Our Music Centre

Our Facilities

Music Centre

In 1986, Mr Hugo Lambrechts, a former Director of the Cape Education Department, raised the question as to why there are so few South African instrumentalists in our orchestras. The answer, according to him, was that we didn’t have facilities where South Africans can start instrumental tuition at a young age. He wanted a music centre in the Parow area to serve the community of the Northern Suburbs. He was told that there was no money to establish such a Centre, but he persisted and used limited funds for over 3 years to get the Centre started in the old Parow Primary School, on the corner of Picton and Alexander Streets in 1989.

The old school building now consists of 25 music rooms, used for tuition, chamber music concerts, internal and external examinations, meetings and small functions. The world known auditorium of the Hugo Lambrechts Musical Centre in Parow. It was soon recognised by the department of education that the facilities, especially the old school hall used for concerts, were not adequate. Thanks to the relentless efforts of the mayor, Mr Attie Adriaanse, an ultra-modern auditorium was finally built and inaugurated in 2002. He commented in the Tygertalk Newspaper of 2003: “One of Parow’s greatest achievements in 100 years was the ultra-modern auditorium built at the Hugo Lambrecht School”.

Today Parow boasts one of the three major Music Centres in the Western Cape with virtually none in the rest of the country. The highly acclaimed auditorium is used for student exposure to public performance as well as a venue for visiting national and international artists. It seats 450 people and has a stage for 70 orchestra members as well a choir gallery for 140 members.

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Auditorium

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Our Vision & Mission

Our Vision

Orchestrating a world-class music centre

Our Mission

The Hugo Lambrechts Music Centre aspires to:

Provide a holistic music education programme.
Nurture the inherent musical abilities of all our learners from diverse communities to achieve their full musical potential.
Create a safe haven for all our learners by cultivating a culture of inclusivity.
Harness music education to precipitate the development of twenty -first century workplace skills such as creativity, collaboration and critical thinking.

Offer learners and educators a platform to participate in music-making at a national and international level.
Create a lifelong enjoyment of music while encouraging the audiences of the future.
Provide dedicated and professional musical leadership to the South African music education environment.
Be a South African home for international teaching artists.

Our Values

Inclusivity

Excellence

Integrity

Respect

Care

Orchestrating Youth

Our History

The Hugo Lambrechts Music Centre, named after a former Western Cape Minister of Education Mr Hugo Lambrechts, was established by the Western Cape Education Department in 1986 in what was then the Parow Valley Primary School. With the late Mr Leon Hartshorne as principal and three heads of department, namely Mr Darryl Walters (woodwinds), Mr Faan Malan (brass), and Mr Louis van der Watt (strings), the Hugo Lambrechts Music Centre set out to provide instrumental tuition to school going students primarily in the northern suburbs of Cape Town. The official opening of the music centre was held on 29 August 1986 in the Parow Valley Primary School hall, with the building handed over for the sole use of the Music Centre the following January.

With an initial emphasis on symphonic wind, percussion, and string instrument tuition the prospect of establishing wind bands and string orchestras was soon to become a reality. This is an integral part of our curriculum to this today. The development of the various bands and orchestras as well as the fast progressing students culminated in the formation of the Hugo Lambrechts Symphony Orchestra which had its debut performance, under the baton of Leon Hartshorne, at the five-year celebration of the Music Centre in 1991. Over the years the Music Centre has expanded to not only include woodwind, brass and percussion instruments but also singing, guitar, piano, harp and theory tuition to its list of offered subjects.

Over the years, learners from the Music Centre have gone on to further their music tuition at all the leading tertiary institutions in South Africa and take up teaching roles in schools, institutions and orchestras around the country. Many of our learners have also gone on to further their music studies and careers at leading institutions and conservatoires abroad. From early on it was evident that the level of instruction received at the Hugo Lambrechts Music Centre was on par with any where in the world as our learners were featuring prominently in competitions across the country and even abroad. This is a feature that has remained strong to this day with learners regularly achieving great success in all the leading competitions across the country. We are proud to say that students from the Hugo Lambrechts Music Centre have been announced as overall winners in all the major primary school and high school competitions over the years. Orchestral and ensemble tours have been part and parcel of the Hugo Lambrechts year plan from the outset, with the most recent tour to Eastern Europe in 2016.

A dream came true in 2002 when the Hugo Lambrechts was completed. This world class concert venue, which seats 450 people and can handle an entire symphony orchestra and choir on its stage, has, since its completion, prompted performances by local and international artists on a yearly basis. It is also home to two of the largest music competition in the country, the SAMRO Hubert van der Spuy National Youth Music Competition (primary school) and the National Youth Music Competition (high school). It has also proved to be an important performance platform for all learners at the Music Centre, a privilege that very few other educational institutions in South Africa can boast with.

