Classical musicians hitting the right notes

Two young classical musicians will head to Cape Town soon, to compete in the National Youth Music Competition (NYMC). Roodepoort residents Willie Naudé and Vaughan Mclea will be competing from 8 to 12 October at the Hugo Lambrechts Auditorium in Parow, Cape Town.

Vaughan Mclea,17, from Bergbron, plays the cello and attends Helpmekaar Kollege. Willie Naude, another 17-year-old cellist, is from Wilro Park and attends Hoerskool Monument. They will be among 20 of the top classical musicians aged 14 to 19 competing for R145 000 in prize money as well as gold, silver and bronze medals. Far greater than the cash prize and medals is a chance to perform in a concert at Overstrand Arts in Hermanus.

The competition is held over four rounds. All musicians participate in the first two rounds. A maximum of 12 musicians will progress to the third round with six being selected for Round 4. In this final round held on 12 October, the final six will play accompanied by the Cape Town Philharmonic Orchestra. The competition is a gruelling contest. Each participant will be playing an extensive repertoire from different style periods. Last year, 19 participants played a total of 137 works over the four rounds. This competition is a test of stamina, technical excellence and strong interpretative skills.

The National Youth Music Competition is supported by the Oppenheimer Memorial Trust, the Rupert Music Foundation, the Cape Town Theatre Trust, the Joan St Leger Lindbergh Charitable Trust, the Nussbaum Foundation, the Lorenzo and Stella Chiappini Trust, Overstrand Arts and the Ackerman Education Trust, UNISA and the City of Cape Town.