Windswept

Windswept

With Danré Strydom (clarinet), Johan Ferreira (oboe), Shannon Armer (French horn),

Liesl van der Merwe (bassoon) and Laetitia Orlandi (piano)

21 May 2026

Odeion

19:00

We are delighted to present Windswept, a chamber music concert featuring two seminal works in the wind repertoire: Beethoven's Quintet in E-flat major, Op. 16 and Mozart's Quintet for piano and winds in E-flat major, K. 452. These masterpieces are known for their elegance, brilliance, and audience appeal. The ensemble brings together musicians from across South Africa, including the Free State, Western Cape, Gauteng, and North West provinces, highlighting both national artistic excellence and regional collaboration.

Danré Strydom has established herself as one of South Africa's premier solo, chamber music, and orchestra musicians. She completed clarinet studies in the USA, Europe, and South Africa, and played with the Brussels Philharmonic for several years. On her return to South Africa, she was appointed woodwind lecturer at the University of the Free State and completed her PhD studies in clarinet performance. Strydom is principal clarinettist of the Free State Symphony Orchestra, continental chairperson of the International Clarinet Association, and chairperson of the Free State Eisteddfod. Her clarinet and saxophone students have won numerous awards and scholarships, both nationally and internationally. Danré is a regular adjudicator for national and international competitions and Eisteddfods.

Liesl van der Merwe is a professor in the School of Music and MASARA at North-West University. She holds a DMus in bassoon performance under Prof. Fanie Jooste and began her career as principal bassoonist of the National Chamber Orchestra. Her interests include positive psychology, music and well-being, spirituality, Dalcroze Eurhythmics, and lived musical experience. She has performed as a soloist with the NCO and NWU Symphony Orchestra, playing works by Richard Strauss, Weber, Mozart, and Piazzolla. Liesl performs with Trio Joie de Vivre and conducts the North-West Youth Orchestra.

Laetitia Orlandi completed the Doctor of Music with Music Performance degree at North-West University, BMus, BMusHons, and MMus degrees in Performing Arts at the University of Pretoria, and the Teacher's and Performer's Licentiates in Piano, Chamber Music, and Vocal Accompaniment at UNISA. Until recently, Laetitia was a lecturer and Assistant Dean (Teaching & Learning) in the Faculty of Arts & Design at TUT. She regularly performs as collaborative pianist with established singers and instrumentalists and is currently an at-large board member of SANATS, a Steering Committee Member of MSW, and an Integral Coach in training.

Johan Ferreira is a freelance oboist in South Africa, regularly appearing as an ad-hoc member of various professional orchestras around the country. He is currently the principal oboist of the Johannesburg Philharmonic Orchestra. His playing has been described as "surreal" (artSMART.co.za, March 2021) and "insightful and outstanding" (Volksblad, November 2019). Johan has performed a variety of concertos with orchestra (Mozart, Strauss, Marcello, Bach, Bellini, Vivaldi) in collaboration with various established South African and international artists and conductors. Johan regularly performs with his close colleague Laetitia Orlandi, and he is a Howarth artist. Apart from maintaining a full-time freelancing career in South Africa, Johan is a professor at the University of the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg.

Shannon Armer, from Ohio, is now a beloved part of South Africa's classical music scene. She brings warmth, brilliance, and decades of experience to the stage. A powerhouse horn player and passionate educator, Shannon has performed with nearly every major orchestra in the country and held principal positions with the KZNPO, NAPOP, and JPO. As a soloist, chamber musician, and co-founder of multiple ensembles, Shannon's artistry continues to shine in concert halls and recordings alike. When she's not performing, she's shaping young talent at Pretoria Boys High and OWLAG.

PROGRAMME:

Ludwig van Beethoven (1770 – 1827): Quintet in E-flat major, Op. 16

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756 – 1791): Quintet for piano and winds in E-flat major, K. 452