Events
Upcoming Events for WindWorx
The Annual WindWorx Fanfare
- Venue: Wynberg Boys’ High School, Cape Town
- Dates: 16 & 17 May 2025

Cecilia Foundation Benefit Concert
- Date: 15 March 2025 – 16:00
- Venue: Daschbosch Winery, Rawsonville
Home to Cecilia Wines and nestled in the picturesque mountains of the Breedekloof, just five minutes from Rawsonville, guests can unwind on lush green lawns surrounded by vineyards and mountain vistas, enjoying WindWorx’s performance on a natural stage framed by majestic plane trees.
Since its inception, the Cecilia Foundation Public Benefit Organization (PBO) has provided music education and therapy to hundreds of ground-phase learners in schools that lack music teachers. The organization also offers instrument instruction to children and adults who cannot afford it.
Cecilia Foundation supplies and maintains a variety of instruments, including wind, percussion, and string instruments, and facilitates access to qualified tutors in a conducive environment for music sessions. A portion of the sales from Cecilia and Wind Band wines serves as a foundational source of funding for the Cecilia Foundation.

Upcoming Events for other Wind Bands
Cape Wind Ensemble
- Date: 23 February 2025 – 16:00
- Venue: Hugo Lambrechts Auditorium, Parow, Cape Town

Written in four movements, subtitled Four Gypsy Dances it describes the temperamental, melancholic and flamboyant moods of the nomadic gypsies of eastern Hungary.
Other items include solos for various instruments played by members of the ensemble such as oboe (played by Adeleida Bingham), saxophone (Shaun Acker), French horn (Erik Albertyn) and euphonium (Russel Davies) with wind ensemble accompaniment.
The final item on the programme is Toshihiko Sahashi’s arrangement of three popular themes from the movie soundtrack Batman. In this exciting medley for concert band the skills of the players are tested to the maximum.
The Senior Wind Ensemble of the Hugo Lambrechts Music Centre will provide a curtain raiser for this performance under the baton of Charlene Verster.
Tickets for this concert will be available only from Webtickets from 10 February 2025. For more information contact Faan Malan on 083 411 7611

WindWorx – Most Recent Events
Christmas Carols
- Date: 22 December 2024, 18:00
- Venue: Pinelands Club
There was a festive evening of Christmas Carols at the Pinelands Club, featuring members of the WindWorx Symphonic Wind Ensemble and friends, led by Riaan van Wyk and MC, Charles Grey.
This community event had a joyful atmosphere filled with holiday spirit, making it the perfect way to celebrate the season with delicious food and drinks while soaking in the music.

UWC Christmas Concert
- Date: 10 December 2024, 19:30
- Venue: Jakes Gerwel Hall, University of the Western Cape (UWC)
The 2024 Deputy Vice Chancellor’s (Academic) Annual Christmas Concert honoured the late Prof. O’Connell, who initiated this tradition in 2005, and Prof. Vivienne Lawack, who will conclude her term as DVC Academic on 31 December.
Featuring WindWorx Symphonic Wind Ensemble, UWC Jazz Combo, and soloist Babalwa Mentjies, the concert was free and open to the public and featured Carol Singing and Christmas standards.
Community Concert
- Date 23 November 2024, 13:00
- Venue: Endler Hall, Stellenbosch
WindWorx was invited to play at the Stellenbosch University Department of Music’s Social Impact Project where many school learners came to experience the versatility of wind band music.
Young and old were entertained with well known melodies from movies and theatre while at the same time getting insight into the workings of the wind and percussion instruments.


A Plea for Peace
Concert with the Symphony Choir of Cape Town
- Dates: 16 & 17 August 2024
- Venue: Cape Town City Hall

