US Music

josedias351@gmail.com

Portuguese-born José Dias is a regular presence in all major concert halls and Arts Festivals in South Africa. In recent seasons, international performances have taken him to Portugal, Mozambique, Israel, Switzerland, Belgium, Austria, including extensive tours of the Netherlands and Germany, with repeated appearances in such historic halls as the Berliner Philharmonie, Münchner Philharmonie, Beethovenhalle in Bonn, Baden-Baden Festspielhaus, among many others.

José is in high demand as soloist, chamber musician and vocal accompanist and coach, and has also been the musical director of Cape Town Opera’s internationally acclaimed touring productions African Angels and African Passion, as well as Biblioteek Productions’ operatic productions such as Poskantoor, La Voix Humaine and The Recycled Magic Flute. Recently he also wrote new music and took the musical direction of Piekniek by Mpande, a modern day reimagining of the seminal Afrikaans protest cabaret Piekniek by Dingaan as well as the 2019 Fleur du Cap Awards Ceremony, at the Artscape Opera House. These productions and his involvement therein, have made him the recipient of several awards, from festivals such as Woordfees, KKNK, Aardklop, as well as Fiësta and Fleur du Cap Awards.

He was co-creator and curator of the RISE concert series in collaboration with the Cape Philharmonic Orchestra – a platform for the display of young SA classical talent – and is also an avid supporter of contemporary music, having premiered several works by composers such as Hendrik Hofmeyr, Alexander Johnson and Conrad Asman. Many of these (some written especially for him) have been recorded and are available on CD.

mioanna506@gmail.com

Ioanna Matei is a part-time oboe lecturer at the Stellenbosch University, the University of Cape Town’s College of Music and at the Beau Soleil Music Centre in Kenilworth.

She was born in Romania. At the age of fourteen she entered the Bucharest High School of Music where she studied oboe with the legendary Pavel Tornea, and in 1972 she matriculated with Distinction with a Baccalaureate Diploma, majoring in oboe.

After passing the entrance examination, she studied oboe with Radu Chisu (international prize-winning oboe-player) at the Bucharest Conservatoire of Music, obtaining with Distinction her Master’s Degree in oboe performance. During her studies, Ioanna was very involved in different chamber music groups and she also played in the Bucharest Conservatory Symphony Orchestra.

After her graduation she was appointed oboe teacher at the Bucharest School of Music and she also played as a permanent extra with the Romanian Radio & Television Symphony Orchestra.

In 1980 she obtained with Distinction the Higher Diploma in Education on Oboe, and continued to teach at the Bucharest School of Music until 1985, when she left Romania.

After coming to South Africa in 1985 she has established herself as a leading oboe teacher in Cape Town. Her students have obtained numerous distinctions at the Royal Schools of Music examinations and Eisteddfods competitions, and have been playing first oboe in the South Africa National Youth Orchestra, the Stellenbosch International Chamber Music Festival, Miaggi, Cape Philharmonic Youth Orchestra, and the orchestras of Stellenbosch and Cape Town universities and as ad-hoc players with the Cape Town Philharmonic.

Liam.saxophone@gmail.com

Liam Burden graduated from the University of Stellenbosch with a BMus  and a BMusHons cum laude. He specialized in saxophone performance under Darryl Walters. During his Honours year Liam was afforded the opportunity of studying abroad at the West Virginia University in the United States of America where he studied saxophone with Dr Michael Ibrahim and conducting with Dr Mitchell Arnold. In collaboration with the composition department, Liam successfully conducted the first KOMPOS concert which included works composed by the students for the event. In 2009 Liam collaborated with the University of Stellenbosch Drama Department, and Peter Krummeck, as the musical director for the play with music entitled Brothers.

Liam has been a member of staff at the Hugo Lambrechts Music Centre since January 2012 where he teaches saxophone and clarinet. Liam is conductor of the Hugo Lambrechts Symphony Orchestra.

drawalters@gmail.com

Darryl Walters had his musical training at Kneller Hall, London, under the principal clarinet of the Covent Garden Opera House, Maurice Cody. He then spent three years in Detmold, Germany, based with the Royal Scots Grey Band and toured extensively throughout Europe. After leaving the army he enrolled at the Guildhall School of Music for three years, where he studied clarinet under Wilfred Kealey, bass clarinet under Stephen Trier, saxophones under the late Michael Krien and the flute under Jane Davis. After leaving Guildhall he toured with various orchestras and continued his studies with world renowned clarinettists and principal clarinet of the BBC Symphony Orchestra, Jack Brymer.

