Starring: Willem Vogel
Alan Solomon is one of South Africa's most respected musicians. His 40-year career as concert violinist, teacher, composer and conductor places him in the forefront of the S.A. music scene. Since September 1999 he has been living and teaching in the USA.
The sad news of Alan’s passing 7 September 2020 led me to decide to dedicate Episode 24 of Willem’s Choice to Alan, his work, his students and some beautiful music. Join me to celebrate a great spirit in classical music, a profound thinker and a major inspiration to so many fine SA musicians including: Gérard Korsten, Gina Beukes, Ian van Rensburg, André Swanepoel, Suzanne Martens, Jessica Bailey and many more.
Willem Vogel commenced piano studies at the age of 5. At age 10 joined the Drakensberg Boys Choir. After attending the Pretoria School for Art, Ballet & Music (Pro Arte), he completed BMus, MMus and HDip Ed at the University of the Witwatersrsand. He started his career as lecturer and professional accompanist and chorus master. He was Head of the Music at the Kempton Park Technical College, after which he joined SABC TV, as Multi-Camera Television Director. Willem received five Artes nominations and he won an Artes award for Enoch Prophet of God, (Roelof Temmingh).
This award is equal to an academy award, only difference is that it is proudly South-African. Willem Vogel and Daniël Vos founded Salon Music (1994). In 2003 Salon Music opened a classical CD shop in Brooklyn Mall. In 2010 they were head hunted to operate a theatre in Menlopark, now called Brooklyn Theatre. The hard work started and weekly concerts was of the highest standard. Musicula, a development programme for babies 6 months to 6 years was introduced to the theatre in 2015 in collaboration with Magdaleen Lamey. Successfully engaging and educating the new musician and a new future audience. the Gauteng Philharmonic Orchestra, which was founded by himself, Daniël Vos and Amanda Booysen in 2013.
Since 1994 Salon Music boasts with more than 6000 concerts, productions, theatre rentals and educational projects. A beacon of hope for the classical music industry in South-Africa