SACM Concerts 2006

The South African College of Music (SACM) series of concerts will be taking place at the Baxter Concert Hall throughout the second half of the year. Performances for August will include:

Tuesday, August 1, at 20h15
An all-Mozart programme of sonatas, variations and shorter piano pieces that will include Mozart's first and last works for piano by Graham Fitch.

Saturday, August 12, at 20h15
Six String Things, featuring James Grace and Gary Deacon performing compositions on nylon-string guitar with string orchestra and rhythm section, arranged and conducted by Darryl Andrews.

August 20, 22, 23, 25 & 26 at 20h00 in the Baxter Main
The Marriage of Figaro
The most entertaining operatic comedy of love sung to brilliant music by one of the greatest composers of all time, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. Presented by Cape Town Opera and UCT Opera School, in collaboration with Artscape, WCCC and NLDTF and Mellon Fund, and music by the UCT Symphony Orchestra.

Renowned Egyptologist to deliver lecture

The Egyptian Society of South Africa (TESSA) is marking its 10th anniversary this year by bringing to South Africa the man who is probably the most-famous Egyptologist/archaeologist in the world today, Dr Zahi Hawass, Secretary General of Egypt's Supreme Council of Antiquities, archaeologist in residence for the National Geographic Magazine, and one of the most familiar Egyptian faces on television the world over. Under his familiar Indiana Jones hat, he is a man who is passionate about every aspect of ancient Egypt and its treasures. He discovered the "golden mummies" in Egypt and early this year he arranged and managed the scanning of the mummified remains of the boy-king Tutankhamun, and from these images the reconstructed face of Tutankhamun was shown to the world.

He will deliver a lecture, The Mystery of the Pyramids: Recent Discoveries in the Pyramids, on August 16 and 17 at 19h30 at the Baxter Concert Hall. Tickets cost R60. Book at Computicket.

Genome expert for UCT

Eric Lander from MIT/Harvard, touted as one of the greatest human genome scientists, will visit the university on August 3. Lander is one of the masterminds behind the expansive Human Genome Project, which heralds a revolution of our understanding of our own biology, origins and predisposition to disease. He is a guest of the Africa Genome Education Institute and will be giving a public lecture at UCT at the Student Learning Centre on Thursday, August 3, at 18h00. The title of his lecture is Beyond the Human Genome Project: Implications for Medicine in the 21st Century.

The Hilarious Hypnotist at the Baxter

Andre the Hilarious Hypnotist has become a household name in Cape Town. His ability to get members of the audience to behave in strange and comical situations is guaranteed to have them rolling in the aisles. This year Andre has invited fellow artist and 'one of the kind' Stevie Starr the Regurgitator from the UK to share the stage with him.

The Hilarious Double Bill opens at the Baxter Concert Hall on August 23 to September 9. It is two hours of the most amazing entertainment you will ever witness.

Performances are Wednesday to Friday, nightly at 20h15 and Saturday at 18h00 and 20h30. Tickets cost R85 and may be booked at Computicket or call the Baxter Theatre.

Meet the stars at Baxter

The Baxter Theatre Centre is launching a series of informal conversations with accomplished South African artists, hosted by resident director Lara Foot Newton, who will talk to them about their lives, work and dreams. The first conversation is with Tony Award winner John Kani, and takes place on Monday, July 31, at 18h00. Janice Honeyman, David Kramer and Pieter-Dirk Uys will be hosted in coming months. For more information, please contact the Baxter at (021) 689 3989.