THE POD TEAM IS PROUD TO PRESENT

12 – 15 April 2024

TANKWA CLASSICS

CELEBRATION OF MUSIC AND ARTS UNDER THE KAROO SKIES

Enchanting celebration of music and the arts at Tankwa Classics.

After a long loss of liberty during the COVID lockdowns, a few intrepid souls came together under the sun of the Karoo, and that night, under a chandelier of stars, it was decided to celebrate this amazing space and use it as a backdrop for the singular beauty of classical music.

Together they set out to gather the most talented classical musicians to perform in this beautiful environment, and set the scene for the inaugural Tankwa Classics event in 2021. It was met with great excitement, and has since gained a glowing reputation as one of the most unique classical music experiences to be enjoyed throughout South Africa.

Come 2024, we once again invite you to immerse yourself in an enchanting celebration of music and the arts at Tankwa Classics. Set against the breathtaking backdrop of the Karoo hinterland, this captivating festival takes place under the twinkling stars in a million-year-old canyon.

Musical Director Elna Van der Merwe is curating an unforgettable program that will feature a delightful combination of instruments, paired with delicious cuisine tailored for enjoyment in this exceptional space. Whether you prefer to sleep under the stars or indulge in glamping, our accommodation options cater to all your needs.

 Additionally, our Karoo-style infinity dam, and nature walks into the renowned canyon offer ample opportunities for adventure and exploration. If you crave an escape from the bustle and yearn to unplug in the fresh air, we invite you to join us for a weekend of classical music, stargazing, and boundless open spaces at Tankwa Classics 2024.

Note from Elna:

After the enchantment of our previous Tankwa Classics event, I couldn’t help but reminisce about the wonderful moments we shared during that weekend.

I want to express my heartfelt gratitude to each and every one of you who made the journey to the Place of Dreams, despite the challenges along the way. Your unwavering support and the meaningful connections we formed mean the world to us. I would also like to extend a special thanks to the dedicated team at POD, particularly Chris Conradie and Avril Malherbe. Their tireless efforts ensured that our performances were as enjoyable as possible. 

I’m delighted to share that we have already received inquiries about Tankwa Classics 2024! As you know, the capacity of the Canyon is limited to 200 people.  

Mark your calendars, as Tankwa Classics 2024 is scheduled for April 12th to 15th. We carefully considered the Easter weekend and the preceding long weekend to ensure a delightful experience for all. Please save the date and spread the word among your friends.

Your feedback from Tankwa Classics 2023 has been instrumental in shaping the program for next year’s event. The core group will consist of the double string quartet, accompanied by two talented singers, Lynelle Kenned and Conroy Scott. We also hope to have a clarinet player from Norway, an ex-student of South Africa from Stellenbosch University, join us. And of course, I’ll be there as well. 

We eagerly anticipate your presence once again, as we come together to create more magical moments at Tankwa Classics. 

Warm regards, 
Elna van der Merwe
Musical Director & Pianist

Suzanne Martens (violin)

SUZANNE MARTENS studied with Alan Solomon (South Africa), Jan Repko (The Netherlands) and Lavard Skou- Larsen (Austria). She has held principal positions in orchestras since 1994, the most recent being guest concertmaster of the CPO. She has appeared with several orchestras as soloist and has been a member of numerous chamber music groups. She is currently appointed as senior lecturer in Violin and Chamber Music at Stellenbosch
University.

Zanta Hofmeyr (Violin)

Zanta Hofmeyr graduated from the Juilliard School of Music in New York. After her New York debut in the Carnegie Recital Hall in her final year, she returned to South Africa to pursue a career as a concert artist and teacher. She regularly appears as soloist with orchestras and performs chamber music and duo repertoire with musicians in South Africa and the USA. She has been on the faculties of three South African universities and also acts as adjudicator for competitions locally and abroad. She has made several recordings with various artists. Zanta is the patron of the Thabang Ka Mmino music programme and in 2003 a rose was named after her. 

Philip Martens(Violin)

PHILIP MARTENS completed his performance diploma and BMus Honours Degree at the University of Cape Town under the direction of Jürgen Schwietering and Farida Bacharova respectively. Philip has been playing in various ensembles and featured as a soloist with the Cape Town Baroque ensemble, Tinta Barocca and The Cape Philharmonic Orchestra. Philip was appointed as Concertmaster of The Cape Philharmonic Orchestra in 2020 after moving up through the ranks over the last 22 years. He also enjoys playing chamber music with the Amici Quartet alongside his brother and sister-in-law, Dr Peter and Dr Suzanne Martens.

