The Principal of the Deutsche Internationale Schule Pretoria, Manuel Hass, had a vision for a musical collaboration between the Symphony Orchestra from his hometown Aalen in Germany and the Symphony Orchestra of his new home, Pretoria in South Africa.

On 2 June 2023 this vision became a reality when Germany met South Africa at the opening night of the Winter Concert series of these two orchestras at the Deutsche Internationale Schule Pretoria on Friday.

This was a visual musical collaboration by the principal between the Symphony Orchestra from his hometown Aalen in Germany and the Symphony Orchestra of his new home, Pretoria in South Africa.

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Anja Schlüter PRO for the Deutsche Internationale Schule Pretoria, said this collaboration also gave a number of learners from the DSP orchestra an opportunity to also take part in this musical collaboration.

She said collaboration gave young budding musicians a chance to learn from and play with seasoned musicians from the Aalener Symphony Orchestra (ASO) and the Pretoria Symphony Orchestra (PSO).

“The entire venture was under the patronage of the German Ambassador Andreas Peschke and was an unforgettable musical event,” said Schlüter.

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The programme ranged from Antonin Dvořák’s 6th Symphony in D major op 60 conducted by Dayner Tafur-Díaz from the ASO to Franz von Suppé’s Light Cavalry Overture, Guiseppe Verdi’s Questo o quella, Camille Saint-Saëns Danse Bacchanal and Giacomo Puccini’s Nessun Dorma conducted by Jaco van Staden from the PSO,” she added.

Dayner Tafur-Díaz won the international opera conducting competition in Liège in August 2022.

Jaco van Staden, currently pursuing a doctorate in chamber music performance at the University of Pretoria, has been the principal conductor of the Pretoria Symphony Orchestra since November 2018 and often appears as guest conductor for the Johannesburg Philharmonic Orchestra and Gauteng Philharmonic Orchestra.

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The audience was also entertained by Kiewiet Pali, a professional opera singer who worked with various opera companies in South Africa.

According to SAMRO (South African Music Rights Organization), Kiewiet Pali is the first person to have written an opera in Sesotho.

Schlüter added that in South Africa and Botswana, he taught a number of master classes in singing techniques.

The premier of the Winter Concerts was also held at the ZK Matthews Great Hall, UNISA on June 3 and on 9 June at the Hugo Lambrechts Music Centre in Cape Town.

All performances commence at 18:00.

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