Peter Martens Is currently principal cellist with the Cape Town Philharmonic Orchestra and Director of the Stellenbosch International Chamber Music Festival.

Of his recently released CD of concertos by Saint-Saëns and Vieuxtemps with Bernhard Gueller and the CPO, Andy Wilding writes, “Martens’ cello is one of the most beautiful sounds – a deep rich harmonic wooden stringed singing being. His playing is superb, compassionate elegant phrasing, and flawless technique. His bow knows the exact line between the tender softness and the hard edge, and this extra dimension is masterfully applied to his dynamics.”

Peter holds a PhD from Stellenbosch University where he studied with Dalena Roux. He also studied with Heidi Litschauer at the Mozarteum in Salzburg.

He is a member of the Amici String Quartet and has enjoyed chamber music partnerships with amongst others, Leon Bosch (double bass), Priya Mitchell, Benjamin Schmid, Sergey Malov and Suzanne Martens (violin), as well as Leslie Howard (piano). He has also performed with the Brodsky String Quartet in London. With the Stellenbosch University Camerata in which he served as Artistic Director and principal cellist, he performed with Joshua Bell and Pinchas Zukerman. Concerto engagements have resulted in collaborations with a number of fine conductors including Victor Yampolsky, Bernard Gueller, Douglas Boyd, Wolfram Christ, Nicholas Cleobury and Jonas Alber. He has participated in festivals in Russia, Holland, Salzburg, Ireland, Zimbabwe, Mozambique and Portugal as well has having performed in France, U.K. and U.S.A. Many South African composers have written for him, notably the Cello Concerto by Allan Stephenson which he recorded for Meridian Records with the CPO. He has recorded the Beethoven Cello Sonatas with Luis Magalhäes and the Bach Cello Suites for TwoPianists Records.

Peter has won a SAMA, FIËSTA and a WOORDTROFEE award and is married with two children to violinist, Suzanne Martens.

Nina Schumann was in born into a musical family and received her early music tuition from Rona Rupert and Lamar Crowson. Nina's first appearance with an orchestra was at the age of 15, and her talent captured the attention of the public when she won the Fifth National Music Competition for high school pupils in 1988. She went on to win the Oude Meester Music Prize (1989), the Forte Competition (1990), and during 1991 both the Wooltru Scholarship and the Adcock-Ingram Music Prize. She has over 140 concerto performances with orchestras in South Africa, Germany, Portugal, Scot- land, Armenia and the U.S.A. to her credit, and some 40 concertos in her repertoire.
In 1993 Ms Schumann won the SAMRO Overseas Scholarship Competition and was awarded the Jules Kramer and Harry Crossley Bursaries for Overseas Study by the University of Cape Town. She crowned these prizes by winning the sought-after SABC Music Prize as well as the Oude Meester National Chamber Music Competition. International prizes followed: she won the prizes for the Best South African Pianist in the 1993 UNISA International Piano Competition, Finalist and Special Prize Winner at the Shreveport Concerto Competition (1996) and Third Prize in the Casa- blanca International Piano Competition (1997). After completing her MMus at UCLA, Nina enrolled for the Doctorate of Music at the University of North Texas under the tutelage of Van Cliburn-win- ner, Vladimir Viardo. She received several academic prizes: Dean's Medal (UCT), Best Performer (UCLA), Best Performer (UNT), Best Pianist (UNT) and Best Doctoral Student (UNT). Following her appointment as Associate Professor and Head of Piano at the University of Stellenbosch in 1999, Nina transferred her Doctorate to UCT from which she graduated in 2005. In 2009 she was awarded the UCT Rector's Award for Excellence in recognition of contribution to the music field.
Solo-career and academic life aside, Nina has formed an internationally recognized duo with her husband, Luis Magalhaes. Their own record label, TwoPianists, has recently signed a distribution contract with Naxos, thereby ensuring immediate international market access for the South African artists they are committed to record.

Nathan Huysamen is a clarinetist and music administrator currently pursuing a Masters Degree in Clarinet Performance at Stellenbosch University. He has extensive experience in both music performance and administration, with a strong focus on managing orchestras, ensembles, and music logistics for festivals and academic institutions.

