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Danell Herbst

By Aural

danellherbst@sun.ac.za

Danell Herbst joined the Department of Music at Stellenbosch University in July 2011 as lecturer in Music Education, Teaching Practice and Aural Training.

She completed her BMus studies (cum laude) in 2006 at North-West University, Potchefstroom where she specialized in Music Theory & Piano Methodology. Her final year dissertation, supervised by Hannes Taljaard, proposed an integrated approach to music theory instruction material. In 2011 she received her MMus degree (cum laude) in Music Theory Instruction & Music Education from North-West University, Potchefstroom under supervision of Hetta Potgieter and Seugnet Blignaut.

Danell held various teaching positions since 2001: teacher of several music instruments at Bloemhof Combined School and Carletonville High School; student assistant and facilitator for undergraduate music theory modules at North-West University; developer and teacher in the Isandla Usizo Music & Life Skills Project at Potchefstroom Primary School; teacher of junior musicianship at Sonare Music Academy, Potchefstroom; developer, teacher and coordinator of the musicianship programme and music theory teacher in the Musikhane Community Project, North-West University. From 2008-2011 Danell held a part-time teaching position in Music Education and Music Notation & Theory at North-West University.

Danell is a member of the following professional groups and societies: SASRIM (South African Society for Research in Music), ISME (International Society of Music Education), and SASMT (South African Society for Music Teachers).

During the first semester of 2008, she was an exchange student in music education to the University of Jyväskylä, Finland. She also performed as a trumpeter in the Buzzin’ Brass Ensemble, the PUK Symphony Orchestra, and the NWU School of Music Wind and Jazz Ensemble.

Currently her time is devoted to the iProsper Project situated at Rietenbosch Primary School. This project serves as case study for her PhD research on the application of the Self-Determination Theory.

September 14, 2016
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Martin Berger

By Choral Conducting

maberger@sun.ac.za

Martin is one of the most popular, versatile and successful German choir conductors and combines artistic practice and academic teaching on a high level. After many years in service as Music Director of Würzburg Cathedral and Professor in Choral pedagogy at the Robert-Schumann-Musikhochschule in Düsseldorf, Germany, Martin has accepted an appointment to come to Stellenbosch University in 2013.

Martin studied in Düsseldorf and Saarbrücken and (post)graduated in church music, music education, musicology, German literature and choral conducting. Master classes and artistic collaborations (eg. with Eric Ericson, Anders Eby, Gary Graden) introduced him to the major Scandinavian choir directors who influenced his approach to choral music in a significant way.

During his time as Director of Music at Würzburg Cathedral (2002 – 2013), he developed the Cathedral music to one of the foremost institutions of its kind in Germany. As a Professor in choral pedagogy at the Robert Schumann Hochschule in Düsseldorf from 2008-2013, he developed and taught modern teaching techniques of choral music.

A particular focus of his work is in the field of contemporary and early music.
Martin was awarded numerous times for his achievements. With the chamber choir he founded at Würzburg Cathedral, he won the international choral competitions in Malta (2007) and the prestigious Schubert competition in Vienna (2008).

Martin is in great international demand as a guest-conductor, master class-leader, guest lecturer, adjudicator and scholar. Concert tours, guest lectures and master classes have taken him regularly to almost all European countries, Australia, China, many African countries and the United States.

Since April 2013 he teaches at Stellenbosch University where he is developing a new concept for the choral conducting training, and is also the Head of the newly created Unit for Early Music.

He has recently been appointed visiting guest lecturer at the Ludwig Maximilian University’s Institute for Music Education in Munich and serves as an advisor for the World Youth and Children Choral Artists’ Association (WYCCAA).

For more information about Martin see: www.martinberger.eu

More information about Choral Conducting at SU: https://www.facebook.com/Choral-Conducting-at-Stellenbosch-University-432956236798449/?fref=ts

PUBLICATIONS

Berger, M. 2015. Nkosi sikelel’ iAfrika – Südafrika 20 Jahre nach Ende der Apartheid.  Lehrer und Schule heute – Zeitschrift des Saarländischen Lehrerinnen und Lehrerverbandes, 66(5), May: 94-97. (ISSN 2190-5878)

Albrecht, C. & Berger, M. 2013. Todesnachrichten – Siegfried Koesler (1937-2012), Domkapellmeister in Würzburg von 1971 – 2002.  Musik & Liturgie, 138(1), 49. (ISSN 1420-5409)

Sperling, O., Berger, M., Kiefer, T., Leenen, F.,  Schnell, J., Sichler-Karle, G. (eds). 2011. Singen von Gottes Wegen – Chorbuch Pueri Cantores III. Stuttgart: Carus-Verlag.

