Capricorn private wealth baroque festival sets its tune

The Namibian National Symphony Orchestra (NNSO), supported by Capricorn Private Wealth, is preparing for another exciting and engaging programme for this year’s Baroque Festival, which will take place on Saturday, 20 and Sunday, 21 April 2024, at the NG Church on Daniel Munamava Street in Windhoek.

Board member of the NNSO, Irmgard Rannersmann, said the festival strives to encourage young Namibian artists and their music to progress. “The NNSO allows youth to perform at concerts with the Orchestra. We invite musicians from the Youth Orchestra of Namibia (YONA), the College of the Arts, and private music institutions to participate in the Orchestra,” she said.

NNSO considers this event an excellent opportunity for young players to learn about the workings of an orchestra and see how devoted musicians can work together to produce a work of art.

The festival will see a combination of talent by Gloria Del Mar, who will sing “Non-Lo Diro col labbro” from the Opera Tolomeo by Handel; Tatjana Verchusa will play the first movement of the Concerto in G for violin by Vivaldi; Anna Verchusa will play Allegro on the flute from Vivaldi’s Concerto “Il Gardellino”; Anina Becker on the recorder will play the first and second movements of Concerto in F by Telemann. Kiran Wolf and Shali Hamulungu will play the concerto’s first movement for two Celli by famous Baroque composer Antonio Vivaldi.

A viola concerto by Telemann will be played by Angelo Tadesse, Olivia Stommel on the violin playing the first movement of another concerto by Telemann, and Pieter Kotze on the harpsichord performing the first movement of Maurice Greene’s concerto transcribed from his 12 organ voluntaries.

The NNSO will treat its audience to the first movement of the third Brandenburg concerto by Johann Sebastian Bach. As its main work, the Orchestra will perform the third orchestral suite in D major, also by Johann Sebastian Bach. This piece includes the famous “Air” movement, often called “Air on the G-String.” NNSO’s two Oboe players -Michelle Du Preez and Annika Paulus, will join the ensemble.

Young and dynamic conductor from South Africa, Xavier Cloete, will once again stand in front of the Orchestra. He conducted the NNSO at last year’s Baroque Festival, and the Saint-Saens Oratorio performed in December 2023 with the Cantare Audire Choir.

Tickets for the Festival are available at webtickets.com.na, Pick’nPay, or at the doors of the “Moedergemeente” Church on the nights of the concerts. Tickets cost N$200 for adults and N$130 for students and pensioners.