The mission of Cape Classic
• Supporting cultural exchange between Europe and South Africa
• Supporting social relief projects for children in the Western Cape through the donation of funds raised by concert ticket sales.
The mission is realized by:
• An annual concert series held in February/March of each year on wine farms and in concert halls in the Western Cape and the Moederkerk in Swellendam.
• Educational activities/workshops for underprivileged children in the Western Cape.
Charity and educational activities
All Cape Classic concerts are benefit concerts; proceeds are donated to non-profit organisations supporting local relief projects for underprivileged children in the Western Cape. This is the organisation’s highest priority.
Funds raised in 2007 were also used to support, “Dance for All” and the “Cooper Street Project”, a private soup kitchen in the town of Swellendam.
In 2009 the Cape Classic funds went to the Jamestown Sounds Project and the iKhaya Music Project (both in Stellenbosch townships) and a crèche which will be estabished in Rondomskrit (Swellendam).
- Photos of the delivering of donations in: 2005, 2006, 2008 and 2009.
The artists express their support of Cape Classic’s mission in more than one way. Firstly, they perform at the festival without remuneration. And then they
also work with disadvantaged township children during the Cape Classic workshops.
By providing intercultural music classes, Cape Classic hopes to get the young generation of South Africa involved and to stimulate their interest in
classical music.
- Cape Classic artists visiting Kayamandi (Stellenbosch) 2005
The origin of Cape Classic
Enthusiasm for South Africa and a love for classical music have been the main motivations for Gabi Zahn’s vision to create Cape Classic, a festival which supports charitable projects of the Cape region through “The Magic of Music”.
In the eighties Gabi Zahn lived in South Africa for four years with her husband and her four children.
In Germany, where she lives now, she worked as a journalist specialising in cultural affairs, mainly classical music, where she wrote reviews of concerts and interviewed famous artists.
Currently, she spends all her time on the organisation of Cape Classic.
Gabi Zahn &
Cecilia Bartoli (mezzo-soprano)
The organization
Founder and director of Cape Classic is Gabi Zahn. (See also "Contact")
PATRONS of the Cape Classic festival 2013 are:
- Ivan Meyer, the Western Cape minister of cultural affairs and sport
- Emila Müller, the Bavarian state minister for federal and European affairs.
Greeting