Upon coming to South Africa, Darryl Walters played in the Cape Town Symphony Orchestra for six years and ten years with the CAPAB orchestra. He also freelanced as an ad hoc member for the SABC orchestra and Durban orchestra. Highlights from his performing career have included tours with singing superstar Natalie Cole, recording for early television programmes and performing Artie Shaw’s clarinet concerto.

Darryl Walters was a founding member of the Hugo Lambrechts Music Centre where he was head of department of the Woodwinds from its inception in 1986 until his retirement. During his tenure at the music centre Darryl conducted the “Swing Band”. Many of his students have gone on to become professional performing musicians and music teachers not only in South Africa but throughout the rest of the world. Darryl is still actively involved in music education in Cape Town and the surrounding areas and lectures saxophone at Stellenbosch University.

lerienne@gmail.com

Lerienne’s passion for the flute started under the tutelage of Liesl Stoltz. She continued to study with her at the University of Cape Town where she competed her BMus degree in 2011. There she received distinction for flute as well as appearing on the Dean’s Merit List for Academic Achievement. In 2015 Lerienne completed her MMus degree, Cum Laude, under Professor Corvin Matei at Stellenbosch University.

Lerienne has played as a soloist with the University of Cape Town Orchestra as well as the Rhodes University Orchestra. She has also performed with various orchestras and has played as a session musician for numerous local films and music productions.

Lerienne started her teaching career in 2010 and has since been passionately teaching at numerous schools and institutions.

benedetta@oliomio.co.za

Benedetta Lami was born in Rome, Italy. After spending her childhood in cities such as Teheran, Singapore and Paris, she returned to Italy to complete her High School studies. She then went on to graduate with distinction in Political Science at the University of Florence. During this time, she was also a private tutor and hostess for fashion events & conferences. In 2001, Benedetta moved to Stellenbosch where she has been living with her husband and son, ever since.

Over the course of her professional career, Benedetta has worked as a PA to the Chairperson of a Lobbying and Public Affairs Company in Rome and extensively in the fashion industry as Sales Person in the Versace show-room in Milan, and Responsible for the Press Office and PR for a fashion designer in Milan.

At present, she is the Sole Agent for South Africa for Mori-TEM, an Italian company which produces olive oil extraction equipment, and a Professional Olive Oil Taster and competition judge. Benedetta has also been teaching Italian at the Dante Alighieri School in Stellenbosch since 2008 and has been a part-time lecturer (Italian for Singers) at Stellenbosch University since 2010.

Benedetta speaks fluent Italian (mother tongue), English, French as well as conversational Spanish.

The passion for classical music and opera runs in her family. Her great-grandfather, Maestro Marco Falgheri (1872-1919), born in Ostuni (Italy), was a violinist, conductor and composer, and a great friend of Maestro Cilea. This passion gripped Benedetta at a very young age when she attended her first opera, Giuseppe Verdi’s Aida performed at the Roman ruins of Caracalla, at the age of 9.

laurendasappa@sun.ac.za

Durban born soprano, Lauren Dasappa is a dynamic and committed musical artist exhibiting expressive music-making that deeply touches the emotions of audiences, connecting with people from all walks of life.

Dasappa has performed numerous operatic roles including acclaimed performances as Papagena in Mozart’s Die Zauberflöte,  Zerlina (Don Giovanni), Despina (Cosi fan tutte) and Susanna (Le nozze di Figaro) – Mozart – Da Ponte trilogy and Gretel in Humperdick’s “Hansel and Gretel”. She has in addition to this performed many oratorio and Baroque works which allowed her the opportunity of touring with Baroque orchestra, Baroque 2000.

Dasappa maintains an extensive concert repertoire of standard and modern works and is profoundly supportive of the revival of the art song recital. Lauren appears frequently with the KZN Philharmonic Orchestra and hence has performed at major international in addition to numerous nationwide events.

Dasappa’s voice, although classically trained, is not limited to classical music, as she has extended herself to lighter works, winning a Theatre award for Best Supporting Actress for her role as the Fairy Godmother in Rogers and Hammerstein’s Cinderella. She has similarly excelled in popular music and was awarded an international recording contract with Universal Studios as an undergrad.

Dasappa conducts vocal workshops, coaches vocal ensembles and soloists for major productions. Her deep dedication to her musical career both when she takes to the stage and to her students, is reflected and reciprocally amplified by her performances and the immense results achieved from her students at Stellenbosch University’s music department, where she currently lectures in Classical Voice.