The first-ever Franschhoek Chamber Music Festival (FCMF) will be held at various venues in the quaint town from Thursday 24 to Sunday 27 February.
It is presented by the FCMF and the Cape Town Philharmonic Orchestra (CPO), with the anchor being the 10 official chamber music concerts performed by the orchestra’s musicians. Several additional performances and music and visual arts exhibitions, special meals and MCC tastings are also on the cards for the fest.
“Everyone is delighted that musicians from the CPO will perform several masterpieces in a chamber concert style,” said festival chairperson Nic Barrow. “Given what the town has to offer, the chamber music festival is long overdue, especially now that so many music lovers and connoisseurs are desperate to experience an intimate occasion of excellence. And there is no better place than this town to combine chamber music with haute cuisine, world-class MCC and fine art.”
Over the four days the official concerts will be performed at the Franschhoek Dutch Reformed church and the Chamber Music Hall of the old wine cellar at the La Motte Estate. Smaller concerts will be held at the cellars of Le Lude, various estates, restaurants and guest houses.
The festival’s music curator is well-known cellist and artistic director of the award-winning Stellenbosch University Camerata, Peter Martens. The art doyenne Ilse Schermers Griesel is the fest’s visual art curator, while well-known wine writer Emile Joubert is the wine curator.
The festival artist is Jan Vermeiren, who designed the festival’s official visual image. An exhibition of his latest creations will be combined with the work of other recent South African artists in many mediums. Ceramic and sculptural work will form part of the exhibition, including works by Anton and Esra Bosch.
For more, visit www.fcmf.co.za.
