Cello & Piano Favourites at Herschel Girls' Senior School

ABOUT

About the concert: Friends Lauren Wesley-Smith (cello) and Alex Beaven (piano) played together all throughout their undergraduate degrees at Stellenbosch University, and are joining forces once again for a fundraising concert at Alex’s alma mater, Herschel Girls’ Senior School in Claremont. From Baroque to Tango, Beethoven to Bruch, this diverse program guides the listener through a number of different historical periods in classical music, featuring favourites of the piano-cello repertory.

Lauren and Alex are currently raising money to pursue postgraduate studies in London, and all ticket proceeds will go towards their respective fundraisers.

The concert will be held at the senior school music department - Inkwenkwezi music centre - next to the sports centre and tennis courts.

Lauren Wesley-Smith (cello): Lauren Wesley-Smith graduated from Stellenbosch University with BMus cum laude in 2019, attaining 36 distinctions throughout the course of her studies. She began cello at the age of 10, learning first with Fiona Grayer, then Dr Anzel Gerber, and specialized in cello performance under the guidance of Dr Peter Martens and Babette Roosenschoon. During her time at Stellenbosch, she was the recipient of 7 bursary awards, including the Graham Beck First Year’s Scholarship, was the runner-up to the 2019 Edna Elphick award, and performed as a soloist with the Cape Town Philharmonic Orchestra for their Youth Concerto Festival in 2018. Lauren also served as secretary on the Musicultus Departmental Committee from 2017-2018, and as a journalist at Die Matie student newspaper, frequently covering events at the Konservatorium. As of 2022, she has become an Instrumental ambassador for the Benedetti Foundation, a music education initiative founded by Grammy award-winning violinist Nicola Benedetti.

Lauren has been offered a scholarship to pursue her postgraduate professional diploma at Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance in London in September, and is currently fundraising to cover the remaining costs.

Alex Beaven (piano): Alexandra Beaven began her studies with Prof Nina Schumann at Stellenbosch

University in 2016 and completed her BMus degree at the end of 2019, specialising in piano accompaniment. In 2019, Alexandra became the first and only ever collaborative pianist to win the Mabel Quick Instrumental Bursary Competition, in addition to receiving the Betsie Cluver award for the overall best achievement in piano as a principal instrument in her year group. Other bursary awards for academic and practical achievements include bursaries from both the National Arts

Council (2020 and 2021) and the Myra Chapman trust (2020). Alexandra is active as a performer, having played at venues across Cape Town and Stellenbosch such as Casa Labia, (Muizenberg) the Baxter Theatre (Rondebosch) and W. Heuer (Stellenbosch). Recently, Alexandra was selected as one of the Songmaker’s Guild Young Artists and will perform in the Guild’s Young Artist’s concert on the 8 May in Cape Town.

At the beginning of 2022, Alexandra completed her MMus degree, specialising in piano accompaniment under Prof Nina Schumann, in addition to working as an assistant lecturer to the piano department. In December, Alexandra was accepted for the Master of Arts program at the Royal Academy of Music in London, and will begin studies abroad in September 2022.

Program:

Cello Suite no.1 in G Major, BWV 1007 (Prelude) – J.S. Bach

7 Variations on 'Bei Männern, welche Liebe fühlen' WoO 46 – Mozart/Beethoven

Kol Nidrei, Op.47 – Max Bruch

***interval***

Prelude Op.32 No.5 in G major – Sergei Rachmaninoff

Lied Ohne Worte in D Major, Op. 109 – Felix Mendelssohn

Après un rêve from 3 songs, Op.7 – Gabriel Faure

Le Grand Tango – Astor Piazzolla