Petrus de Beer (Violin)

PETRUS DE BEER is a classically trained violinist (MMus RSAMD) who resides in Paarl, South Africa. He worked for the Cape Philharmonic Orchestra as a principal player and taught at various top music schools. Currently he freelances in various combinations and styles, ranging from Classical, Blues and Jazz. as a sought after session player he made numerous recordings for Television, Radio and performed on many albums.

Jeanne-Louise Moolman (Viola)

Jeanne-Louise is the violist of the Odeion String Quartet at University of the Free State in Bloemfontein. She is also senior lecturer at the University of the Free State.
She was appointed as violist of the Odeion String Quartet after many years as principal violist in many professional orchestras in South Africa. As a soloist she performed with many South African orchestras. Jeanne-Louise is an experienced chamber musician and performs regularly with some of South Africa’s foremost musicians. Many South African composers have composed works for Jeanne-Louise. She has performed at four International Viola Congresses: Stellenbosch, Rotterdam, Rochester, New York.
In June 2022 Jeanne-Louise did an online lecture recital for the 47th International Viola Congress at Columbus State University in June 2022.

Karin Gaertner (Viola)

KARIN GAERTNER was principal violist of the former Cape Town Symphony Orchestra. Her studies include a B.Sc from UCT and a Performers Diploma from the conservatoire “Claudio Monteverdi” in Italy, as well as various master classes in Europe whilst living and working there as an ad-hoc member of both the “Orchestra del teatro lirico di Cagliari”
(Sardinia, Italy) and the “Orchestra Haydn” (Bolzano, Italy). She is an active Chamber musician and regular member of the Amici String Quartet as well as many other free-lance chamber groups and ad-hoc orchestras.

Susan Mouton (cello)

Susan Mouton studied at the University of Pretoria under Gerard van de Geest. She was the recipient of the Pretorium Trust bursary and one of the winners of the SA Music Scholarship. She joined the National Symphony Orchestra (1983) and was appointed Principal Cellist in 1987. She studied with Marian Lewin while completing her Performer’s Diploma at Wits University and was one of the winners of the UNISA Overseas Study Bursaries in 1987.
Since 2000. She has been Principal Cellist of the JPO. In 2001. She was on the jury for the National String Competition, and in 2010, she was chosen as String Specialist on the jury for the International String Competition.

Peter Martens (cello)

SAMA award winning cellist, PETER MARTENS, studied at Stellenbosch University and at the Mozarteum in Salzburg. Peter is currently the Director of the Stellenbosch International Chamber Music Festival and principal cellist of the Cape Town Philharmonic Orchestra. He performs concertos and recitals all over South Africa and enjoys chamber music
partnerships with a number of artists worldwide. His numerous albums are released internationally on the Meridian, Cello Classics and 2Pianists labels.

Heidri Faber (Clarinet)

After graduating with a BA in International Studies from Stellenbosch University and BMus Honours Cum Laude from UCT, Heidri received a full scholarship to further her studies under the guidance of prof. Hans Christian Bræin at the Norwegian State Academy of Music where She graduated with a MMus in Solo Performance and Chamber music. She has appeared as soloist with various orchestras, including the CTPO, the ECPO, the Norwegian Academy Symphony and the Stellenbosch University Orchestra. As orchestral musician she has worked in, amongst others, the Norwegian Chamber Opera, Norwegian Wind Ensemble, Kristiansand Symphony Orchestra and the International Christian Embassy Symphony Orchestra in Jerusalem. In her quest for beautiful sound and a desire to communicate through music, she feels most at home in the chamber music genre and has performed widely as a chamber musician in Norway, England, Germany, Greece, Spain, Romania and Israel. She has been a member of the opera ensemble Glorioso Classico since 2010 and was a member of the
Contemporary Music Ensemble at the Norwegian State Academy. She currently resides in Oslo and holds a teaching position at the Bærum Music and Culture School, Norway.

SINGERS

Lynelle Kenned (Soprano)

LYNELLE KENNED, graduate of the UCT Opera School under the tutelage of Prof Virginia Davies, is a Multidisciplinary Performing Artist, TV Presenter, Corporate MC, Actress and Media Personality. Her list of awards include the Kunste Onbeperk YOUNG VOICE 2019, a Naledi Award, a Fiësta Award in 2017, a Fleur du cap Award in 2016, and in 2022, a Woordtrofee along with being a recipient of the Global Spotlight Honoree Award. Performances include “Maria” in the “West Side Story”, Maria in the “Sound of Music”. Mattie Allen in “Orpheus in Africa”, Musetta in “La Boheme”, Julie in “Showboat”, Cherubino in “Le nozze di Figaro”, and Grace in the world premiére of “Calling Me Home”.

