By Jana Gous
The Winelands Philharmonic Orchestra’s performance on 12 October in the Endler Concert Hall was packed with compositions both new and old. From opening with Weber’s Der Freischütz overture, to Kristi Boonzaaier’s brand new Violin Concerto, the audience connected in the experience of self-discovery and tremendous musical transformation.
The Toyota Stellenbosch Woordfees has no shortage of talented artists, and Echoes of the New World showcased the skill of violin soloist Eriel Huang and maestro Reghardt Kühn. The performance ended with Dvořák’s Symphony No. 9, “From the New World”, which was a remarkable blend of native Czech folk music and American inspirations composed in 1893. The concert ignited a creative fire within audience members, and they left feeling inspired.
Lize van Zyl-Smit, a third-year BCom (Industrial Psychology) student at Stellenbosch University (SU), on second violin, stated that the performance was absolutely magical. “It was incredibly rewarding to experience the final result of all our hours of hard work, and to witness first-hand the impact our music had on the audience,” she said.
The audience gave a standing ovation as the concert drew to a close and were clearly eager for more, but they had to be content with the beautiful musical journey that they had just experienced. The atmosphere was buzzing as audience members connected with the musicians afterwards in the Endler foyer, showing that the South African classical music industry is alive and kicking in this new world.To see the Winelands Philharmonic Orchestra perform live, visit their website for upcoming concerts, or follow their Instagram @winelandsphilharmonic_wpo for any musical updates.
