Peta Stewart
Enthusiastic, and that enthusiasm is so infectious in Marvin Weavers, the young man from Elsie’s River just chosen to head up the Cape Town Philharmonic Orchestra’s Youth Education and Development programme, that you want to sing and dance with him!
Twenty seven year-old Marvin starts as co-ordinator from March 1, 2017, ready to build on a programme established by Henriette Weber some 14 years ago and expanded by Laurika Steenkamp to reach more than 400 learners.
Marvin, who is a violist and has played in the Cape Town Philharmonic Youth Orchestra, the CPYO’s string quartet and the New Apostolic Church Orchestra, is raring to go.
“For several years I was an intern in the education programme with the CPO and knew this was my career home so I am thrilled to be able to be fully involved. I was interim co-ordinator since mid-December and have also managed the CPO’s New Year’s Eve at Nederburg so logistics are also part of my background.”
Early background
Marvin’s personal background, interestingly, was not in the New Apostolic Church which has played such a huge role in the lives of many musicians, including the CPO’s resident conductor Brandon Phillips. He and his four siblings were brought up by his mother alone, and he had to work at school and university to pay all his fees.
“When I was nine, a friend invited me to come to the church where I fell in love with the recorder and all the music the church offered. Slowly the church became so much part of my life that today it informs almost everything I do. I joined the children’s choir and now play in its Symphony Orchestra.
“I decided to move to the violin and then when I was 13 I started studying at the Hugo Lambrechts Music Centre.” This is one of the important music schools in Cape Town that the CPO works closely with.
“I played the violin for several years and then stumbled into the viola. Another friend said he knew of one for sale and my curiosity got the better of me. I bought it – and my teacher decided that I was a better violist than violinist! “
We have great plans for the whole programme,” he says. “We need to ensure that our musicians in the CP Youth Orchestra, the CPY Wind Ensemble and the training ensembles will be the orchestras of the future. We will also refocus the Masidlale grassroots training project on results, fast tracking the best students and preparing more players to start with the CPYO’s junior ensembles.”
Weavers inherits an excellent team
“Brandon Phillips is the most amazing conductor of the Youth Orchestra, and Faan Malan brings the very best out in the wind ensemble. Masidlale teachers are drawn from the CPYO and include Noluvuyo Nteta, Siyathemba Nteta, and Tembisa Ntshongontshi. As far as management is concerned, Ash-Lee Louwskieter and Odile Lesch, both already involved in Masidlale, will look after logistical planning and education planning/oversight of teaching, respectively.”
Weavers is a product of the CP Youth Orchestra himself, having played viola for six years and also in the CPYO String Quartet for four, completing a Business Management Diploma at the College of Cape Town last year. He has been interim youth and education development coordinator with the CPO since December.
CPYO/WE concerts coming include KykNet Fiestas, Suidoosterfees in April, a concert for Rotary and at Windworx in Stellenbosch in May, and a concert in the Donkey Sanctuary in Robertson in September.
Info: http://www.cpo.org.za/outreach/ marvin@cpo.org.za
WS
