Anna van der Merwe
“Don’t be discouraged by stumbling blocks along the way - just go for it!”
Professional violinist at Joseph Keilberth Academy of the Bamberg Symphony Orchestra
1. Why did you decide to do this apprenticeship in Germany?
After completing my Master’s degree in violin performance in Austria, I needed to gather work experience before deciding if I would like to pursue a career in the classical music field. I had heard from colleagues about the apprenticeships offered at various German orchestras and decided that this would be the perfect opportunity for me to see if I indeed wanted to work as a full-time musician.1
2. How did you prepare yourself and how did the application process go?
For all classical musicians, there is a wonderful website called muvac, https://www.muvac.com/en/ . This is a job portal for musicians and orchestras around the world, where you can find vacancies and apprenticeships. Muvac even goes a step further by facilitating the application process between the administration, the candidates, and the reviewers. The application process was rather simple, I had to upload all my documents such as certificates, CV and motivation letter. The daunting part began after receiving an invitation to the interview and as exciting as it was, I had to prepare well for my live audition as I would be competing with excellent musicians from all over the world. Luckily for me, I was offered a place at the Bamberg Symphony Orchestra and could begin with the apprenticeship.
3. What personal and professional requirements do you think are important for this occupation?
The apprenticeship is open to everyone with a Bachelor’s degree in music. You should be good with people, as making music involves a lot of emotion and is a highly interpersonal field. Not only must you be proficient on your instrument, but you must also be very disciplined, as the classical music industry is very competitive and demanding.
4. What did you learn at the orchestra during your apprenticeship?
The apprenticeship takes place within the orchestra, and both the theory and practical part is covered. We also performed as part of the orchestra which helped us get accustomed to playing in front of large audiences. Apart from practising, we attended classes in stress management, meditation, and presentation skills. I particularly enjoyed the outreach programme and allows its students to provide support and supervision to school going children by introducing them to music and instruments.
5. What advice do you have for South Africans who are interested in an apprenticeship?
If it is possible, start your application at least a year in advance. Most orchestras offer a contact person, therefore get in touch and do not be afraid to ask questions. Even though speaking the German language is not a prerequisite of this apprenticeship, I would still recommend learning the basics.
6. What does a normal working day at the orchestra look like for you?
A typical day routine always varies, as we often work in the evenings. It is very important that I keep healthy, so during the day I try to meditate and do yoga. During rehearsals our conductor will guide us through the piece, one section at a time, and then everything will be put together, and we will practise until it is perfect.
7. What do you enjoy the most about playing in an orchestra?
I enjoy that music allows us to communicate without speaking. We are a very big orchestra, and the fact that we can synchronize so well together and produce such beautiful music always amazes me.
8. What are your career goals?
I would like to continue working at the Gürzenich Orchestra Cologne and if possible, set up an outreach programme for aspiring musicians in South Africa. This would provide the perfect exchange between the two countries, as I feel that both have so much to learn from each other.
This interview was conducted by Sinenhlanhla Buthelezi. We are lucky to have Buthelezi in the media development department of the Deutsche Welle Academy.