Nathan has worked in several administrative roles, including as Orchestral Manager for the Woordfees Festival, Student Assistant at the Stellenbosch International Chamber Music Festival, and Ensembles Manager at Stellenbosch University.

In addition to his administrative roles, Nathan has a strong background in performance. He has played with a range of prestigious ensembles, including the Cape Town Philharmonic Youth Orchestra, University of Stellenbosch Symphony Orchestra, and Windworx Symphonic Wind Ensemble. He has also performed as a soloist in various events, such as the Tygerberg Eisteddfod Gala Concert and the Cape Town Philharmonic Orchestra’s Youth Classical Concert.

Theresa van der Merwe is a pianist and clarinetist, with administrative experience in music festivals and educational initiatives. In 2024, she served as Head Assistant for the Stellenbosch International Piano Symposium, Assistant for the Stellenbosch International Chamber Music Festival, and Assistant for the Stellenbosch Youth Orchestra. She also played a key role in organizing the 2023 Conserve Eisteddfod and has successfully arranged two school concerts.

Currently, Theresa is pursuing a Masters Degree in Piano Chamber Performance at Stellenbosch University. Her academic research focuses on beginner piano pedagogy, supported by the Hillensberg Trust bursary for academic excellence. She previously completed a Bachelor of Music in Music Education at Stellenbosch University in 2023, graduating cum laude. Her academic achievements have been recognized through multiple awards, including the Dos Santos, Myra Chapman, and Stellenbosch Boere Orkes bursaries, as well as her membership in the Golden Key International Honour Society.

Theresa has been actively involved in chamber music festivals since 2022, both as a participant and an assistant. She is passionate about fostering connections through music and feels deeply grateful for the friendships and mentorships she has gained through these experiences.

Nathan Huysamen and Theresa van der Merwe have been best friends for ten years, sharing a rich history of collaboration in multiple bands and orchestras. Their administrative experience dates back to high school, where they both served as orchestral managers. Over the years, they have performed numerous concerts together, with Nathan as the soloist and Theresa as the accompanist. Together, they decided to study abroad in America.

As librarians for the Stellenbosch International Chamber Music Festival, Nathan and Theresa are responsible for managing sheet music acquisition and distribution. Their backgrounds in music performance and administration ensures that all materials are organized and accessible for festival participants and staff.

After completing her undergraduate studies at the University of Pretoria in 2018, Frances received her BMus (Hons) at Stellenbosch University in 2019 in double bass performance, and MMus (cum laude) in 2022, specializing in Musicians Health.

Francesca’s primary musical passion is in orchestral playing, and she is a regular ad hoc for the Cape Philharmonic Orchestra, as well as a freelance double bassist working often with the Kwazulu-Natal Philharmonic Orchestra, UCT Symphony Orchestra, Stellenbosch University (SU) Symphony Orchestra and Wind Band, and the Cape Town Pops Orchestra. Her love for the orchestra was founded in youth and community orchestras such as the Stellenbosch International Chamber Music Festival (SICMF) Symphony Orchestra (principal 2019 and 2023), Johannesburg Youth Orchestra, University of Pretoria Symphony Orchestra, Rand Symphony Orchestra, South African National Youth Orchestra, and Cape Town Pops Orchestra. Throughout her double bass career, Francesca has received masterclasses from Jeff Bradetich, Uxia Martinez Botana, Nick Scales, Jessica Gilliam-Valls and Gudrun Raschen.

Francesca is active as a double bass teacher at many schools and music centres throughout Cape Town, including Hugo Lambrechts Music Centre, Beau Soleil Music School, Bishops Diocesan College, and Reddam House Constantia. Her teaching philosophy includes teaching students to sight-read and understand music from a young age, teaching correct technique from the very beginning, and encouraging students to join ensembles early on in their careers.

Francesca is also passionate about assisting musicians through Arts Administration. She co-owns and manages two arts-admin-related business, is the co-ordinator of the SU National Ensemble Competition, and the secretary of the SA Strings Foundation. She has also worked as a freelance stage manager for Starlight Classics 2024, and other smaller concerts and productions.

As the Logistics and Production Manager of the SICMF, Francesca coordinates the flights, accommodation, travel, and other logistics for the staff and participants of the festival, and oversees the smooth running of the daily activities.

Coming Soon