The Odeion Quartet

The Odeion String Quartet was constituted in 1991 as the permanent full-time resident String Quartet at the University of the Free State. The quartet has taken part in music festivals in Norway, Zimbabwe and Botswana, as well as the major Arts festivals in South Africa and has developed an extensive repertoire. Over the years they have variously performed with pianists and violinists of international acclaim.

For the past four years the quartet has been a key participant in the annual Chamber Music Festival in Bloemfontein. When all of the four performers retired or left Bloemfontein new appointments were made in 2008. Denise Sutton became the leader of the Quartet with Sharon de Kock, second violinist, Jeanne-Louise Moolman, violist and Anmari Joubert, cellist.

This created new opportunities for learners and students to be taught by excellent lecturers at the UFS. The new players also strengthen the Free State Symphony Orchestra as they fill the four principal positions in the strings.

Most string quartets abroad are affiliated to a higher education institution, which enables a higher level of playing as there is more time for preparation and to study the repertoire. “We appreciate the university’s confidence in us and for the opportunity to explore the intricacies of ensemble playing. We hope that we can produce inspiring performances for our audiences and students,” said Denis Sutton, new leader of the string quartet.

Denise Sutton
Denise Sutton obtained a B.Mus. cum laude at the University of Stellenbosch. An Ernest Oppenheimer Memorial Scholarship enabled her to study in Amsterdam and London. She was appointed Principal Second violinist of the Scottish Chamber Orchestra and was offered a position with the English Chamber Orchestra. With these orchestras she had the opportunity of touring the UK, France, Spain, Germany, the USA and Canada. On her return to South Africa, she was concertmaster of the PACT Orchestra for almost 20 years, and was also leader of the Transvaal Chamber Orchestra, Johannesburg Festival Orchestra and Chamber Orchestra of South Africa (COSA). She has been a member of many chamber groups, notably the Rosamunde Quartet, and has appeared as soloist with various orchestras. She has extensive teaching experience and has taught many successful students who are working professionally here and abroad. She serves on the jury for competitions such as ARTSCAPE and the UNISA national string competition and is an examiner for UNISA, the University of Pretoria and the University of Potchefstroom. Currently she is leader of the Odeion String Quartet and Head of the Strings Department at the University of the Free State.

Sharon de Kock
Sharon De Kock, who studied under Chee-yun Kim and Piotr Milewski among other Juilliard alumni, is a Master of Music graduate of the University of Cincinnati where she received many awards and prizes. From 2004 to 2006 she was a violin lecturer at two universities and a music conservatoire in Mexico, as well as lecturer and a first violinist of the National Symphony Orchestra of Costa Rica. More recently she was attached to the Hugo Lambrechts Music Centre in Cape Town. As a concerto soloist she has performed with orchestras in Peru and Costa Rica, as well as with the Kentucky, Dayton and Richmond Orchestras in the United States. Sharon also participated in the Aspen and Grandin Festivals in America, the Lucca Music Festival in Italy and others in Japan, Scotland and Portugal.

Jeanne-Louise Moolman
Jeanne-Louise Moolman is an experienced chamber musician who regularly performs in various combinations with some of South Africa’s leading musicians. In 2008 she was appointed as lecturer and member of the Odeion String Quartet at the University of the Free State. Jeanne-Louise was a founding member of the Rosamunde String Quartet. As soloist she has performed several concertos including the Suite Hebraïque (Bloch), the Concerto in C minor by J.C.Bach, Harold in Italy (Berlioz) and the Sinfonia Concertante for Violin and Viola by Mozart with different orchestras in South Africa. In 2008 he gave the world premiere performance of Stefan Grové’s Concerto for Flute and Viola with the Chamber Orchestra of South Africa, and was subsequently invited to perform the work at the 37th International Viola Congress in Stellenbosch. Jeanne-Louise has about twenty years experience as principle violist if various professional orchestras in Gauteng and the free State. She studied under Prof.Alan Solomon at the University of Pretoria and under Thomas Riebl in Salzburg. As a student she won among others the ATKV Forté and the Oude Meester competitions and in 1985 she was the first winner of the prestigious 75th Commemorative Prize of the University of Natal.

Anmari van der Westhuizen
Anmari van der Westhuizen was the winner at several national competitions such as the Forté, SABC and Oude Meester Competitions. In 1985 she was the runner-up of the SASOL Music Prize. Today she is one of the most sought-after cellists in South Africa. Anmari, a cum laude graduate of the Stellenbosch University, was awarded the Grosses Konzertdiplom with distinction at the Mozarteum in Salzburg and the Konzertexamendiplom at the Hochschule für Musik in Cologne, working under Heidi Litschauer and Maria Kliegel respectively. During her stay in Europe from 1988 to 1996 she appeared as soloist and chamber musician in groups such as the Koehne String Quartet and the Austrian ensemble for new music, Vienna. She also performed at international festivals in Austria, Australia, Italy and Spain. Anmari has made several CD recordings. From 1999 until 2008 she has been the conductor and director of the UCT String Ensemble. In 2009 she has founded the Kovsie string ensemble. Anmari is a founder member of the UCT Trio, the Collage Ensemble and I Grandi Violoncellisti, Anmari still performs regularly throughout South Africa and abroad. In 2007 she was invited by the Austrian Composers Union as solo cellist to perform in Vienna and the Faroe Islands.