Baritone Hendré van Zyl matriculated with distinction from the Martin Oosthuizen High School at Kakamas in the Northern Cape. He obtained the B.Com and B.Com Honours (Financial Management) degrees from the Free State University in Bloemfontein, and is currently employed at one of South Africa’s major banking groups in Johannesburg.
Van Zyl is a private singing stxudent of Prof. Werner Nel in Potchefstroom. He made his debut as soloist in May 2002 with the Johannesburg Bach Choir and members of the Johannesburg Philharmonic Orchestra in a performance of J S Bach’s cantata Christ lag in Todesbanden (BWV 4) and W A Mozart’s Great Mass in C minor. Since then he has appeared regularly at concert venues in Pretoria, Johannesburg, Bloemfontein, Cape Town, Port Elizabeth and Grahamstown, in performances of works by composers such as Bach, Britten, Buxtehude, Duruflé, Fauré, Gounod, Handel, Haydn, Mozart, Pergolesi, Purcell, Schubert and Vaughan-Williams. He has worked with international conductors such as John Scott (former organist and music director at St Paul’s Cathedral, London) and Kåre Hanken (well-known choral conductor from Norway), as well as various local conductors, including Richard Cock, Petru Grabe, Deon Lamprecht, Ben Oosthuizen, Barry Smith, Johann van der Sandt, and Peter-Louis van Dijk.
Hendré devotes his time mainly to the performance of sacred works from the Baroque and Classical periods. Performances in 2009 included: Mozart’s Missa Brevis K192 with the Johannesburg Bach Choir in April and Haydn’s Nicolaimesse with the Chanticleer Singers and Johannesburg Festival Orchestra conducted by Richard Cock in June. During August he appeared in Songs of Praise at the Dutch Reformed Church Aasvoëlkop, and in works of Purcell with the Chanticleer Singers at Holy Trinity Church, Braamfontein. He performed Schubert’s Mass in G and Handel’s Dixit Dominus with the Chanticleer Singers and Haydn’s Nelsonmesse with the Johannesburg Bach Choir in November, and he rounded off the year with Bach’s Cantata BWV 147 and Christmas extracts from Handel’s Messiah with the Pretoria Bach Choir in December.
Hendré is scheduled to perform JS Bach’s St John Passion (Jesus and bass arias) with Cantamus Corde Chamber Choir and conductor Nicholas Nicolaidis in Pretoria in March and April 2010 as well as with the Symphony Choir of Johannesburg and Johannesburg Festival Orchestra under Richard Cock, at the Linder Auditorium on Good Friday. Later in April, he will perform the St Matthew Passion by Georg Philipp Telemann, with the Pretoria Bach Choir.
Afrikaanse profiel
Bariton Hendré van Zyl matrikuleer met onderskeiding aan die Hoërskool Martin Oosthuizen op Kakamas in die Noord-Kaap. Hy voltooi die grade B.Com en B.Com Honneurs (Finansiële Bestuur) aan die Vrystaatse Universiteit in Bloemfontein, en is tans werksaam by een van Suid-Afrika se groot bankgroepe in Johannesburg.
Van Zyl is ‘n private sangstudent van Prof. Werner Nel in Potchefstroom. Hy maak sy debuut as solis in Mei 2002 met die Johannesburg Bachkoor en lede van die Johannesburgse Filharmoniese Orkes in ‘n uitvoering van J S Bach se kantate Christ lag in Todesbanden (BWV 4) en W A Mozart se Groot Mis in C-mineur. Sedertdien tree hy gereeld op in konsertsale in Pretoria, Johannesburg, Bloemfontein, Kaapstad, Port Elizabeth en Grahamstad, in uitvoerings van werke deur verskeie komponiste, insluitende Bach, Britten, Buxtehude, Duruflé, Fauré, Gounod, Handel, Haydn, Mozart, Pergolesi, Purcell, Schubert en Vaughan-Williams. Hy het reeds met internasionale dirigente soos John Scott (voormalige orrelis en musiekdirekteur by die St Paulus-Katedraal in Londen) en Kåre Hanken (bekende koordirigent van Noorweë), sowel as verskeie plaaslike dirigente, waaronder Richard Cock, Petru Grabe, Deon Lamprecht, Ben Oosthuizen, Barry Smith, Johann van der Sandt en Peter-Louis van Dijk, saamgewerk.
Hendré spits hom hoofsaaklik toe op die uitvoering van gewyde werke uit die Barok en Klassieke tydperke. Optredes in 2009 het ingesluit: Mozart se Missa Brevis K192, met die Johannesburg Bachkoor in April, asook Haydn se Nicolai-mis met die Chanticleer Singers en die Johannesburg Feesorkes, onder leiding van Richard Cock, in Junie. Gedurende Augustus tree hy op in Songs of Praise by die NG Kerk Aasvoëlkop, en in werke van Purcell met die Chanticleer Singers by Holy Trinity Church, Braamfontein. Hy tree op saam met die Chanticleer Singers in Schubert se Mis in G en Handel se Dixit Dominus en met die Johannesburg Bachkoor in Haydn se Nelson-mis in November. Hy sluit die jaar af met JS Bach se Kantate BWV 147 en Kersfees-uittreksels van Handel se Messiah met die Pretoria Bachkoor in Desember.
Hendré tree op in JS Bach se Johannespassie (Jesus en bas-arias) in Pretoria met Cantamus Corde Kamerkoor en dirigent Nicholas Nicolaidis in Maart en April 2010 asook met die Simfoniekoor van Johannesburg en die Johannesburgse Feesorkes onder leiding van Richard Cock, in die Linder-ouditorium op Goeie Vrydag. Later in April tree hy op in die Mattheüspassie van Georg Philipp Telemann saam met die Pretoria Bachkoor.
