Despite the Stellenbosch International Chamber Music Festival not taking place for the first time in 17 years, the management thereof has decided to again award the coveted 10-day job shadow scholarship first awarded in 2013. This scholarship valued at R45 000 provides the means for a deserving student to travel internationally to the place of work/residence of one of the SICMF faculty members, engaging in lessons, rehearsals, recording sessions and the daily life of the said faculty member for a period of 10 days.
This year’s scholarship has been awarded to violist, Uliana Alekseev, a student of Paula Gabriel at the South African College of Music. As a local student, Uliana has won numerous awards as both soloist and chamber musician. She also performed as a soloist with the Cape Town Philharmonic Orchestra at their annual youth music festival in September 2018. She attended the SICMF in both 2016 and 2018, thus making her eligible for this year’s award.
SICMF faculty members, Gareth Lubbe and Alissa Margulis, both of whom teach at the Folkwang University of the Arts in Essen, Germany, have undertaken to mentor Uliana for the duration of this prestigious award. The recipient of this year’s scholarship is not only a most deserving student, but the daughter of Cape Town based violinist Farida Bacharova, who is herself a faculty member of the SICMF.
Festival Director, Peter Martens, says, “Whereas the concerts and daily activities of the SICMF over a period of 10 days each year are truly sensational, it is the plethora of instruments, sheet music and accessory donations, connections made and international study scholarships that see the reach of the SICMF extend well beyond a mere 10 days each year”.
Loyal patrons can still log on to the website www.sicmf.co.za to watch last year’s concerts in anticipation of the 17th edition of the SICMF which will take place in July 2021.