Berger, M. 2010. Architektur des Klanges – Die neuen Räume der Würzburger Dommusik, in J. Lenssen (ed). Architektur der Gegenwart in der Diözese Würzburg. Würzburg: Bau- und Kunstreferat der Diözese. 44-45

Gabriel, T. & Berger, M. 2006. Cantemus in viis Domini für Solostimme, Chor SATB, Oboe, Sopransaxophon, Fagott, Trompete in C, Posaune, Pauken, Vibraphon, 2 Violinen, Viola, Violoncello, Kontrabass und Rhythmusgruppe. Stuttgart: Carus-Verlag

Strauß-König, R. & Berger, M. 2002. Zeige uns den Weg für  Chor SATB und  Klavier. in: Chorbuch Unterwegs. München: Strube-Verlag

Strauß-König, R. & Berger, M. 2002. Zeige uns den Weg für  Chor SATB und  Klavier. in: Chorbuch Unterwegs. München: Strube-Verlag

Jansens, P. & Berger, M. 2002. Mit Maria preist den Herren für  Chor SATB und  Klavier. in: Chorbuch Unterwegs. München: Strube-Verlag

Stimmer-Salzeder, K., Reuß, A. & Berger, M. 2002. Wenn wir unsre Gaben bringen  für  Chor SATB und  Klavier. in: Chorbuch Unterwegs. München: Strube-Verlag

September 14, 2016
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Inge Engelbrecht

By Certificate Programme

iaengelb@sun.ac.za

Inge Engelbrecht completed her bachelor’s degree in music in 2002 at the Stellenbosch University (SU), after which she worked as an educator in Washington, DC, the United Arab Emirates and South Korea. She returned to South Africa in 2008 and began working in the Certificate Programme in Music at the SU Music Department in 2009, and subsequently in the Higher Certificate course, the Diploma in Practical Music course and the degree programme. She completed her honours degree in music education in 2010 with a dissertation investigating the academic and social profile of the Certificate Programme students within a novel musical context. In 2014, Inge began work on the Genadendal project, which aimed to document the music practices and traditions of this first mission station in South Africa. She completed her master’s degree in musicology (cum laude) in 2017 with the thesis entitled Komponiste van Genadendal (Composers from Genadendal), a work that analyses and documents the lives and compositions of three coloured composer-musicians who have strong ties to Genadendal. She has presented research papers at musicological conferences across South Africa, as well as at the Writing about Contemporary Artists conference at the University of Surrey in 2017 and the Christian Congregational Music conference in Oxford in 2019. Her publications include a review article titled District Six-Kanala: why I am not laughing (2018). Her research interests include Christian church music practices and the music practices of coloured people and communities in South Africa.

She is currently a PhD candidate in musicology at the Africa Open Institute for Music, Research and Innovation at SU where the main focus of her study is the music and practices of the koortjie in the coloured church communities of the Western Cape.

September 14, 2016
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Felicia Lesch

By Certificate Programme

fsmlesch@sun.ac.za

Felicia Lesch matriculated from Livingstone High School, and graduated with a BMus (Ed) degree from the University of Cape Town and a MMus from Stellenbosch University respectively. Her teaching career ranges from primary school to teacher training college and includes a long stint at Heathfield High School where she established a strong music department. Whilst in this position, she was responsible for the organisation of numerous outreach activities, including tours and events for music learners throughout South Africa and Namibia. In 2000, at the invitation of the Indonesian government, she travelled to Java in order to study the art of teaching and playing the angklung – an indigenous Indonesian instrument. In addition, she was appointed as Chief Examiner for the Western Cape Education Department Standard Grade written examination (harmony & theory) from 2000-2003. Felicia has always had strong roots in community engagement and since 1999 has been teaching at the Western Cape Music Education Project which was directed by Ronnie Samaai and which she currently manages. She was appointed at the University of Stellenbosch in 2003 and is currently the director of the Certificate Programme, the largest outreach activity in the Department of Music at SU. Under her direction, the Certificate Programme has grown to include satellite campuses, such as the campus at the Army Base in Youngsfield, Wynberg. Several significant community partnerships have also been established with among others, the Elgin Learning Foundation, Mitchell’s Plain Academy of Music and the Arts and the Athlone Academy of Music.

