Call for applications: Conductors’ competition in South Africa

The closing date for applications is 15 January 2018, after which a selection of conductors will be made. The final rounds of the competition, which form part of the Cape Town Philharmonic Orchestra’s (CPO’s) 13th International Summer Music Festival, will be held from 8 to 10 February 2019.

Who can participate?

The Len van Zyl Conductors' Competition is open to South African nationals who are not older than 33 years old by 1 January 2019 and who have undergone at least part of their music training in South Africa.

What is the prize?

Participants will compete for a single prize: a trip to the US, which includes a month’s internship with the Philadelphia Orchestra and two months in Chicago with Russian-born conductor Prof Victor Yampolsky and the Northwestern University Orchestra. All travel and accommodation expenses for this trip will be paid by the Len van Zyl Conductors’ Competition. The winner will also be given the opportunity to conduct the CPO when appropriate.

The judges in the final will be Bernhard Gueller, Richard Cock, Brandon Phillips, the CEO of the Cape Town Philharmonic Orchestra, Louis Heyneman, and Yampolsky.

“This entire process commenced in 2010 when the first winner of the Len van Zyl Conductors' Competition was Brandon Phillips,” Van Zyl told Music In Africa. “The competition runs every three years. The second winner was Xavier Cloete (2013) and the most recent winner was Chad Hendricks (2016).

“All three, as well as non-winners, have attested to the value that they have gained by learning from maestro Yampolsky and they are grateful for the opportunities which have opened up for them subsequently.”

Phillips is today resident conductor of the CPO and music director of the Cape Town Philharmonic Youth Orchestra. Xavier Cloete is resident conductor and artistic director of the OSM Camarata Orchestra at the University of the Free State and the Mangaung Symphony Orchestra. He has also conducted in the US, UK and Finland. Hendricks is resident conductor of the New Apostolic Church Cape Town Orchestra and the Cape Town Ghoema Orchestra. All benefited enormously from their time in America.

“The three competitions attracted scores of aspirant conductors,” Van Zyl, who is a former board member of the Philadelphia Orchestra, said. “More than 50 to date were chosen for the first rounds, some entering subsequent competitions too, taking advantage of the specialist coaching and master classes.”

Entry forms can be downloaded from the CPO website.