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emilederoubaix@gmail.com

Emile de Roubaix started his initial violin training at the age of 10 with Madelein van Rooyen at the Hugo Lambrechts Music Centre, and later completed the BMus and BMus.Hons degrees (cum laude) in violin performance at the University of Stellenbosch, receiving tuition from Louis van der Watt and Suzanne Martens respectively.  In 2003 he was violinist of Trio Stellenbosch, who represented Stellenbosch University at the 30th International Week of the Universität für Darstellende Kunst und Musik in Graz, Austria.

In 2005 – 2007 Emile completed his MMus in viola performance (cum laude) with Predrag Katanic at the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester, UK.  He was awarded the RNCM Thomas Barratt viola prize, and was violist for the groups that received the 2006 & 2007 Granada Prize for mixed chamber music ensembles.
Subsequently he freelanced with various professional orchestras such as the Hallé, the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, The Royal Liverpool Philharmonic, The English Concert, the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment, and Glyndebourne Touring Opera.
He also worked extensively in Norway, with Bodø Sinfonietta, Tromsø Chamber Orchestra, Stavanger Symphony Orchestra, and toured Northern Norway with the Arctic Philharmonic Orchestra.

Emile has been part of the viola faculty for the Stellenbosch International Chamber Music Festival from 2012 – 2015.  He teaches part-time and freelances professionally in and around Cape Town, where he is currently based.

Louis van der Watt was appointed at the University of Stellenbosch in 2000 and is currently senior lecturer in violin and viola and head of the strings department. He started his violin tuition at the age of 10 with Jack de Wet and has played in orchestras from a young age. He obtained the BA and BA Hons (Philosophy) degrees at the University of the Free State, both cum laude. During his student years at UFS he was member of the Free State Symphony Orchestra, member and chairperson of the university choir, as well as member of the Students’ Representative Council. He received the Dux Award for highest academic achievement at the university in his honours year.

Louis continued his studies at the University of Stellenbosch, receiving both his BTh degree and Licentiate in Theology cum laude. He furthered his violin studies under Eric Rycroft and passed the UNISA Teacher’s Licentiate and the Royal Schools Performer’s and Teacher’s Licentiates, with distinction. He also passed the UNISA final examination in organ, with distinction. During this time he was member of the US String Ensemble (USSE) and concertmaster of the US Symphony Orchestra (USSO), and performed as soloist with these orchestras. At the same time, he was Vice-chairperson of the university choir, Warden of Majuba Men’s Residence and member of the Theological Students’ Representative Council.

From 1971-1984 he was member of the SA National Youth Symphony Orchestra, followed by a permanent position in the then CAPAB Orchestra. He was an extra player for the Cape Town and NAPAC Symphony Orchestras as well as concertmaster of the Cape Town Chamber Orchestra. He was also member of the Libertas Choir.

Louis was head of the strings department at the Hugo Lambrechts Music Centre from 1986-1998, during which his pupils won all the major competitions in South Africa. He established the Hugo Lambrechts Strings Orchestra, achieving great results at eisteddfodau and even joining the Libertas Choir in six performances of Handel’s Messiah when the average age of the orchestra members was 13 years. He obtained the degrees BMus at UNISA and BMus (Hons) (cum laude) at Stellenbosch University during this period.

From 1996 to 2018 he was the conductor of Canticum Novum Choir, which was invited to take part in a performance of the Mozart Coronation Mass in Carnegie Hall, New York, in April 2015. He is guest conductor of the USSO and was guest conductor of the string orchestra at the annual South African Youth Orchestra Course for many years. Louis is a former conductor of the Tygerberg Civic Choir and has acted as conductor for Schola Cantorum, the academic choir of the US Music Department.

Thanks to his interest in church music – he has been full-time church organist since 1981 – he completed his MMus in Church Music (cum laude) at the University of Stellenbosch in 2011. He was awarded his PhD from Stellenbosch University in 2020.

Louis performs regularly as member of the US Camerata and also plays the Baroque violin and Baroque viola as member of the US Baroque Ensemble and as ad hoc member of Camerata Tinta Barocca. He is a UNISA examiner (all instruments) and acts as external examiner at numerous universities across South Africa, as well as at the Windhoek Conservatoire. He regularly serves as adjudicator for various eisteddfodau across the country as well as major national music competitions.

wl@sun.ac.za

Lüdemann is an Emeritus Professor of Musicology, former Chair of the Music Department and former Vice-Dean: Arts in the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. He is a graduate of the University of the Free State and pursued further studies at the University of Hamburg. He served as chair of the Musicological Society of Southern Africa for three consecutive terms (1995 – 2004). In 2003 he was awarded a British Academy Visiting Professorship (Southampton and Cambridge). His research interests include German music between the two world wars, music aesthetics, South African music and music and evolution. He has presented research papers in South Africa, Germany, the UK, Italy and the Netherlands. Publications include numerous research articles in South African and German journals as well as the book Hugo Distler. Eine musikalische Biographie (Augsburg 2002). He was awarded honorary membership of the Musicological Society in 2005. Lüdemann is also active as a composer.

afeder@sun.ac.za

Arthur graduated with a BMus Hons [Composition] cum laude at Stellenbosch University in 2011, and his MMus [Composition] cum laude in 2015, focusing on orchestration techniques for the wind band.

Arthur is very passionate about the promotion of new works by young composers, between 2010-2014, he has been involved in a student initiative Kompos and assisted in the premiering of over 70 orchestral and chamber works. Commissions include arrangements for the Field Band Foundation, the SU Jazz Band, many smaller ensembles, and works for competitions and exams. In 2012, Arthur worked as an orchestrator for the film Die Wonderwerker, and in 2013, he was tasked to compose music for the film Vanity Fair.

Since 2009, Arthur annually received the SAMRO bursary for composition, and in 2014 Arthur received the merit prize in the Western Art Music category of the SAMRO Overseas scholarship. Arthur currently tutors and lectures at the Stellenbosch Konservatorium.

wdbasson@sun.ac.za

Diederick Basson received his first organ lessons from Danie Smit at DF Malan High in Bellville. At the University of Pretoria he studied with Wim Viljoen and Joseph Stanford, and, at Stellenbosch University, with Boudewijn Scholten, Pieter de Lange and Bennie van Eeden. In 1997 he received an NZAV bursary that enabled him to study with the late Ewald Kooiman, Professor of Organ at the Vrije Universiteit (Free University) in Amsterdam, specialising in the interpretation and performance of French and German Baroque organ music.

He obtained the BMus, BMus Honours (cum laude) and MMus degrees at Stellenbosch University and a PhD degree at the North-West University (Potchefstroom campus). He holds UNISA licentiates in Performance, Teaching and Church music (organ) (all obtained cum laude) as well as the AMusTCL and LMusTCL music theory diplomas from Trinity College London.

Diederick is currently the Director of Music at Somerset College in Somerset West, part-time lecturer in Music Theory Teaching Method at Stellenbosch University’s Music Department and Chairman of the Stellenbosch Eisteddfod. In 2013 he co-authored a series of school textbooks published by Oxford University Press. He is a member of the Suid-Afrikaanse Akademie vir Wetenskap en Kuns (the South African academy of arts and sciences) and the International Society for Music Education, and the former editor of the journal Vir die Musiekleier (ISSN 1999-3412). In 2019 and 2020 he served on the judging panel of The Global Undergraduate Awards Programme based in Dublin, Ireland. In 2003 he joined Fine Music Radio in Cape Town as a voluntary presenter and currently presents the programme Sunday Concert. He regularly performs as a soloist and accompanist.