For 55 years, the Youth Classical Concert has provided exceptional young musicians with the opportunity to perform with a professional orchestra. Over more than half a century, it has showcased outstanding talent and helped launch the careers of scores of South Africa’s finest performers.
Its significance is highlighted in a BMus thesis by Joshua Pietersen at Stellenbosch University, supervised by Prof. Nina Schumann. Drawing on sources including the A Century of Symphony, edit and comp by Louis Heyneman and Shirley Gueller, Sjoerd Alkema’s doctoral thesis, Ingrid Gollom’s thesis A History of the Cape Town Orchestra, Elizabeth Blankenberg’s The Music Activities of the Cape Performing Arts Board (CAPAB): A Historical Survey, concert programmes and interviews, Pietersen demonstrates the pivotal role the Youth Classical Concert has played in the development of classical music in South Africa.
The first concert, held on 2 October 1971, introduced audiences to musicians who would go on to distinguished international careers. Among them were Jürgen Schwietering and Albie van Schalkwyk, while later participants included Hanneli Rupert (1977), Deon van der Walt and Anton Nel (1979), Gerhard Korsten (violin in 1975 and conductor in 1981), François du Toit (1981), Michelle Breedt (1984), Nina Schumann (1988) and Pumeza Matshikiza (2001). For many, it marked their first appearance with a professional orchestra. Numerous participants have also gone on to become members of the Cape Town Philharmonic Orchestra or its predecessor orchestras.
The concert’s roots can be traced back even further. In 1927, the Cape Town Municipal Orchestra, under William Pickerill, placed a renewed emphasis on youth development by introducing 12 bursaries for young musicians. The earliest youth events took the form of “Festivals”, comprising two concerts featuring different groups of soloists. During the first two decades, the focus was on broad participation in a deeply divided
society, with opportunities offered to as many young musicians as possible.
The Youth Classical Concert has remained remarkably consistent in its eligibility requirements. Instrumentalists have always been required to be 23 years or younger, while singers, first included in 1977, may enter up to the age of 27.
The inaugural concert featured six pianists, together with a violinist, cellist, flautist and harpist. In its early years, two concerts were presented annually and often included youth orchestras, choirs and young conductors. One of the driving forces behind the initiative was David Tidboald, who later established a similar event in Durban while continuing to conduct the Cape Town and Stellenbosch concerts until the early 2000s, after which guest conductors took over the podium.
The CAPAB Orchestra accompanied the young soloists from the concert’s inception, and since the establishment of the Cape Town Philharmonic Orchestra in 2001, the CPO has continued that tradition. Today, the Youth Classical Concert is an established annual collaboration between the CPO and Artscape.
Originally a national competition, auditions were held in several centres around the country. In recent years, eligibility has been restricted to Western Cape residents and students enrolled at music institutions in the province.
The adjudication process has also evolved. Whereas the conductor once served as the principal adjudicator, the panel now includes representatives from both the University of Cape Town and Stellenbosch University.
As Artscape CEO Marlene le Roux observes: “It goes without saying that the continued growth of classical music depends on investment in and opportunities created for the youth.” The Youth Classical Concert remains one of South Africa’s most enduring examples of that commitment, continuing to nurture the next generation of musicians while providing them with an invaluable first experience of performing with a professional orchestra.”