Felicia is also passionate about jazz education, and has been taking students to the National Youth Jazz Festival since 1999. Her involvement at the festival expanded to teaching and later to becoming a member of the selection panel for the National Schools Big Band, which she was selected to conduct in 2009. Her appointment as Lecturer in Community Music signals acknowledgement of the significant contribution of community music to our musical landscape and heralds new directions in research and teaching at the Music Department at Stellenbosch University. Highlights of her achievements at SU include the Rector’s Award for Excellence which she received in 2010 and 2014 and the establishment of Stellenbosch University Jazz band, (category and overall winner of the National Ensemble Competition 2012), which she conducts.  She is also a member of the board of Directors of the Cape Town Philharmonic Orchestra and has served as adjudicator for various competitions, eisteddfodau and cultural festivals which include the Unisa Gr 8 scholarship competition, the Tygerberg International and Kaapse Afrikaanse eisteddfodau, the Cape Malay Choir Competition, the SAMRO Overseas Scholarship Competition and the SAMRO Hubert van der Spuy National Music Competition. She is passionate about music as a vehicle for social change and remains deeply committed to those ideals.

September 14, 2016
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Erik Dippenaar

By Accompanists

Erik Dippenaar

erikdip@gmail.com

In 2003 Erik Dippenaar obtained the degree BMus (cum laude) from the University of Stellenbosch, and was awarded a MMus (with distinction) by the Royal College of Music in London in 2007. The following year he completed an Artist Diploma in Performance at the Royal College under Jane Chapman (harpsichord) and Geoffrey Govier (fortepiano).

As a student in South Africa, Erik won most of the important music competitions, including the ABSA National Youth Music Competition (2000), UNISA National Organ Competition (2001), Mabel Quick Bursary Competition (2001), ATKV Musiq Competition (2002), the organ category of Distell Music Competition (2002) and the Unisa Overseas Bursary competition (2003).

From 2005 to 2011 Erik was based in London, where he played in various important early music festivals such as the Greenwich Early Music Festival, the London Handel Festival, the Brighton Early Music Festival and the Trigonale Festival der Alten Musik. His primary activity is chamber music and he has performed regularly with Florilegium, The London Handel Players, l’Avventura London, Amaranthos and Spirituoso.  Erik’s work for Florilegium has led to collaborations with singers such as dame Emma Kirkby, Robin Blaze, Johanette Zomer and Gillian Keith. He also worked with the English Touring Opera, the Little Baroque Company and Ensemble Serse on a regular basis.

While in Londen, Erik gave regular solo recitals, which included a recital for the British Harpsichord Society, as well as regular broadcasts for BBC Radio 3. In 2010 he made his debut in the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam.

Erik was one of the official accompanists for the annual London Handel Singing Competition, and in March 2008 he was awarded the competition’s Accompanist’s Prize. He won the RCM Early Music Competition twice, and was a member of the group Musici Infaticabili, who won the Broadwood Early Keyboard Ensemble Competition in Fenton House in May 2008. During 2008/2009 Erik was appointed as Mills/Williams Junior Fellow at the RCM, and he taught harpsichord at the Centre for Young Musicians in London.

Erik is currently Artistic Director of the Cape Town-based baroque orchestra Camerata Tinta Barocca, a member of the period ensemble The Cape Consort and a part-time lecturer in music history and historical performance practice at the University of Cape Town. He is now studying towards a PhD in music at UCT, focussing on the role historical domestic keyboard instruments played in the colonisation process in Southern Africa. He has recently been awarded a Research Associateship by the University of Cape Town.

September 7, 2016
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