Whilst still in the midst of the pandemic, but in positive anticipation that we will indeed wrestle it into submission, the management of the SICMF is moving forward with cautious optimism in soliciting student entries for the 2022 festival. The 17th SICMF will take place from 1 to 10 July 2022 at the Stellenbosch Konservatorium – the home of Stellenbosch University’s Department of Music.
For 16 consecutive years, the SICMF was a major event on the educational and entertainment calendar in the Western Cape. Then Covid-19 struck, forcing the cancellation of both the 2020 and 2021 festivals. Pre Covid, the SICMF attracted around 300 students annually of which around 80% were from South Africa (all nine provinces) and 20% from abroad. Nina Schumann, the SICMF Artistic Director, hand-picks the international faculty comprising some of the world’s finest musicians.
Plans are now on track to continue this classical music extravaganza with much-loved artists from former years keen to perform, teach and inspire on our local stages again. Madeline Adkins, Alissa Margulis and Nicholas Dautricourt (violin), Gareth Lubbe (viola), Marco Silva (trumpet), Demarre McGill (flute) and Weston Sprott (trombone) are amongst those from the USA, France, Germany and Portugal that have crept into the hearts of the South African students and audience members alike. Alongside new faces including Knut-Erik Sundquist (double bass), and Kyril Zlotnikov (cello), these artists are amongst those already signed up for the July spectacular.
Students are invited to enroll online at www.sicmf.co.za. Programmes and details of ticket sales will be made known in a few months’ time.