The programme started with a rousing compilation of Olympic fanfares and tunes, which concluded with the famous Summon The Heroes theme. Hans Zimmer’s title theme of the HBO series The Pacific follows. This moving series dramatises World War II in the Pacific Theatre.
The band then played two arrangements of traditional repertoire, two movements from The Planets by Gustav Holst: Mars, the Bringer of War and Jupiter, the Bringer of Jollity, with the famous I Vow to Thee melody. The choir then joined the band in the performance of John Williams’ Hymn to the Fallen from the film score of Saving Private Ryan, a film set in 1944 in Normandy, France. Eric Coates’s famous Dam Busters March commemorates one of the major victories of the Allies in 1943, a turning point in WWII. The first half concluded with the moving hymn set by James Swearingen, Lead on, O King Eternal.
The major work of the evening was Karl Jenkins’ The Armed Man: A Mass for Peace. The anti-war message of this work is communicated though the musical setting of selected text of the Catholic Mass, with the poignant addition of the IslamicCall to Prayer, the Jewish funeral chant of Psalm 23 sung in Hebrew, and the sounding of the Last Post – this work embodies our unified Plea for Peace!
This monumental concert was excellently performed by WindWorx in collaboration with the Symphony Choir of Cape Town, the Stellenbosch University Symphonic Wind Ensemble, and choirs from SACS and Herschell high schools. Conductor Levi Alexander led the 250 performers in a packed City Hall, including muezzin Hassen Khaka and soprano Beverly Chiat praying in a traditional Muslim Adhaan and a Hebrew version of Psalm 23 respectively as part of the moving Armed Man oratorio.
The Annual WindWorx Fanfare
WindWorx Fanfare 2024 was held on 3 and 4 May at the Bellville high School and was attended by 22 bands, made up of about 750 musicians, performing over two days.
The adjudicators were wind band experts Liam Burden, Felicia Lesch and Kenny Leibbrandt who, this year, gave independant reports to participants to further the festival aim of not being a competition.
The opening concert on 3 May included participants of the day and the Windworx Symphonic Wind Ensemble under direction of Liam Burden.
On the programme was A Festival Prelude (Alfred Reed), El Camino Real (Alfred reed), Arutiunian Tuba Concerto, with special guest Jarett McCourt (first photo below), and The Empire Strikes Back, celebrating “Star Wars Day” on May the 4th (be with you).
On 4 May the evaluations continued and the festival ended with a final concert with more participants of the weekend taking the stage and ending with massed junior and senior bands conducted by Jeany Kelly, Peter Catzavalos, Charlene Verster and Riaan van Wyk.

Earlier Events – WindWorx and Other Bands
Hugo Lambrechts End of Year Concert
- Date: 10 December 2024
- Venue: Hugo Lambrechts Auditorium, Parow
The Hugo Lambrechts Beginner, Junior and Senior Wind Bands performed at the End Of Year Concert which took place on 10 December in the Hugo Lambrechts Auditorium.
The festive programme included Mission Impossible Theme arr. M Sweeny, Christmas On Parade arr. S Feldstein & J O’Reilly, Christmas Music For Winds and Matador by J Cacavas, Mary Poppins returns arr. M Brown and The Lion King-Broadway Selections arr. J Bocook.

Cape Town Philharmonic Youth Wind Ensemble
- Date: 8 December 2024 – 16:30
- Venue: Hugo Lambrechts Auditorium, Parow
The Cape Town Philharmonic Youth Wind Ensemble (CPYWE) presented an exciting programme at the Annual Gala Concert 0n 8 December in the Hugo Lambrechts Auditorium.
Under direction of Charlene Verster, the programme included Stein’s Snow Day Celebration, Baba Yetu and an ultimate 80s hits medley.

Cape Town Philharmonic Youth Wind Ensemble
- Date: 31 October
- Venue: Cape Town City Hall
Thanks to the City of Cape Town, the Cape Town Philharmonic Youth Wind Ensemble was able to perform a curtain-raiser to the Cape Town Philharmonic Orchestra’s third concert in the Summer Symphonies season at the City Hall.
The musicians, under the direction of Charlene Verster, put a smile on the faces of the audience as they performed Otto M Schwarz’s For the Next Thousand.
The work, a piece in the words of the composer, is a toast to a new and positive age, featuring alto sax Thea Henshall & Jaden Wyngaard (who played solo), horn player Jodien Davids, and Brian Kwinana (solo euphonium), who underscored the film elements perfectly. The sax solo in the slow-rock middle section blew the audience away. The CPYWE is privileged to have an electric guitarist too!

Cape Wind Ensemble
- Date: 13 October 2024
- Venue: Hugo Lambrechts Auditorium, Parow, Cape Town

The all dance themed programme opened with Robert Sheldon’s Danse Celestiale and was followed by the ever popular Tritsch-Tratsch Polka by Johann Strauss. The main work of the event was Kenneth Hesketh’s Danceries consisting of four movements in different styles.
Piazzolla’s exciting Libertango and Street Tango was next followed by audience favourite Waltz No.2 from Shotakovich’s Jazz Suite No.1.
The band was put through their paces with the Dance of the Tumblers by Rimsky-Korsakov and followed by Arturo Marquez’s Danzon No.1.
The entertaining programme ended with Dancing on the Seashore by Jan Hadermann.
For more information about Cape Winds Ensemble, contact Faan Malan at 083 411 7611.


