A trio of young musicians will be stepping into the professional spotlight with a bassoon, a French horn and an oboe in tow!
Cape Town, South Africa (03 July 2026) – Three young South African musicians are set to join the Cape Town Philharmonic Orchestra (CPO) as cadets on the CPO’s Young Artist Development Programme from August 1.
Marelise Brink (26) of Oranjezicht plays bassoon, Carin Donson (27) of Tableview plays French horn, and Andrea Salomo (29) of Blue Downs plays oboe. All three have been selected for the one-year programme, which will give them at least 20 performance opportunities alongside professional orchestral musicians.
The programme is funded by the L&S Chiappini Trust and the Azriel and Moira Fine Foundation.
Adriaan Fuchs, CEO and Artistic Director of the CPO, explains that the Orchestral Cadet Programme is built to give young musicians real, hands-on experience.
“The CPO’s Orchestral Cadet Programme is designed to give young musicians meaningful experience, confidence, and structured training in orchestral performance. It provides the opportunity to rehearse and perform alongside professional orchestral players under the guidance of dedicated CPO mentors who will give constant feedback.”
Over the course of the year, the cadets will take part in rehearsals, receive one-on-one and group coaching, and be involved in educational activities aimed at sharpening their technical and performance abilities. They’ll also get a behind-the-scenes look at how a professional orchestra runs, including its education and community development work.
“This programme serves as an important stepping stone towards further opportunities within the music profession.” says Fuchs.
As part of their time with the CPO, the three cadets will also lend a hand at the CPO Music Academy, where the orchestra’s ensembles and youth orchestras rehearse, and support the Masidlale grassroots training programme.
The appointment marks the start of something all three cadets have worked toward for years!
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Marelise says the opportunity means she can grow as a musician while learning from the best in the field.
Joining the CPO “gives me the opportunity to develop my playing alongside some of the best musicians in the country while learning more about the intricacies of orchestral playing in South Africa and investing in the community and youth development programmes of the orchestra.”
Carin’s connection to the CPO goes back to her childhood.
She says she is “so incredibly grateful. When I was young, I always loved the sound and feeling of listening to classical music in the City Hall. When I joined the Cape Town Philharmonic Youth Orchestra, that love for orchestral performance grew, as well as my dream to be part of CPO. What a beautiful full circle moment!”
Andrea says the appointment is the realisation of a long-held dream.
She is “so honoured. I look forward to fulfilling a dream of being an orchestral musician and learning in the process from one of the best music communities in the country.”
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