A combined passion for the importance of community development, and the irreplaceable role that music can play in this endeavour, lead to the establishing of the Hugo Lambrechts Music Development Programme in 2002. Initially, with just one school from the surrounding areas, the programme now provides music tuition to 190 students from six different partnership primary schools.

At present twelve full-time and twelve part-time specialised music teachers provide tuition for 600 learners from all sectors of our diverse community. Initially focussed on providing instrumental to learners from the northern suburbs of Cape Town, the Music Centre has widened its learner base to include learners from as far away as Citrusdal and Malmesbury.

Our Staff

Meet our team of dedicated staff members

Principal

Dr Arisa Voges - Saxophone & Clarinet

Arisa Voges is the principal of the Hugo Lambrechts Music Centre. As an active music consultant, examiner and adjudicator she regularly serves on examination, adjudication and advisory panels for national music competitions, universities, and non-profit organisations. She obtained a PhD (Music) from the University of the Free State, an MBA and Hons BMus (Clarinet Performing) from the University of Stellenbosch and has completed the LRSM, UTLM and UPLM in Clarinet Performing/Teaching and LRSM in Saxophone Teaching. She was the recipient of the Fanie Beetge Prize for her PhD research that investigated the financial sustainability of donor-funded community music development programmes in South Africa. In addition, she received the ABRSM Tercentenary Travel Grant Award for Music Teachers in 1997 and the Unisa South African Music Scholarship in 1985. As a clarinet/saxophone teacher she has received numerous awards from the Artscape and SANLAM National Music Competitions, as well as the Unisa Directorate Music for excellence in instrumental tuition. Dr Voges is the former Director: Music of the Unisa Directorate Music in Pretoria.

String, Harp & Guitar Department

Ms Zelda Wepner - Violin & Viola

Zelda Wepner (née Hofstander) graduated from the University of Stellenbosch with a BMus (2004) and HonsBA (2005) and also obtained her UTLM (violin) in 2008. She studied violin with Suzanne Martens and piano with Dr Liezl-Maret Jacobs. She gained teaching experience working part-time at the Beau Soleil and Frank Pietersen Music Centres and the Redefine Music Project in Kuilsrivier. Zelda has received merit awards from Unisa for outstanding teaching and has been asked to adjudicate at Eistedfoddau. She has been a committee member of the South African Society for Music Teachers since 2011 – 2018. Zelda was invited to join the board of Unisa examiners in 2016 and is currently an active Unisa examiner. Teaching is her passion and many of her students have pursued a career in music.

Ms Maretha van der Walt - Violin & Viola

Maretha van der Walt studied violin with Louis van der Watt, and composition with Prof. Hans Roosenschoon, at the University of Stellenbosch. She graduated with a BMus in 2010 and HonsBMus (cum laude) in 2012. She was awarded a bursary, allowing her to complete a portion of her postgraduate studies in composition with Prof. Lasse Thoresen at the Norwegian Academy of Music in Oslo. After her studies, she moved to Johannesburg in 2012 where she taught violin at the King David Jewish Academy of Music and Randburg High School. During this time, she was also a member of, and toured with the Johannesburg Philharmonic Orchestra. She is currently an ad hoc member of the Cape Town Philharmonic Orchestra.

Ms Lee-Ann Cloete - Violin & Viola

Lee-Ann Cloete completed her undergraduate studies at Stellenbosch University. Thereafter, she completed her Masters in Viola Performance at the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire in the UK. While at Birmingham Conservatoire, Lee-Ann won the Florian Leonhard Bow Competition. Lee-Ann has received masterclasses from Nobuko Imai, Tatjana Masurenko, Thomas Riebl and Simon Rowland-Jones.

Ms Lynn Donson - Cello

Lynne Donson completed her BMus performance under the tutelage of Marian Lewin in 2016, studying at the University of Cape Town. Lynne was the recipient of a study bursary and accepted as a cadet of Camerata Tinta Barocca in 2015. During her time at UCT, she served as principal cellist of the UCT Symphony Orchestra and co-leader of the Cape Philharmonic Youth Orchestra. Lynne has played in various orchestras in Cape Town and Namibia.

Mr Uliano Marcio - Guitar

Uliano Marchio was born in Cape Town and studied the guitar in London and Barcelona, after which he did radio broadcasts on Spanish and Norwegian National Radios. After returning to Cape Town he did regular concerts and radio broadcasts, and later television broadcasts as well. He played the main guitar concerti several times with various orchestras including the Lambeth Orchestra in London and started the guitar department at the S.A.College of Music and Stellenbosch Conservatoire. Moving to Italy for 20 years his main activity was joint recitals with his wife Marisa, soprano, and teaching both privately and in Italian Conservatorios. He served on the juries of international guitar competitions and concertised with Marisa in Europe and the Middle East. Having returned to Cape Town he teaches at Westerford High School and the Hugo Lambrechts Music Centre.