UCT Symphonic Wind Ensemble
- Date: 8 October 2024
- Venue: Baxter Concert Hall, Rondebosch, Cape Town
The UCT Symphonic Wind Ensemble, a group of approximately forty-five undergraduate and postgraduate students, presented their second concert of 2024. Under the baton of Brandon Phillips, Head of Woodwinds at the South African College of Music, UCT, the ensemble delivered a captivating performance.
The program showcased significant works by Leonard Bernstein, Edward Gregson, and Alfred Reed.
Bernstein’s Overture to Candide, a technically demanding and musically complex masterpiece, highlighted the ensemble’s versatility and richness.
Gregson’s Tuba Concerto featured the exceptional talents of Miché van der Rheede, a 2022 Diploma in Music Performance graduate currently pursuing her Postgraduate Diploma in Performance.
The concert concluded with the ever-popular Armenian Dances by Alfred Reed.
Templeton Award
Members of Stellenbosch University Symphonic Wind Ensemble and WindWorx
- Date: 2 October 2024
- Venue: Wesersburg Wine Estate
A special function was held to honour Prof. Pumla Gobodo-Madikizela, the 2024 recipient of the prestigious Templeton Award, recognizing her contributions to understanding reconciliation and forgiveness.
The event featured a range of performances, including a moving drama presentation by the Stellenbosch University Drama Department and musical performances by the SUN Quintet and members of both the University of Stellenbosch and WindWorx Symphonic Wind Ensembles, conducted by Pamela Kierman.
Prof. Pumla specifically requested two songs for the occasion: Gratitude, arranged by postgraduate student composer Owen Dalton, performed by vocalist Sashon Johnson, and a soulful rendition of What a Wonderful World by Athule Tshiwule.
The performances, coupled with her remarkable achievements, made the celebration a fitting tribute to her legacy of promoting healing and transformation in South Africa and beyond.
The evening brought together the arts and academia in a harmonious celebration of her award and her impact on global conversations around forgiveness and humanity.
e’Bosch Schools Choir Festival
Members of Stellenbosch University Symphonic Wind Ensemble and WindWorx
- Date: 2 October 2024
- Venue: Stellenbosch City Hall
The e’Bosch Schools Choir Festival took place on 2 October at Stellenbosch City Hall, featuring a brass sextet comprised of members from the University of Stellenbosch and WindWorx Symphonic Wind Ensembles.
The sextet accompanied the mass performance of the e’Bosch song, The United Light, composed by Xander Kritzinger, head of the Cape Choral Academy. Sung by all festival participants, this moving performance was a highlight of the evening.
The festival, managed by Cape Town organist and choral conductor John Frans, is part of the annual activities of the e’Bosch Heritage Project, celebrating cultural unity through music.
Heritage Festival
Members of Stellenbosch University Symphonic Wind Ensemble and WindWorx
- Date: 27 September 2024
- Venue: Endler Hall, Stellenbosch
The Department of Music at Stellenbosch University hosted a vibrant Heritage Day celebration that promoted Xhosa culture, inclusivity, and diversity.
Organized by the Division for Social Impact and Transformation in collaboration with the African Languages Department, Faculty of Theology, Department of Music and SU Museum, the event showcased rich cultural performances.
Highlights included a Xhosa-language drama, marimba and kudo horn ensemble by students at the Department of Music, trained by African music specialist Vuyo Katsha.
All the kudu horn players are brass and wind instrumentalists who play regularly with WindWorx.
45ste Orkes en Koor Reünie-fees
Hoërskool Durbanville
- Datum: 13 & 14 Septemberr 2024
- Venue: Hoërskool Durbanville Ouditorium
Hoërskool Durbanville se blaasorkes het sy 45ste bestaansjaar saam met die skoolkoor op feestelike wyse gevier oor twee dae met Durbie Klassique (13 Sept), en ‘n reunie-konsert (14 Sept. Oud-orkes en -koorlede was uitgenooi om deel te neem en het ingesluit Zanne Stapelberg de Lange, Leonard Heydenrych, Suretha Theron, CJ en Philip Bergh, Maria Viviers, Die Geldenhuyse en nog meer.
Die Reünie-koor en -orkes met meer as ‘n 100 Oud-Durbies, vanaf matriek 1981, het die aand afgesluit met massa-items, onder andere O Fortuna uit Carmina Burana.


