Renowned conductor passes
Well-loved conductor of the WA Mozart Choir, Carel-Johan de Graaff passed away at his home in Constantia Kloof.
Renowned choir conductor and composer Carel Johan de Graaff sadly passed away at his home in Constantia Kloof on January 29 after suffering from heart failure.
De Graaff made his concert debut at the age of eight with the then SABC Orchestra in a performance of Mozart’s Piano Concerto No.12 in A major, K414.
He subsequently attended the National School of the Arts and has studied under Sini van der Brom (piano), Dawie Couzijn (voice), Charlotte van der Merwe (organ), Wim Viljoen (organ) and Ton Koopman (organ). He completed a music diploma in the Netherlands.
As a composer of sacred music, his work has been performed across Europe.
De Graaff has worked with numerous choirs, including successfully participating in international choral festivals such as the EJV in Switzerland.
At the time of his passing, he was conductor of the WA Mozart Choir, a position he held since 2015 when the then-German Choir (which he conducted from 1998) and the ProCantare Choir merged to form the WA Mozart Choir.
The choir grew from humble beginnings to become a huge success with many highly acclaimed performances over the years.
Highlights include many successful performances at the Roodepoort Theatre, including their last performance of The Bohemian Girl in 2024.
Other notable performances included shows at the Sanlam Auditorium and the Linder Auditorium.
According to De Graaff’s life partner of 25 years, Dietrich de Beer, they met at a concert.
“We made music together for the next 25 years and our life together was one long, glorious adventure. Carel strongly felt that music brings people together in many ways. If only his heart was as strong as it was big.”
According to De Beer, Carel had been suffering from heart problems for some time and was scheduled to undergo an operation.
Carel’s life was commemorated at a celebration of life held at his house on February 1, where friends and family, musicians and members from the various choirs he had worked with over the years, including the German Choir and the Swiss Choir, gathered in memory of a man who had inspired hundreds of people over the years.
In her tribute, longtime choir member Karin Spottiswoode praised Carel for his generous spirit, saying that his passion was for people, opening the choir up for anyone to join, and going out of his way to accommodate the needs of members.
