The Meeting - Music for Two Clarinets and Piano

ABOUT

Danré Strydom (clarinet), Lizet Smith (clarinet), and Grethe Nöthling explore the sonorous world of music for two clarinets and piano. The programme includes:

• Il Convegno for two clarinets and piano - A. Ponchielli
• Duo Concertante for two clarinets and piano - C. Baermann
• Concert piece for two clarinets and piano - Michele Mangani
• Concert piece à la Feidman for two clarinets and piano - István Kohán

Danrè Strydom has established herself as one of South Africa’s premier solo, chamber and orchestral musicians through her global concert experience. Born in South Africa, she began her musical training in neighbouring country Namibia. After attending the Interlochen Arts Camp, USA, she began her formal studies with Heinrich Armer at the University of the Free State in South Africa. She furthered her studies at Indiana University’s Jacobs School of Music, where she worked with renowned clarinetists Eli Eban and Eric Hoeprich. She holds separate Master’s Degrees in Clarinet, Early Clarinet – and Bass Clarinet Performance from the Royal Conservatory at Ghent University, completed under the guidance of Eddy Vanoosthuyse. Danre completed her Phd in clarinet performance at the Odeion School of Music, UFS. She has won numerous awards, including the ATKV cultural diversity award, FAK music award, R. Muller award for cultural and academic excellence and the First National Bank Prize of excellence. Danre has performed as soloist with various orchestra in South Africa and is an avid chamber musician. After playing clarinet/bass clarinet ad hoc for the award-winning Brussels Philharmonic from 2008 to 2013, she accepted a position as woodwind lecturer at the University of the Free State’s Odeion School of Music (OSM). Danre is the Continental Chair of the International Clarinet Association. She has been selected to be a Buffet Crampon Artist (2015), being the first South African representative and is currently principal clarinetist of the Free State Symphony Orchestra. 

Lizet Smith studied clarinet under Mario Trinchero. She completed a BMus degree, a teacher’s licentiate in piano and performers a licentiate in clarinet through Unisa. Lizet performed regularly in chamber ensembles at Johannesburg and Pretoria music venues, including Northwards House, Sandton Square, the University of Johannesburg, the University of South Africa, and Brooklyn Theatre. She is part of the Air Flair quintet and Trio Chalumeau with fellow musicians Susan Mouton and Annalien Ball. Lizet performs regularly in the Brooklyn Theatre Salon Ensemble where she has participated in various operas such as La Traviata, Die Fledermaus, Lucia di Lammermoor, the Magic Flute, Carmen, Cosi van Tutti and others. She has also performed chamber music in Europe at the Amsterdam Grachten Festival and Apeldoorn’s Paleis Het Loo. Stefans Grové dedicated two of his clarinet works to Lizet. Since 2004 Lizet played as principal and/or co-principal clarinettist for leading South African orchestras such as the Chamber Orchestra of South Africa (including work as the principal clarinettist for the 11th UNISA International Piano Competition), the Johannesburg Philharmonic Orchestra, the Unisa Symphony Orchestra and Gauteng Opera Orchestra on a freelance basis. Currently she is the principal clarinettist of the Gauteng Philharmonic Orchestra. Lizet has also performed clarinet concertos as soloist with the GPO. Lizet teaches clarinet at Pretoria Boys High, Afrikaans Seuns Hoër and the University of Pretoria. 

Grethe Nöthling holds a Doctorate of Music from the University of Iowa and a Master of Music from the Cleveland Institute of Music, USA. After her musical debut at age 7, performing as soloist with the Johannesburg Symphony Orchestra, she won several national music competitions, awards and bursaries including the Sanlam music competition (1994), ABSA national music competition (piano category: 1998), ATKV prelude competition (2000) Hennie Joubert national piano competition (2000), Lionel Bowman Beethoven competition (2001) and UNISA overseas scholarship for teachers (2003). She has performed as a soloist with the KZN Philharmonic and the chamber orchestra of South Africa, and in recent years she performed as soloist with the Free State Symphony Orchestra in 2017. Grethe is also an avid chamber musician and performed regularly with faculty and guest artists at the University of Iowa. Since her return to South Africa in 2015 she has performed at numerous music festivals across the country, including the Grahamstown arts festival, Vrystaat Kunstefees, Klein Karoo Klassique, Hermanus Fynarts festival and Music in the Mountains. Grethe has served as adjudicator at the SAMRO Hubert van der Spuy, Johann Vos, Pieter Kooij and the Mabel Quick music competitions. In March of 2017, she was invited to present masterclasses and give a solo recital at the University of Iowa's piano alumni festival. She was also part of the Stellenbosch International Piano Symposium in 2018 presenting a lecture on 'the pianist's approach'. She has lectured in piano and piano method at the Odeion School of Music, UFS, and at the South African College of Music, UCT. In 2022 she was appointed as resident accompanist and piano educator at Beau Soleil Music Centre in Cape Town.