Symposium of South African Composers
Stellenboschh University Symphonic Wind Ensemble
- Date: 9 September 2024
- Venue: Endler Hall, Stellenbosch
The opening night concert of the 2nd annual Symposium of South African Composers (SoSAC) featured the University of Stellenbosch Symphonic Wind Ensemble (USSWE), performing ten works by South African composers, specially submitted for the event.
These compositions, showcasing diverse South African musical voices, were carefully selected for performance, highlighting the richness of the country’s musical landscape.
The concert was conducted by Christian Köhler, a renowned German conductor recently appointed as an extraordinary senior lecturer in the Department of Music, Stellenbosch University. Kohler, who serves as the Chief Conductor of the Police Orchestra of Brandenburg, holds the distinction of being the youngest conductor to ever occupy this prestigious position at just 31 years old.
Additionally, he is the resident conductor of the Deutsches Filmorchester Babelsberg, further cementing his international reputation. Under his baton, USSWE brought the South African compositions to life, adding a distinctive and professional touch to the symposium’s celebrations of local talent.

35 Year Anniversary Concert
Bellville High School Symphonic Wind Band
- Date: 3 August 2024
- Venue: Hugo Lambrechts Auditorium
The Bellville High School Symphonic Wind Band, under direction of Riaan van Wyk, celebrated its 35th anniversary on the 3rd of August 2024 at the Hugo Lambrechts Auditorium, Parow, Cape Town with a well-attended concert including the school choir and junior wind band.
Annette Cronje who founded the band in 1989, made an appearance on flute, and the concert was dedicated to retiring school principal Deon du Plessis.
Various music pieces to celebrate his contribution and support of the wind band were performed, including excerpts from his brainchildren Wonderklip and Vallei van Konings, as well as Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue with daughter Annerike Skinner on piano.
Colours
UCT Symphonic Wind Ensemble
- Date: 7 May 2024
- Venue: Baxter Concert Hall, Rondebosch, Cape Town
The UCT Symphonic Wind Ensemble, comprising of about forty-five under- and post-graduate students performed their first concert of 2024, conducted by post-graduate diploma student in conducting Damian Philander.
The programme included William Schuman’s Chester overture, Norman dello Joio’s Scenes from “The Louvre” as well as Claude Michel Schonberg’s Miss Saigon medley. The concert was titled “Colours” after Bert Appermont’s Colours for trombone, a virtuoso concert piece, which featured newly appointed CPO trombonist, James George as soloist.
Saxophone Symposium
- Date: 7 May 2024
- Venue: Endler Hall, Stellenbosch
The symposium, which was open to high school learners and tertiary-level students across the Western Cape, included ensemble performances and masterclasses and culminated in a Saxophone Extravaganza which featured performances by the ensembles, and solo works for saxophone accompanied by the University of Stellenbosch Symphonic Wind Ensemble (USSWE), conducted by visiting Belgian conductor, and extraordinary professor (conducting, brass) in the Music Department, Rik Ghesquière. Kurt Bertels, specialist classical saxophonist, from Belgium, performed the first concerto composed for the saxophone, by Paul Gilson.
Departmental saxophone lecturer, Liam Burden, performed the challenging Legend of a Giant, Kevin Houbin, which he debuted in 2022 in the City Hall, accompanied by the Cape Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by Ghesquière. Other works on the programme included Saxflight, Alain Crepin and the performance ended with a performance of Saxophone Rag, James Ployhar, with massed saxophone choir.
Band Extravaganza
- Date: 27 April 2024
- Venue: Endler Hall, Stellenbosch
This year, the University of Stellenbosch Symphonic Wind Ensemble (USSWE), conducted by Pamela Kierman, Reghardt Kühn and Bridget Rennie-Salonen, celebrated Freedom Day with the ever-popular annual Band Extravaganza Concert.
Participating bands from the Cape Town Southern Suburbs included the Wynberg Progress Christmas Band, a community band, conducted by SU student Cody Constable, the South African College High School Concert Band, conducted by Levi Alexander, and the Wynberg Boys’ and Girls’ High School Concert Band, conducted by Peter Catzavelos.
The Bellville High School Symphonic Wind Band, under the baton of Riaan van Wyk, and the Durbanville High School Wind Band, conducted by Suretha Theron, represented the Northern Suburbs.
They were also joined by the Concert Band of Paarl Boys’ High School, Suonare, under the baton of Reghardt Kühn.
The University of the Western Cape (UWC) Christmas Concert
- Date: 7 December 2023
- Venue: Jakes Gerwel Hall, UWC, Cape Town
This annual concert with conductors Pamela Kierman, Riaan van Wyk and Reghardt Kühn was hosted by the Deputy Vice Chancellor (Academic) Prof. Vivienne Lawack.
The event featured beautiful Christmas music and sing-along carols with invited guest Francois Voges on violin and vocalists Kaylin Williams, Tammy-Lee Lakey, Tyrone Manuel, Prof. Vivienne Lawack and Andy Matima.
The Emil Weder High School Choir from Genadendal also participated, as well as the UWC Jazz Combo with Babalwa Meintjies on vocals.

