Louise Howlett compiles a range of live Unplugged Concerts in Cape Town scheduled for May 2023. Take your pick of this range of great events.
CT: ORCHESTRA
The Cape Town Philharmonic Orchestra continues their Autumn Symphony Season at the City Hall
4 May: Conductor Bernhard Gueller, Soloist Veriko Tchumburidze (violin)
Respighi Ancient Airs and Dances Suite 3
Dvořák Violin Concerto
Brahms Symphony No 3 in F
May 11: Conductor Bernhard Gueller, Soloist Vitaly Pisarenko (piano)
Liszt Les Preludes
Liszt Piano Concerto No 2 in A
Elgar Enigma Variations
Tickets for morning rehearsals at 11am on the day of the performance through https://www.quicket.co.za
Tickets for 7.30pm: https://tickets.computicket.com/
CT: VOICE
FRIDAY, 5 MAY: LEVY SEKGAPANE IN CONCERT
The Cape Town Concert Series presents award-winning tenor Levy Sekgapane In Concert with pianist Jeremy Silver. The concert will feature a mix of artsongs and arias from Bellini, Tosti, Rossini and Donizetti. www.ctconcerts.co.za.
At 7pm in the Baxter Concert Hall.
Tickets: https://www.webtickets.co.za/v2
CT: AFRICAN
SATURDAY, 6 MAY: ODWA BONGO
Please join Odwa Bongo in partnership with Club169, Cape Town, for an intimate musical session. Bongo is known for his intimate gatherings where we cry, laugh and dance away the difficulties of life.
Admired for his extensive vocal range and cultural interest, Odwa Bongo is one of the few prominent uHadi players in the country, and he was recently featured at WOMAD and regarded as one of the highlights of the festival.
The concert takes place at 5pm at 169 Long Street. Ticket includes wine
Tickets and details from https://www.quicket.co.za
CT: OPERA
SUNDAY, 7 MAY: CHRISTCHURCH CONSTANTIA
Songscapes features well-known Cape Town musicians Lynelle Kenned (soprano), Luvo Maranti (tenor) and Stefan Lombard (piano). These vibrant artists will be presenting a programme of famous arias and duets by Vivaldi, Verdi, Puccini and others.
At 3pm at Christ Church, Constantia
Tickets: https://www.quicket.co.za
CT: CLASSICAL MIX
WEDNESDAY, 10 MAY: FMR BURSARY TRUST AWARDS FOR CLASSICAL MUSIC
The finals of the FMR Bursary Trust Awards competition celebrates the very best of Classical, Jazz and African music thanks to the Rolf-Stephan Nussbaum Foundation – nurturing our stars of tomorrow.
Finals of the Classical Instrumental and Vocal sections.
The competition starts at 6.30pm in the Baxter Concert Hall.
Free. Tickets at the door.
CT: OPERA
WEDNESDAY, 10 MAY – SATURDAY, 14 MAY: PEARL FISHERS WITH CAPE TOWN OPERA
Cape Town Opera presents Georges Bizet’s French opera The Pearl Fishers with an all-star cast led by 2017 Operalia winner Levy Sekgapane making his debut as Nadir.
It will once again be directed by Cape Town Opera’s Elisabeth Manduell, with original concept by Matthew Wild enhanced by projected imagery by artist Shakil Solanki, whose work is a source of great inspiration for Manduell’s 2023 staging. The Cape Town Philharmonic will be conducted by Adam Szmidt.
The opera is sung in French with English and Xhosa surtitles.
Tickets: https://tickets.computicket.com/
CT: STEELBAND
THURSDAY, 11 MAY: CAPE TOWN STEELBAND FESTIVAL
The Cape Town Steelband Festival is a joint venture between the Steelband Project and
the Cape Town Big Band Jazz Festival.
The project is active in many suburban, township and rural areas and there are currently 10 steel bands being taught by the Steelband Project on a weekly basis, with an average size of 15 members.
The concert is at 7.30pm in the Baxter Concert Hall.
Tickets: https://www.webtickets.co.za/v2
CT: GUITAR
THURSDAY, 11 MAY: DEREK GRIPPER
Join for an intimate evening in the Everard Read Gallery as guitarist Derek Gripper explores the interplay between music and visual art. Gripper is world famous for his ground-breaking technique of evoking the West African kora on solo guitar. He has performed at Carnegie Hall, Royal Albert Hall and NPR tiny Desk.
The concert is at 6.30 at Everard Read Gallery.
