People of Note

Rodney Trudgeon’s guest on People of Note this week is the young, dynamic violinist Miclen LaiPang who has established himself as one of the most compelling and versatile artists of his generation. He stunned Cape Town audiences recently with his performance of the Tchaikovsky Violin Concerto and he is now playing at the Stellenbosch International Chamber Music Festival. People of Note – Sunday at...

G&S Cape Town is presenting one of the most loved comic operas by Gilbert and Sullivan, The Pirates of Penzance. The production promises to be not only great fun but also beautifully and originally staged. Rodney Trudgeon spoke to the Music Director and Conductor of G%S, Alistair Cockburn about the opera. People of Note – Sunday at 6pm and again on Thursday at midday, brought to you by PTP. Killer...

The award winning musical by Stephen Sondheim, A LITTLE NIGHT MUSIC opens on 30 June at Theatre on The Bay. It involves a world of seduction, wit and aching romance and the all start cast includes Kate Normington as Countess Charlotte Malcolm. Rodney Trudgeon invited Kate into the People of Note studio to talk about this fascinating play. People of Note, Sunday at 6pm and again on Thursday at midd...

Rodney Trudgeon’s guest on People of Note this week is the newly appointed chairperson of the Cape Town Philharmonic Orchestra – Lucien Lewin. A former trombonist with the orchestra, he went on to build a distinguished legal career, now bringing both musical and legal insight to this new role. People of Note with Lucien Lewin on Sunday at 6 pm and again on Thursday at midday, is brought to you by...

Rodney Trudgeon’s guest on People of Note this week is the editor of TGI Food, the Daily Maverick’s popular food platform TONY JACKMAN. Tony has won a number of awards for his writing and he has also written plays and books and his latest is called Retro Karoo Food. He has been in journalism for some 50 years with food writing his main foucus. People of Note with Tony Jackman. Sunday at 6pm and ag...

Recently, you would have heard us talking about a concert in Stellenbosch with the Winelands Philharmonic Orchestra. This exciting, relatively new venture is the brain child of Reghardt Kuhn, who is also the orchestra’s conductor. I spoke to him about the orchestra, its members and its repertoire and the challenges these enthusiastic amateurs of all ages have to face in an orchestra. People of Not...

Cape Town City Ballet is presenting "Orpheus in the Underworld", based on Offenbach’s music and choreographed by Veronica Paeper. On People of Note this week, Rodney Trudgeon spoke to Tracy Li, the Artistic Manager at CTCB, about the production and about her career in ballet

An interesting new play has just opened at the Arena Theatre. It was written by Louis Viljoen and is called The Killing of a Union Leader, described as a gripping political thriller, the plays stars, among others, John Maytham, well known as a broadcaster here in Cape Town. Rodney Trudgeon invited John into the People of Note studio to talk about the play. People of Note – Sunday 6pm and again on...

Artscape is celebrating its 55th anniversary this year and one of the highlights for this celebration is a production of Bizet’s hugely popular Opera CARMEN with a star cast, Cape Town Oper and the Cape Town Philharmonic. The conductor will be the British conductor TIM MURRAY who has a growing reputation as a conductor of opera, ballet and contemporary repertoire. Rodney Trudgeon spoke to him abou...

For thirty years ELIZABETH TRIEGAARDT has presented Invitation to the Dance on Fine Music Radio. In celebration of this milestone, Elizabeth is my guest on People of Note this week. On Sunday at 6 pm and again on Thursday at midday. Brought to you by PTP On now at Theatre on the Bay: The Rocky Horror Show, until 30 May

Rodney Trudgeon’s guest on People of Note this week is the young Spanish pianist Leo De Maria who was in Cape Town recently to play the Piano Concerto No 1 by Tchaikovsky. Leo won gold at the 2024 Unisa Piano Competition in Pretoria and subsequently made contact with the CPO. Leo comes from a musical family and says that he simply can’t live without music. People of Note Sunday at 6pm and again on...

We’ve had a really distinguished choral conductor in Town with the Cape Town Philharmonic. NICHOLAS CHALMERS is one of the leading conductors in the UK and he conducted two concerts with the CPO, including Mendelssohn’s Lobegesang. Rodney Trudgeon caught up with him for an interview for People of Note. Nicholas Chalmers on People of Note this week. Sunday at 6pm and again on Thursday at midday, br...