A Celebration in Song
- Date: 19 August 2023
- Venue: City Hall, Cape Town
The formidable programme included the Crown Imperial (Walton), Rohrau Mass (Woodborne) and John Rutter’s Magnificat.
Levi Alexander directed the collaboration between the wind ensembles of WindWorx and the Stellenbosch University, the Symphony Choir of Cape Town supported by the choirs of SACS and St Cyprian’s High Schools and soloist Janel Speelman-van Rooyen.
WindWorx Fanfare
- Dates: 19 & 20 May 2023
- Venue: Wynberg Boys’ High School
- The 2023 event was a great success with 18 bands and over 800 players participating. Due to the large number of entries, the evaluations were conducted in two separate venues with esteemed adjudicators John Rojas, Liam Burden, Felicia Lesch and Allistair McDonald.
- The opening concert featured the Wynberg Boys’ and Girls’ High schools Concert Band under the direction of Peter Catazavelos after which WindWorx followed with Reghardt Kühn at the helm with works by Prokovief, Holst and John Williams. The South African Navy Band, under the direction of Cdr. Madikizela, concluded with an entertaining programme of South African music.
- The final concert saw many of the school bands participating, ending with the certificate presentations by the adjudicators and a 600-piece massed band lead by Levi Alexander, Peter Catzavelos and Cameron Hofmeester.
Classics for All – Gala Concert
- Date: 13 May 2023
- Venue: Moravian Church, Genadendal
The gala concert of the Classics for All festival is the highlight of the weekend-long programme and WindWorx, in collaboration with the Stellenbosch University Wind Ensemble, was the first wind band to perform at this event.
The Emil Weder High School Choir joined in with extracts from the Sound of Music and Les Miserables and violinist Francois Voges took the stage with Por Una Gabeza by Gardel.
Vocalists Lynelle Kenned and Thobela Ntshanyana entertained the fully packed hall with popular classics accompanied by Philipus Hugo on piano and the wind ensemble conducted by Pamela Kierman and Riaan van Wyk.
Symphonic Blues
- Date: 8 November 2022
- Venue: Blaauwklippen Wine Estate
As part of the Blaauwklippen Wine Estate’s 340 year anniversary, the WIndWorx corporate gig band joined up with Niël Rademan, Lynelle Kenned and Elna Van der Merwe for the Symphonic Blues concert. Rhapsody in Blue, Blue Moon and Saint Louis Blues were on the programme under the direction of Pamela Kierman and Riaan van Wyk.

Tankwa Classics
- Date: 1 April 2022
- Venue: Place of Dreams, Tankwa-Karoo
Never has a venue been so extraordinary for a wind band to perform at. In a canyon transformed into a concert venue, the WindWorx and Stellenbosch University Wind Ensemble played from Star Trek to Rhapsody in Blue, with Elna van der Merwe on piano, and the Beatles to the Gulda Cello Concerto with Peter Martens.
Hessequa Harmonie
- Date: 24 September 2021
- Venue: Dutch Reformed Church, Heidelberg
WindWorx and the Stellenbosch University Wind Ensemble performed at the annual festival in the quaint town of Heidelberg with vocal stars Niël Rademan and Amanda Osorio, and pianist Elna van der Merwe.
The face-masked audience enjoyed the return of the festival which was towards the end of the Covid pandemic. WindWorx organized a reduced corporate gig band for this event.