Conroy Scott (Baritone)

CONROY SCOTT started his musical training at an early age playing all recorders, piano, flute and clarinet. He furthered his studies at the University of Cape Town’s Opera School and took up the double bass. He regularly plays as an ad-hoc player with all major South African orchestras, teaches both double bass and voice. Conroy has done vocal master classes and voice lessons across South Africa, has performed all over the world, and participated in numerous competitions and master classes. In 2017 he returned from Spain after 6 years performing with critically acclaimed group Soul Avenue. He has appeared as bass soloist oratorios such as Mozart’s Requiem and Mendelssohn’s Elijah, for which he received the Woordtrofees (2018) for best classical vocal performance, Verdi’s Requiem at the 2019 Woordfees.

Niël Rademan (Baritone)

NIËL RADEMAN (baritone) is a highly acclaimed South African singer of musicals, cabaret and operatic music. He worked with the best singers in the country. He sang in productions on the West End in London, performed Europe the past in solo concerts where he was applauded with standing ovations (Vienna, Den Hague, Utrecht, Amsterdam, Bern –
Switzerland, Boussac – France and London) He performs all over the country with renowned pianist, Elna van der Merwe.

Elna van der Merwe (Musical director and pianist)

Elna van der Merwe was a full time accompanist and part time piano lecturer at the Conservatory of the University of Stellenbosch until 2001. Since then she is an ad hoc pianist and sought-after collaborative artist for local as well as international artists. She has recorded many albums with various artists and performed in all the major festivals in the country.

TANKWA CLASSICS PACKAGES 2024

*All costs are per person sharing

For single supplement accommodation please contact the organiser via whatsapp +27 609 600 859

BYO CAMPING POD 2 – R2650 PP

BYO (Bring Your Own)
1km distance from POD 1 main camp
Included:
– 1 x entry ticket
– 4 x buffet meals
– Access to ablution facilities
Excluded:
– Bring your own camping tent, shade and all camping equipment

BYO CAMPING POD 1 – R3850 PP

BYO (Bring Your Own)
By the main camp
Included:
– 1 x entry ticket
– 4 x buffet meals
– Access to ablution facilities
Excluded:
– Bring your own camping tent, shade and all camping equipment

TENT UNDER SHADE POD 1 – R4900 PP

Single supplement R8000 pp

– 1 x Entry ticket
– 4 x Buffet meals
– 1 x Luxury dome tent for two under communal shade sail. Each tent comes equipped with high-quality double or 2 x single mattresses and camp light.

Bring your own bedding, towels and camping chairs. Enjoy access to a communal shade area with a table, a powerpoint and standing chandelier, access to the Pod 1 kitchen, braai area and full ablution facilities.

GLAMPING POD 1 – R6500 PP

Single supplement R9500 pp

– 1 x Entry ticket
– 4 x Buffet meals
– 1 x Luxury dome tent for 2 under communal shade. Each tent comes equipped with 2 x camping chairs, 2 x single or double beds and bedding, bedside table, electric lights and multiplug point. Towels and personal bedding not included.
Enjoy access to a communal shade area with a power point and standing chandelier, table, fridge, coffee station, water cooler and access to the Pod 1 kitchen, braai area and
luxury glamping ablution facilities.

ROUND ROOMS POD 1 – R10000 PP

Single supplement R9500 pp

– 1 x entry ticket
– 4 x Buffet meals
– The Round rooms comprise a stylish two-bedroom cottage for 4 persons.
– Fully kitted out kitchen and bathroom. Comes equipped with 2 x camping chairs, 2 x double beds, bedside tables, fans, electric lights and power points
– Enjoy access to all Pod 1 facilities.

VEHICLE PASSES

Rooftop tents R2500
RVs & Campers R4000
Trailer & car R4000

CATERING

A delicious Karoo inspired menu featuring an evening harvest table and breakfast buffet. Vegetarian options will be available, and we ask that you kindly share any special dietary requirements with us in advance.

GUIDED BUSH WALK

Discover the natural beauty of the Tankwa Karoo, its geological secrets, botanical treasures, and develop an appreciation for Karoo wildlife and birds. Become aware of the trials and adaptations of these living gems, as you touch, smell, and observe, absorbing information that will break open these wonders of life. The Saturday morning two hour guided bush walk will be led by talented guide Jacques Tredoux.

GENERAL ENQUIRIES:

+27 60 960 0859

Chris: +27 82 443 0835 | Gerry +27 83 275 7019