Dr. Becky Steltzner: Clarinet (Co-director)

Dr Steltzner is a clarinettist, and for many years was Senior Lecturer, and the Head of Woodwind & Chamber Music Studies at the South African College of Music at the University of Cape Town.  She is the Deputy Director of the Franschhoek Chamber Music Workshop, and has been involved with this prestigious workshop since 1990.

She played with the Cape Town Symphony Orchestra and the Cape Town Philharmonic Orchestra for nearly 20 years, and during that time taught and gave chamber music concerts part-time. After that, the roles were somewhat reversed; she became a full-time lecturer at UCT.  She still contributes to solo, orchestral, and chamber music in and around Cape Town.

Becky has given several important world premieres of South African works, including both the Clarinet Sonata and Concerto of Hendrik Hofmeyr. In 2016, she was awarded a PhD for her work on the history of the clarinet in South Africa.

As a chamber musician, she has played with the Amadeus Winds, and the Blackwood Clarinet Quartet, and has been involved in many other concerts with different groupings. She regularly plays concerts with quite a few of the other Franschhoek instructors.

Her woodwind quintet, Hambani Kakuhle Kwela, has been published in the United States, and from time to time, Franschhoekians will get to play various other of her arrangements and compositions.

Barbara Kennedy: Cello (Director)

Born in Bulawayo in 1953, Barbara Kennedy began piano lessons at age 4 and cello at 12. She studied in London as a Scholar of the Royal Academy of Music for 5 years and thereafter returned to South Africa to continue her career as an orchestral cellist and teacher.

Her journey through life has always been accompanied by music, apart from a period of 5 years when she was a restaurateur. Barbara now enjoys a variety of musical activities including the Michaelis Players, I Grandi Violoncellisti, and the Palm Strings Quartet, as well as spontaneous music making with colleagues on a broad spectrum of instruments such as didgeridoo, drums, guitar, monochord, lyre and Hang, a new instrument from Switzerland.

She is currently a cello teacher at Bishops Diocesan College and director of the Franschhoek Chamber Music Workshop.

Farida Bacharova: Violin

In 1992, Farida, then the youngest female concertmaster in Russia, was the soloist for more than forty performances of ballets such at The Golden Age, The Nutcracker and Swan Lake in Tokoyo's Metropolitan Hall. During twelve years of experience performing in Russian and on international tours, she has appeared as a soloist for ballets and as a symphonic soloist in many of the world's major halls, including Fisher and Carnegie Hall in New York, Champs d'Elysees in Paris, Konsertgebou in Amsterdam, Berlin's Schauspiel Haus, Gevandhaus in Leipzig, Tonhalle in Zurich as well as the Moscow Conservatory Main Hall and Tchaikovsky Hall. A highlight of her orchestral career was a joint-concert with the New York Philharmonic, under the baton of Zubin Metha.

As a solo recitalist in Moscow, Farida has performed in the Chamber Hall, Rachmaninov Hall and White Hall with international acclaimed pianist, Natalie Trull. She appeared as a soloist in the City Hall, Cape Town. Farida has appeared as soloist with the Cape Town philharmonic orchestra and was met with critical acclaim. Works performed includes the Mendelssohn Concerto for Violin and Piano, Mozart Synphonia Concertante and the world premiere of the David Earle Violin Concerto. Farida regularly performs at major chamber festivals such as the Stellenbosch International Chamber Music Festival, Grahamstown Festival and the Klein Karoo Nationale Kunstefees. At these events she performs in the premiere of many contemporary compositions alongside world renowned musicians such as Olga Kern, Daniel Rowland, Francois du Toit, amongst many others.

As head of South African College of Music's String Department, Farida has been fundamental in the promotion of the String Department across South Africa and abroad. Master classes arranged include such artists as Alexander Gilman, Jan Repko, Maria Kliegel. Farida has arranged conductors on the international conducting circuit to work and conduct various symphony concerts with the UCT Symphony Orchestra. Most recently UCT was privileged to have Maestro Victor Yampolski and Maestro Bernard Guiller on the podium.

Marina Louw: Viola

Marina Louw obtained a B.Mus (cum laude) at the UOFS, majoring in viola performance under the tuition of John Wille, and an M.Mus (cum laude) in chamber music at the US. In 2003 and 2005 Marina studied in Oxford with the well-known Hungarian violinist and teacher, Kató Havas.

At present Marina is Head of Beau Soleil Music Centre where she teaches violin and viola, and conducts various ensembles. She has also lectured on a part time basis at the University of Stellenbosch. Marina freelances for the CPO and is a keen chamber musician who performs regularly with various chamber groups. In 2000 she joined the Cape Town String Quartet for a concert tour to South America.

Marina has adjudicated the Sanlam Primary Schools Competition and the ATKV Prelude Competition, as well as several local eisteddfodau. She has also been part of the coaching team at the annual Franschhoek Chamber Music Workshop since 1998.

Elsabé Pretorius: Flute

Elsabé Pretorius started her flute studies in 1971 in Pretoria where she obtained the BMus Performer's Degree with distinction. In 1975 she was appointed lecturer at the Potchefstroom Conservatoire, whilst playing ad hoc with the SABC Symphony Orchestra. She was also a member of the SABC Junior Orchestra, performing as soloist on tour in Namibia in 1975. As principal flute of the SA Youth Orchestra she participated in the International Festival of Youth Orchestras in Aberdeen Scotland in the same year and again toured Europe in 1978.

In 1978 Elsabé furthered her flute studies in London under Lenore Smith and William Bennett. Two years later she settled in Cape Town, where she played ad hoc flute and piccolo with the Cape Town Symphony and Cape Town Philharmonic Orchestras. In 1982 she obtained the Unisa Performer's Licenciate with distinction and started teaching at Beau Soleil Music Centre and Herschel Senior and Preparatory Schools. In the same year she and her husband Henk, who plays the oboe, founded the Amadeus Winds, performing widely in the Cape Peninsula in concert halls and on various wine farms, including Nederburg, La Motte and Bouchard-Finlayson. In June 2008 they performed in the Baxter Concert Club Series.

Elsabé continued to freelance with the Cape Philharmonic Orchestra and joined them on tour in the Canarie Islands in 2000. Since 1992 she has been on the part-time staff of the University of Cape Town and joined the Certificate Program of the University of Stellenbosch in 2010.

Elsabé has been involved as a coach at the Franschhoek Chamber Music Workshop since 1992 and at the Stellenbosch International Festival of Chamber Music in 2010.

Elsabé and Henk have two daughters, Annicq and Maryse. They live in Hout Bay and enjoy hiking in the mountains, making and listening to music, reading, cooking together, trying new recipes and enjoying the lovely wines of the Cape.