A young woman from Silversands has been selected to join the African United Youth Orchestra that will participate in the World Orchestra Week Festival at the world famous Carnegie Hall in America.
Andrea Salomo has been playing the oboe since the age of 11 and started out through a music development project facilitated by Hugo Lambrechts Music Center to Silversands Primary School.
“Under the tutelage of Carin Bam I played through primary school until the end of high school in 2014 and stopped completely as I went for tertiary education, pursuing a career in law. Unfortunately, life was difficult at the time, balancing being employed full-time and studying via correspondence. At the beginning of 2018, Carin Bam said there was a festival taking place in Namibia that she wanted to me to attend, all paid for.
“I agreed as the void of not playing music could not be replaced. Apparently it was the most impressive thing they’ve seen in years where someone who hasn’t touched an oboe could produce the sound I did. That was the first time I started playing oboe again,” says Salomo.
At the end of 2018 Bam contacted Solomo again as she needed an oboist to assist her in a ballet production with the Cape Philharmonic Orchestra, playing second oboe.
“To some, picking up an oboe after four years and playing it in that degree was quite the challenge, especially because of the caliber of musicians playing in the said orchestra. I took the challenge anyway and rose to the occasion.
“In 2019 I auditioned at the University of Cape Town and what a privilege to be at such a prestigious institution. I’ve been on a bursary since the beginning of my studies at UCT,” she added.
She did the African United Youth Orchestra audition on April 13 at UCT.
“It was one of the best feelings I’ve ever encountered. Ecstatic, overwhelmed, tearful, and excitement is about what I went through simultaneously. I think what I look forward to the most is experiencing musicians making music from across the world. Playing with people from around Africa and playing in Carnegie Hall, New York, has got to be one of the biggest dreams come true. My passion for music probably comes from my maternal grandfather’s family. They are big musicians playing in Brass bands in Wupperthal, so I’m assuming it would probably have been from them.
“What I cherish in the music world is how accessible it became. How hard work, faith, really conquers all. That someone from Silversands will be participating in a world premiere Orchestra week in New York through a music programme started at Silversands Primary School,” she says.
She sees Bam as a musical hero. “The foundation she laid and potential she saw, got me where I am. If I don’t perform, I tend to teach. I’ve been appointed the music director of Christmas Choir, Stars of Hope, and teaching them some basic music theory and making some beautiful music as an organisation to uplift the youth in Worcester. In my spare time I am a huge rugby enthusiast,” she says.
