MUSICAL
ENDEAVOURS SINCE COMPLETING FORMAL ACADEMIC STUDIES (1982 – 2007):
SOLO
HARP
I
have established myself as a solo concert harpist around Gauteng and as
far as Bloemfontein. I have many programmes of these recitals, but
most are pasted in scrap books. I can extract a few as examples,
but it would be impossible to submit them all. The most recent one was
at the University of Johannesburg, in their Monday evening sunset soirées,
on 21 May 2007. Repertoire list available on request.
HARP
QUARTET
I
have formed a Harp Quartet with four of my colleagues in Johannesburg.
We have learnt and performed all the works in existence in the world, for
harp quartet. There are only about 10. Then I arranged a 4th
part of a variety of arrangements for harp trio, so that we have a 4th
part. Now we can perform as a Trio or as a Quartet. Then
I also arranged two works for Harp Quartet myself – The Gold and Silver
Waltz of Léhar, and the Ouverture of Orpheus in the Underworld,
incorporating the main Waltz theme from Gaieté Parisienne, by Offenbach.
I am responsible for about 15% of the world repertoire for harp quartet.
This was done on Encore or Ouverture, so I mastered the technology as well.
ACCOMPANIMENT
(Performance
and arrangements)
I
have made extensive arrangements for harp of the piano accompaniments of
a wide selection of Lieder and opera arias for various vocal ranges, and
performed these with singers in a multitude of harp and voice recitals
over 20 years. Repertoire list available on request.
HARP
and CHOIR
I
have performed the entire Ceremony of Carols by Benjamin Britten with four
choirs – extensively with the Drakensberg Boys’ Choir, and recently with
the Botswana Choral Society.
HARP
and FLUTE
Together
with flautists such as Amanda du Preez-Bosch, Malané Hofmeyr-Burger,
Meryl Neille, Dawid Venter, and Heidi Lenz, I have performed some of the
most respected original concert compositions for this combination, including
the Casilda Fantasy (Doppler and Zamara), Sonata by Damase, and Mozart
Harp and Flute Concerto, with piano accompaniment, as well as accompaniment
by Salon Music’s ensemble (Willem Vogel’s arrangement). I did a concert
in the State Theatre with Amanda Bosch.
ENSEMBLE
(Performance
and arrangements)
I
arranged 6 hours’ of music for harp, upper voice and lower voice obligato,
of which I wrote the obligato parts myself. I have all the harp accompaniment
scores, and I can perform them all, and I have the other two instrumentalists’
parts available, each in their appropriate keys and clefs. This was
all done on Encore or Overture. Repertoire list available on request.
They can all be performed without the 3rd voice obligato, as duos.
This is predominantly gig music, but it is about 6 hours. If I could
publish it, it would make 3 handy albums for gig musicians of this trio
combination.
SALON
MUSIC
I
have frequently performed with Salon Music, as harpist in their small to
medium ensembles. For these performances, I have mostly made the
arrangement of my harp parts myself, per Willem Vogel’s directives.
ORIGINAL
ARRANGEMENTS DUO 2000
I
have formed a unique Duo with Symphonic Accordionist and international
juror Sergio Zampolli. We are the only 2 in the world doing this.
We can not find anybody else, and even Anton Nel reports that there is
nobody in America, and Sergio’s infrastructure of connections report that
there is nothing like this in Europe. We could not find any repertoire
from any publisher anywhere in the world. Our repertoire now comprises
100 arrangements (our own) of popular classical works including one full
harp concerto – I play the harp and Sergio plays the orchestral accompaniment.
For 12 years running, we have been performing together regularly, in a
regular series of house concerts, and we still continue to make arrangements,
learn new repertoire, and perform older repertoire all over Gauteng, and
as far as Bloemfontein and the Drakesnberg.
Website:
www.duo2000.co.za
Repertoire
list available, with full programme notes.
ORCHESTRA
I
have established myself as an orchestral harpist. I have performed
in every orchestra in the country, except in Cape Town. I have played the
harp part in most of the major operas performed by these orchestras, as
well as shows, musicals, and a wide range of symphony concerts. I
consider myself an experienced stage orchestra and pit orchestra harpist.
I have made a name for myself as the harpist who can always be called in
for an emergency. Repertoire list available on request.
TECHNOLOGY
/ INITIATIVE
I
designed a system for harpists, which could help overcome the tremendous
difficulty of the pedals, which is experienced by every harpist in the
world. I presented my design to an electronic engineer, who built
it into my harps. It can be built into a harp, or attached separately.
It will revolutionise a harpist’s problems with pedals, the same way Maelzel’s
invention of the metronome revolutionised problems with rhythm and the
way electronic tuners revolutionised problems with tuning. It is
also small and compact, and the engineer will supply fitting instructions.
In
order to keep up with all the arrangements I am doing, I have mastered
Encore, Overture, and Sibelius, for the production of my arrangements.
I prefer to work with Encore.
TEACHING
I
have established myself in teaching of all the major disciplines – theory,
harp and piano, and now keyboard. I have taught students up to Gr
7 UNISA in theory and I have taught harp up to 4th year performance level
at UP.
RECORDINGS
VIDEO
I
have made one professional television programme for SABC television, called
“Serenade in die Wynland”, under the direction of Willem Vogel. This programme
consisted of 12 Afrikaans Art Songs, performed by 4 different sopranos,
of which I transcribed and performed all accompaniments on the harp from
piano.
I
participated in several other TV programmes or fillers over the years,
as an extra player, or part of ensemble or orchestra, or in interviews,
but I have no record of these any more. They were few and far between,
and I didn’t consider them important, as my roles were too small.
COMPACT
DISCS – Duo 2000
I
have recorded 4 compact discs with Sergio Zampolli, as our Duo 2000 unique
combination. I have arranged my part of every work on each CD, and
I play the harp on all 4. 2 of them were finalists in the SAMA awards,
and one of them was endorsed by SABC 2. I co-produced the 3rd and
4th CD, so I gained valuable experience in producing, over and above recording.
I have also solely researched the programme notes of each work, and produced
the designs and information for the covers and inlays.
COMPACT
DISCS – Solo
I
have recorded 2 solo albums, comprising works that I see on a variety of
professional CDs of world-famous harpists, and works that are prescribed
for various higher grades and Diplomas for the various institutes like
Trinity, Royal Schools, or UNISA. I am also the producer of these
CDs.
My
first solo CD also has one work of Chopin, which I transcribed for harp
myself.
COMPACT
DISCS Ensemble
I
play the harp on one or a few tracks of the CDs of many other artists,
as accompanist, or part of an ensemble, eg. Malané Hofmeyr-Burger,
Salon Music, Daniele Pascal
©
Copyright 2009
All
copyright subsists in this material.
©
Copyright 2009 Amarillie Ackerman.
All
rights reserved.
