Concerts

Old Nectar Concerts welcomes the singers and pianists of the Songmakers’ Guild Protégé Programme (formerly known as the Young Artists Programme) for an afternoon celebrating the rich tradition of art song at the historic wine cellar of Old Nectar Gardens in Jonkershoek.

Bringing together six singer-pianist partnerships, this concert offers audiences the opportunity to experience the unique intimacy of the art song genre. Combining poetry and music in equal measure, art song invites listeners into a world of storytelling and reflection.

The Songmakers’ Guild Protégé Programme has become one of South Africa’s most important platforms for nurturing emerging vocal and collaborative piano talent, providing young artists with opportunities for advanced coaching, mentorship and performance experience.

Featured artists for this concert are:

Erin Beck, soprano & Chanda Lupambo, piano
Chloë Loggenberg, soprano & Caleb Thomas, piano
Christon Southgate, soprano & Blaine Josephs, piano
Tasmin Titus, soprano & Hyron Scheepers, piano
Sinesipho Tokwe, soprano & Lebeko Mosunkutu, piano
Ntobeko Zindlani, tenor & Carla Coltman, piano

Join us for this concert at Old Nectar Gardens’ historic wine cellar in Jonkershoek. Tickets are R200 per person and include selected wines from Banhoek’s renowned Oldenburg Wine Estate and finger food during the interval. Student and learner tickets are available at the door for R50 per concert. Guests are invited to arrive early or linger after the performance to enjoy the tranquillity and beauty of the Old Nectar Gardens.

PROGRAMME

Explore the words of Shakespeare through song and composers inspired by his poetry and plays. The Shakespeare Project brings together works by Korngold, Haydn, Finzi, Warlock and Hofmeyr, capturing the drama, romance, longing and wit of Shakespeare’s world.

French art song, featuring music by Liszt, Poulenc, Duparc, Debussy and Berlioz, with poetry by Hugo, Éluard, Verlaine, Baudelaire, Gautier and Mallarmé.

The final section, “Cabaret” Songs,, offers a playful and eclectic change of mood, with music by Copland, Barber, Bernstein, Schoenberg, Montsalvatge and Heggie. From humour and satire to intimacy and passion, this vibrant collection showcases the versatility of the voice and the many ways composers have brought poetry and storytelling to life through song.

Ralitza Macheva, violin 1
Nicholas Bruiners, violin 2
Petrus Coetzee, viola
Eddie McLean, cello
Roxane Steffen, double bass
Jan Hugo, piano

Old Nectar Concerts celebrates the 75th birthday of South African pianist and composer David Earl with a special concert devoted to his music, presented in the historic wine cellar of Old Nectar Gardens in Jonkershoek — the very place where Earl was born.

Now based in Cambridge, where he has enjoyed a distinguished career as a pianist, composer and teacher, Earl has written music across an extraordinary range of genres, from ballet, opera and orchestral works to concertos and intimate chamber music. His music combines lyrical expression, rhythmic vitality and a distinctive harmonic voice, and has been performed by leading musicians in South Africa and abroad.

This special programme brings together musicians of the Cape Town Philharmonic Orchestra —violinists Ralitza Macheva and Nicholas Bruiners, violist Petrus Coetzee, cellist Eddie McLean and double bassist Roxane Steffen — with concert pianist Jan Hugo who is currently the head of the Judith Neilson Young Artist Programme and vocal coach at Cape Town Opera.

At the heart of the programme is Nocturne–Old Nectar for double bass and piano (2022), a work inspired by Earl’s birthplace. Alongside this is his String Quartet (2010) and Piano Sextet (2018) the latter ending with a Theme and Variations finale based on the African Hymn Wakrazulwa, offering a captivating glimpse into the breadth and imagination of one of South Africa’s distinctive musical voices.

The concert also celebrates the release of a new recording of Earl’s piano music in August 2026, recently praised by the British Music Society for its “extraordinary degree of keyboard virtuosity” and for revealing a composer who “richly deserves to be much better known.”

Join us for this unique musical homecoming in the atmospheric surroundings of the Old Nectar wine cellar. Tickets are R200, including selected wines from Banhoek’s renowned Oldenburg Wine Estate and finger food during the interval. Student and learner tickets are R50, available at the door. Guests are invited to arrive early or linger after the performance to enjoy the tranquillity and beauty of the historic Old Nectar Gardens.

PROGRAMME

David Earl Nocturne-Old Nectar for double bass and piano (2022)
David Earl String Quartet (2010)
David Earl Piano Sextet (2018)