Ms Megan van der Merwe - Guitar

Ms Jane Theron - Harp

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Jane Theron (neé Bullen) grew up in Cape Town. The harp became a central part of her life while still at school at Springfield Convent. Beti Woolley was her teacher and mentor until she graduated with a BA (Mus) from UCT in 1968. Fortuitously she was appointed almost immediately as Principal Harpist in the PACT Orchestra and played as such for four years. After her marriage to Steve Theron, she followed a freelance path playing in all the various orchestras in SA, partnering with many fine musicians for concerts and recitals and enjoying the ‘wedding circuit’. Teaching became a central facet in her life once the family settled in Cape Town. Music faculties of the Universities of Stellenbosch and Cape Town engaged her, but she really settled into passing on her legacy when invited by Leon Hartshorne of the Hugo Lambrechts Music Centre to form the Harp Department. 16 students since then have passed through her hands with several excelling, winning national competitions and taking part in the many events that are organized for young musicians today.

Woodwinds & Voice

Mr Liam Burden - Saxophone & Clarinet

Saxophonist and conductor Liam Burden is based at the Hugo Lambrechts Music Centre in Parow, Cape Town, where he teaches saxophone and clarinet and is principal conductor of the Hugo Lambrechts Symphony Orchestra. Liam graduated, cum laude, from the University of Stellenbosch with a specialization in saxophone performance. While an honours student he was afforded the opportunity to do a semester of study at the West Virginia University, USA, under Dr Michael Ibrahim. As a saxophonist, Liam has competed in all the major competitions in South Africa and given numerous performances. Most recently he formed part of the Connections Saxophone Quartet, made up of French and South African saxophonists, and performed to rave reviews in a two-week tour along the southern coast of South Africa. As a conductor Liam has conducted performances with the Hugo Lambrechts Symphony Orchestra at the Greyton/Genadendal Classics for all Festival, the Tulbagh Arts Festival and many concerts in the Hugo Lambrechts auditorium including the annual Hugo Lambrechts Concerto Festival often premiering new South African compositions. Liam was musical director of the musical Brothers which was staged at the HB Thom theatre in Stellenbosch, and the conductor of the first KOMPOS Concert. Further conducting commitments include conducting for the WCED Prestige Concert, which afforded top achieving grade 12 learners the opportunity to perform concerti with a professional orchestra, and conductor for a faculty concert at the 2014 Stellenbosch International Chamber Music Festival made up of international musicians from South Africa and the USA. Liam is a part-time saxophone lecturer at the University of Stellenbosch.

Ms Jeanie Kelly - Flute

Jeanie started playing the flute at the age of 13. In 2005 she obtains a BMus in flute performance from the University of Stellenbosch, where she studies under Eva Tamassy. In 2006 she studied flute with Liesl Stoltz and obtained a BMusHons in flute performance from the University of Cape Town. She has received master classes from Lady Jeanne Galway, Trevor Wye, Susan Milan, Hansgeorg Schmeiser, Karin Leitner and Alex Klein. She started teaching flute at Hugo Lambrechts Music Centre in 2010. Her students regularly participate in eisteddfodau and competitions such as the Samro Hubert van der Spuy and National Youth Music Competition. Her flute ensemble won the school category of the National Ensemble Competition in 2012.

Ms Charlene Saayman - Clarinet & Saxophone

Charlene Saayman has been acquainted with the Hugo Lambrechts Centre since 1992 as a clarinet student. She completed her BMus degree through Unisa, and also completed UTLM, and UPLM on Clarinet. She has been teaching at the Music Centre in a full-time capacity since 2001. Many of her students have excelled and some follow successful careers in music in South Africa and abroad. She is also the conductor of the Hugo Lambrechts Senior Wind Band. Besides music, her hobbies include running and, most important of all, is a mother of twins, Michael and Chloé.