Many of the engineers who have come through the doors at Fine Music Radio, were trained at the Cape Audio College. Rodney Trudgeon's guest on People of Note this week is Jonathan Pike, who has worked at the College for over two decades. His deep passion for music has shaped his career.

This Sunday on People of Note, I’m in conversation with award-winning actor Craig Urbani. Craig takes on the role of Frank-N-Furter in The Rocky Horror Show. Presented by Pieter Toerien and LAMTA, this much-loved rock ’n’ roll musical returns to Theatre on the Bay from the 7th of April to the 31st of May. Join me, Rodney Trudgeon, Sunday at 6pm, with a repeat on Thursday at 12 noon, only on Fine M...

The Musical Pretty Woman is pulling in the crowds here at Artscape and the show has been brought to South Africa by Showtime Management the company run by Hazel Feldman. Hazel has been responsible for bringing many world famous shows and artists to South Africa over many years and in People of Note this week, Rodney Trudgeon asked Hazel about he phenomenal career. People of Note, Sunday 6pm and ag...

This week on People of Note, join us for a captivating conversation with Carolynne Waterhouse – acclaimed teacher, and passionate advocate for the arts. Discover her journey through music, her inspirations, and the stories behind her remarkable career. Don’t miss People of Note with Carolynne Waterhouse, Sunday at noon and again on Thursday at midday, only on Fine Music Radio. Brought to you by PT...

A recent visitor to Cape Town was one of the founders of the hugely popular acapella ensemble THE REAL GROUP. Anders Edenroth wanted to create a group of singers with an emphasis on jazz, pop and folk music with a distinctive unaccompanied sound. The group has enjoyed international fame but now Anders is involved mostly in composing, arranging and coaching choral ensembles. In fact while he was in...

Jonathan Roxmouth's vast career has many highlights, but perhaps nothing can quite beat his titular role as Phantom of the Opera, a role he performed locally and abroad. He is our guest on People of Note this week, where he talks about his show at Theatre of the Bay, Key Change – My Favourite Pianists, running from 4 to 28 March 2026. To find out about the man behind the phantom’s mask, listen to...

Maynardvilles's open air theatre is one of South Africa's most enduring cultural institutions, celebrating its 70th anniversary this year. Jaco van Rensburg, Executive Director of the festival, is my guest on People of Note this week Sunday and again on Thursday at midday brought to you by PTP

An exciting new ballet with a somewhat unlikely subject has just opened here at Artscape. Dracula has been choreographed by David Nixon a while ago and, over the years it has become one of his most celebrated ballets. Cape Town City Ballet are presenting this work and one of the lead dancers playing Dracula is JEROME BARNES who trained at the Royal Ballet School and has danced principal roles with...

Rodney Trudgeon’s guest on People of Note this week is the much respected and admired jazz pianist Ramon Alexander. Ramon works extensively in recording studios, CD production, composition and session work and he has performed and recorded with a host of artists both locally and internationally in a variety of genres. People of Note – Sunday at 6pm and again on Thursday at midday. People of Note i...

Rodney Trudgeon’s guest on People of Note this week is Kathleen Tagg, a South African pianist, composer and producer who has been based in New York since 2001. Kathleen has toured extensively on the international circuit and has performed at some of the world’s most famous and iconic concert halls. Her work includes inter-disciplinary programmes using loops, samples and visual mediums. People of N...

Rodney Trudgeon’s guest on People of Note this week is the newly appointed CEO and Artistic Director of the Cape Town Philharmonic Orchestra, Adriaan Fuchs. Adriaan comes to the post with a wealth of experience in music, fund raising, music administration and artist liason. He has worked not only here at Cape Town Opera, but at the Metropolitan Opera in New York and Carnegie Hall. People of Note –...

Rodney Trudgeon’s guest on People of Note this week is the cellist, conductor and broadcaster Kutlwano Masote.  Although he was trained as a classical musician, he has conducted concerts across the genres of operas, symphonic operas and jazz.  Kutlwano has just had his book published called The Imperfect Harmony – a sort of autobiography and I chatted to him about the book and his exciting life.

The UCT Summer School is well underway with its vast array of subjects including some very interesting musical lectures. One of these is a series of three lectures under the heading Music and the Sensuality of Harmony. These will be presented by the composer Grant McLachlan on the 19th, 20th and 21st of January. I invited Grant into the People of Note studio to talk about this most fascinating ser...