The final concert of the National Grahamstown Music Competition played to a delighted audience
on Saturday when nine young finalists demonstrated their talent at the end of three tense days.
The final concert of the National Grahamstown Music Competition played to a delighted audience
on Saturday when nine young finalists demonstrated their talent at the end of three tense days.
Whether we once played it or have ever admired it, most of us have guessed how much work goes into commanding the art of making music. But, for a young musician, their dedication comes at a cost.
The three junior finalists were chosen from a pool of 15 musicians ranging in age from 10 to 13 years old. Colette du Toit, Beate Boshoff and Annerike du Plessis were the three who stood out most with their highly skilled and beautiful piano recitals.
Du Toit, 11, from Pretoria, won third prize for her rendition of H Joubert’s Naglied. She first started playing the piano at the age of six, after much encouragement from her mother. “I can also play the violin but my favourite is the piano,”
Colette told Grocott’s Mail. Her skill at the piano can only have been obtained by very hard work and experience. “I have to practice every day”, she said, “but I really enjoy it. I like to compete and the piece I played tonight was my favourite.”
Beate Boshoff, 10, from Bethlehem, echoed Colette, adding, “I practice a lot and, before my performances, I have to play my pieces twice.” Boshoff won second place for her performance of Diabelli’s Sonatina No. 8 and will be participating in at least two more competitions this year.
The winner of the junior section was Annerike du Plessis, 13, from Stellenbosch. Losing herself in the music, she was a professional in a young girl’s body as she brought to thrilling life the Beethoven Room of the Rhodes Music Department with the sounds of Khachaturian’s Toccata. Du Plessis began playing the piano at the age of five. Like Du Toit, she got much encouragement from her mother, who is a choir conductor. “I love music,” said Annerike. “I hope to study it one day, perhaps in Cape Town.”
Like her colleagues, Du Plessis has to practice every day and it can often get difficult to juggle that with school work.
“It is hard to do everything but I do it because my dream, although it may sound clichéd, is to go to Juilliard,” she said.
The Grahamstown National Music Festival is over but, said Du Toit, “I enjoyed the festival – we’ll be back next year!”
