues from the “48” by JS Bach when she was 12 years old. She received a PhD in 2006 from the University of the Free State with Albie van Schalkwyk and Stephanus Muller as her promotors.
As winner of the Unisa overseas scholarship as well as a Samro bursary in 1986, she furthered her studies in Hanover, Germany with Arie Vardi. Lamont is an examiner for the Unisa music examinations and was on the screening panel for the 2008 International Piano competitions.
She is a jury member for the ATKV Musiq competitions and was actively involved in the creation of the newly formed Musiqanto for singers. She was also on the panel for the Artscape competition between 2011 and 2013. She is a member of Die Suid-Afrikaanse Akademie vir Wetenskap en Kuns and is associated with the music department at the University of Pretoria as a piano accompanist and coach. She is enrolled for postdoctoral studies at the University of Radboud in Nijmegen, Holland. She is currently the director of music at Oakhill School in Knysna.
Adri Smithers started her musical career at the age of five. She started on the piano and then moved to violin, where she studied under Jack de Wet. After playing many Eisteddfods, she was selected, at the age of 12, to join the Orange Free State Youth Orchestra. She later joined the SA Youth Orchestra. Smithers received a BMus (honours) with distinction from the University of the Free State, under the tutelage of Pierre de Groote.
She joined the Performing Arts Centre of the Free State as a first violinist and played with them for many years. During this time she also played first violin for Odeon String Quartet.
On moving to Johannesburg, Smithers became a music teacher at Kingsmead College where her duties encompassed violin, piano, choir leadership, string ensembles and direction of musicals.
Smithers and her husband are now permanent residents of Plettenberg Bay. This move has culminated in her fortuitous meeting with Lamont. They both share a love of performing and their very recently formed duo, the Thalassa Duo, will undoubtedly become an eagerly anticipated fixture of the Garden Route classical music repertoire.
Tickets to the August 14 concert are R150pp, obtainable from Barnie Barnard Market Square information centre.
Payment can also be made electronically to The PlettAid Foundation, FNB branch 210514, account nr 62048095063, reference Your Name/Thalassa.
For further enquiries, phone 044-533-3219 / 082-744-1884 or email plettinfo@telkomsa.net, or phone Lady Conyngham on 044-533-5178 or email aconyngham@telkomsa.net.
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Source: Knysna Plett Herald News