|
The South-African tenor, Willem Bester, was a voice student of André Howard and Minette du Toit-Pearce, had master classes with Colin Lee, and studied choral direction with Acáma Fick. He received FAK and academic merit bursaries for his Bachelor of Music studies through UNISA. After being employed in the IT industry for almost a decade, he returned to full-time university studies.
Willem Bester has performed as a vocal soloist in works ranging from Monteverdi and J.S. Bach's Passions and George Frideric Handel's Messiah to Rossini's Stabat Mater and Jenkins for groups that include the Cape Town Philharmonic Orchestra, the University of Stellenbosch Symphony Orchestra, and Baroque 2000. He is a member of the Early Music group The Cape Consort, and with this group he sang the male title role in Purcell’s Dido and Aeneas in a Woordfees production directed by Marí Borstlap, with musical direction by Hans Huyssen. He is also a founding member of the Lutesong Consort. In 2016 he sang the Evangelist in J.S. Bach’s Johannes-Passion BWV 245 as a member of the Cape Soloists Choir, directed by Kåre Hanken.
Willem Bester holds an MSc (Computer Science) degree cum laude from Stellenbosch University (2007-2013), where he currently lectures computer science (since December 2013) while he works towards a doctorate in the mathematical aspects of formal computer languages, automata theory, and program analysis. He is particularly fond of compilers, and currently presents courses in low-level programming and advanced algorithms. Since 2001, he has been a freelance music and theatre critic for Die Burger and at national arts festivals, and he also regularly broadcasts on Fine Music Radio in Cape Town. He currently lives in Stellenbosch. |