Tickets: https://www.quicket.co.za
CT: JAZZ / AFRICAN
SATURDAY, 13 MAY: FMR BURSARY TRUST AWARDS FOR JAZZ & AFRICAN MUSIC
The finals of the FMR Bursary Trust Awards competition celebrates the very best of classical, jazz and African music thanks to the Rolf-Stephan Nussbaum Foundation – nurturing our stars of tomorrow.
Saturday 13 sees the finals of the Jazz Vocal/lnstrumental and African Music sections.
The competition starts at 6.30pm in the Baxter Concert Hall.
Free. Tickets at the door.
GREYTON: MIXED
FRIDAY, 12 – SUNDAY, 14 MAY: GREYTON CLASSICS FOR ALL FESTIVAL
The 19th Greyton Genadendal Classics for All Festival takes place from 12 – 14 May. The line-up of 11 concerts includes performances by clarinettist Maria du Toit and Dutch pianist Vera Kooper, the Voces Cordis choir under the baton of award-winning conductor Andre van der Merwe, The Rainbow Exchange String Quartet performing music from some of the most iconic ballets, the Lute Consort performing music from the late Renaissance and early Baroque, the Disa Trio with well-known musicians David Bester (violin), Petrus Coetzee (viola) and David Pinoit (cellist), bringing to life music by Mozart and Schubert, and various soloists such as Thobela Ntshanyana, Lente Louw, Willem Bester, Zanne Stapelberg de Lange, and more.
See https://classicsforall.co.za/
Tickets: https://tickets.computicket.com/events/search-page?q=greyton
W.CAPE: CHAMBER MUSIC
13 – 19 MAY: DUO DU TOIT & KOOPER
South African clarinettist Maria du Toit presents a series of recitals with Dutch pianist Vera Kooper featuring a fresh and inspiring programme of music by female composers.
Details and tickets:
13 May: Classics for All, Greyton (https://tickets.computicket.com/)
14 May: Overstrand ArtsKunste, Hermanus (renedup@telkomsa.net)
17 May: Hugo Lambrechts Music Centre, Parow (info@hugolambrechts.co.za)
19 May: Endler Concert Series, Stellenbosch (https://www.webtickets.co.za/v2)
CT: CHORAL
TUESDAY, 23 MAY: WYNBERG SCHOOLS CHORAL CONCERT
The Wynberg Campus of Schools presents its annual collaborative Choral Concert for 2023 featuring the vocal talents of senior choirs and ensembles from the four campus schools – Wynberg Girls’ Junior School, Wynberg Boys’ Junior School, Wynberg Girls’ High School and Wynberg Boys’ High School.
Tickets R75 (unreserved seating), and R150 for limited unreserved Balcony Bay seating.
The concert takes place at 6.30pm in the Cape Town City Hall
Tickets: https://www.quicket.co.za
CT: CHAMBER MUSIC
FRIDAY 26 MAY: CASA LABIA EVENING CONCERT
The 2nd concert in a new series of magical evenings of classical music take place at Casa Labia featuring cellist Graham du Plessis and Tertia Visser Downie on piano.
At 6.45pm at Casa Labia with optional dinner afterwards.
Tickets: https://www.quicket.co.za
CT: OPERA
SATURDAY 27 MAY: ERIN HALL CONCERT SERIES
Pianist Tertia Visser presents A Night at the Opera for her next concert at Erin Hall featuring singers from Opera UCT with a programme of opera highlights arias and duets.
At 7pm at Erin Hall, Rondebosch. Tickets include wine.
Tickets: https://www.quicket.co.za
CT: FLAMENCO
WEDNESDAY, 31 MAY: MORNING MELODIES RECUERDOS DE ESPANA
Morning Melodies featurines a concert with Guitarist Nina Fourie-Gouws and the Stellenbosch Guitar Quartet, featuring Flamenco dancer Che Adams.
At 10.30am in the Baxter Concert Hall.
Tickets: https://www.webtickets.co.za/v2/seating.aspx?itemid=1521186800
CT: BIG BAND
WEDNESDAY, 31 MAY: CAPE TOWN BIG BAND FESTIVAL
The Cape Town Big Band Jazz Festival showcases school, university and community jazz and big bands.
Hosted in collaboration with the South African College of Music.
At 7pm on 31 May in the Baxter Concert Hall.
Tickets: https://www.webtickets.co.za/v2/
What: Cape Town Unplugged Concerts May 2023
WS