Ms Andrea van der Speck - Oboe

Ms Caron Tremble - Bassoon

Ms Marisa Marchio - Voice

Marisa was born in Italy and came to South Africa with her parents. She studied singing with Flora Nielsen at the Royal Academy at the suggestion of renowned accompanist Gerald Moore. After her marriage she formed the Duo Marchio with her husband, Uliano Marchio, performing extensively in South Africa, Europe and Middle East Countries in concert, as well as radio and television broadcasts. She sang many leading operatic roles both in South Africa and Italy and sang Verdi’s Requiem, Brahms’ Eine Deutches Requiem Rossini’s Pettit Messe Solennelle, Vivaldi’s Gloria, the first performances of Persichini’s Stabat Mater for Vatican Radio and Summer Songs by Francesco Antonioni and Strauss’s Vier Letzte Lieder with the Lambeth Orchestra in London. She received the Mario del Monaco Targa d’Oro prize for her excellence in singing and La Maschera con Lauro d’Oro a major Italian Theatre Award. She taught at the Lecce Conservatorio in Italy, and S.A. College of Music, UCT. In 2005 she was appointed as Voice Coach for Cape Town Opera. She sat on juries of international competitions and was external examiner at Conservatorio Santa Cecilia in Rome.

Ms Marcelle Steinmetz - Voice

Brass

Ms Carin Brand - Trombone, Euphonium & Tuba

Carin Brand studied at the University of the Free State and started her teaching career as an English teacher at Queen’s College Boys’ High School in Queenstown. She taught Music at Paarl Boys’ High School before joining Hugo Lambrechts Music Centre as the Head of Department: Brass in 2008.

Mr Ronaldo Wales - Trumpet

Renaldo Wales started playing the trumpet in 2004 in the church brigades and took lessons at the Hugo Lambrechts Music Centre. He was the principal trumpeter of the Hugo Lambrechts Symphony Orchestra as well as the Hugo Lambrechts Symphonic Wind Band.

In 2009 he became the principal trumpeter for the Cape Town Philharmonic Youth Orchestra and in 2011 he enrolled at the University of Stellenbosch. He was the principal trumpet player in the University of Stellenbosch Symphony Orchestra, Symphonic Wind and Brass Ensemble. and is also a member of WindWorx and Cape Town Concert Brass.

Renaldo was selected as on-stage trumpeter to perform Porgy and Bess in Téatro Real, Madrid (2015) and Teatro Colon, Buenos Aires (2016) with the Cape Town Opera.

He has received masterclasses from Manu Asensi (Spain), Pièrre Du Tôt (France), Leon Pétré (Belgium), Hans Zeller (Germany), Rik Ghesquière (Belgium), Francesc Castello (Spain) and Richard Gonzalez (Spain).

Ms Lindsey Mulgrew - French Horn & Piano

Lindsay Mulgrew began piano lessons with her mother at the age of five. Given a choice of instruments to learn in high school she chose French Horn and had achieved Grade 8 distinctions in both instruments before leaving school. She was offered a place at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, London to continue learning horn and during her time there studied with Michael Thompson, Tony Chidell, Tony Halstead and Jeff Bryant. After completing her studies there she continued in London doing free-lance work around the UK and spending the summer season in Germany playing for the Kurorchester Bad Wiessee and the SüdBayerische Philharmonie where she also appeared as a soloist on a number of occasions. Originally from Scotland, she came to Cape Town as 3rd Horn in the CAPAB Orchestra in 1992 and has been a member of the Cape Town Philharmonic Orchestra since its formation in 2001. She has been the French Horn teacher at Hugo Lambrechts since 2008.

Other

Ms Carike Byker - Piano & Theory

Carike Byker obtained her BMus (Cum Laude) and BMusHons (Cum Laude) at the University of Stellenbosch (2007-2011), with piano and flute as main instruments, and specialising in flute performance. In 2011 she added part-time organ studies to her musical activities and in 2017 became Colleague of the Royal College of Organists, after successfully completing studies abroad. During this time, she taught in various schools in London, United Kingdom. For a change of scenery Carike frequently takes part in road running events.

Ms Vanessa Phillips - Piano, Music Theory & Basic Music Education

Vanessa holds a BMus in piano performance from the University of Stellenbosch as well as a Performance Diploma from the Royal Schools of Music. She had her debut as soloist with the Cape Philharmonic Orchestra while at University. Vanessa is an active chamber musician, specializing in piano accompaniment. She has a special interest in inclusive education, especially pertaining to music education and community development. She has experience in directing and assisting community projects aimed at choral music workshops, community dance theatres and arts initiatives.

Ms Tessa De Groote - Piano

Tessa De Groote obtained her BMus and Piano Performer’s Licentiate (Chamber Music) through UNISA, with the late Professor Lamar Crowson as her instructor. During these years, she and her ensemble won third and the year after, second prize, at the Oude Meester National Chamber Music Competition. She also appeared several times as soloist with the CTSO. After 10 years of teaching and doing accompanying work at Herschel Girls School, she returned to freelancing, teaching from home and accompanying for exams and eisteddfods, as well as doing some film music composition and attending Vocal Accompaniment courses in France. She is currently studying the Taubman piano method, an ergonomic approach to the piano developed by American piano professor Dorothy Taubman.