Cellissimo - Peter Martens and the CPO Celli

The six celli of the CPO are a home-grown derivative of the famous 12 celli of the Berlin Philharmonic. Led by maestro Peter Martens, they present a selection of sparkling works by Rossini, Wagner, Hofmeyr, Allan Solomon, Bizet, Puccini, Bruch, Gardel and Vangelis.

The cellists are Peter Martens, Eddie McLean, Rosamund and Matthias Ender, Dane Coetzee and Ashlin Grobelaar.

The programme is as follows (subject to change without notice):

Rossini arr Werner Thomas Mifune: William Tell Overture

Allan Stephenson: Souvenir de Sevilla

Wagner arr Friedrich Grützmacher: Feierliches Stück – Zug zum Münster from Lohengrin

Hendrik Hofmeyr: Tango dal balletto ‘Alice’

Allan Solomon: Antiphon

Bizet arr Werner Thomas Mifune: Carmen Fantasie (soloist Peter Martens)

Interval

Puccini arr Werner Thomas Mifune: Tosca Fragment

Bruch arr Gunte Robke: Kol Nidrei (soloist Eddie McLean)

Kaiser Lindeman: Bosa Nova Philharmonica

Gardel arr Graham du Plessis: Por Una Cabeza

Vangelis arr Allan Stephenson: 1492, Conquest of Paradise

Since the establishment of the Köln Philharmonic cello ensemble more than 50 years

ago, cello ensembles have gained popularity through the decades. Today the 12 celli of

the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra constitute one of the most revered chamber music

ensembles in the world. Now, the Cape Town Philharmonic Cello Ensemble is our very

own home-grown derivative of this global phenomenon. The cello is the instrument

closest to the human voice and like a choir, a cello ensemble is a versatile group with a

vast repertoire ranging from Baroque masterpieces to icons from the silver screen.