Press: Apartheid Shattered Dreams Come True 50 Years On

74-year-old Reggie Dreyer has waited more than 50 years to play with a symphony orchestra. Denied the chance due to Apartheid his dream will finally be released come Tuesday, 7 March where he’s set to perform Piano Concerto no 23 in A, K 488 by Mozart with the Cape Philharmonic Orchestra at the Artscape Theatre Centre’s Lunch Hour concert. This Mozart classic was the very same piece he auditioned in 1960 with the orchestra, but due to Apartheid legislation the orchestra could not offer him an engagement.

Last year, he was urged to contact the CPO again and with University of Cape Town (UCT) teacher Franklyn Larey and the CPO’s resident conductor Brandon Phillips on the panel, he was offered the chance to audition again. Mr Dreyer never gave up his dream and became a cornerstone of teaching and the church in his community.

Also on the bill will be 12-year old Qden Blaauw who will play the slow movement of Mozart’s Piano Concerto No. 21 in C, K. 467, known as “Elvira Madigan.

Says Louis Heyneman, CEO of the CPO: “With Qden Blaauw, the youngest and Reggie Dreyer at the upper end as soloists in the Cape Town Philharmonic Orchestra’s free lunch hour concert in the Artscape Chandelier Foyer, there’s no doubt that the two organizations are creating a space for everyone.”

Under the direction of Brandon Phillips, the orchestra will also play a variety of light orchestral pops.

Says Artscape CEO Marlene le Roux: “The concert series ties into our objective that Artscape’s theatre doors remain open to patrons and stages open to performers who were denied access in the past. Artscape also recognizes the immense challenges facing the youth of today inclusive of socio-economic issues which through our programmes we can assist in resolving some of these challenges.”

For media enquiries, please contact Themba Mzondi on 078 113 5216 / themba@sceproductions.co.za