Music
STUDIES
Regarded as one of South Africa’s leading mezzo-sopranos, Hanneli Rupert is a preeminent Lieder and oratorio recitalist. She has recorded six albums, with her last performance in March 2015.
After completing high school at Bloemhof Girls’ High School in Stellenbosch, she pursued extensive studies in music. She obtained the degrees B.Mus. and B.Mus. Honours at the University of Stellenbosch (both cum laude), where she was tutored by Prof. George van der Spuy. The licentiates UTLM (UNISA Teacher’s Licenciate in Music), LRSM (Licenciate of the Royal Schools of Music) and FTCL (Fellowship of the Trinity College of Music, London) were all obtained with distinction.
Hanneli supplemented her studies with two years of repertoire classes from Ernst Haefliger in Munich as well as further tuition and master classes during the summer holidays from famous names in music, such as French baritone Pierre Bernac, Austrian accompanist Erik Werba and Swedish vocal teacher Ingalill Linden.
CAREER
Hanneli Rupert’s professional career debut was with concerts in Port Elizabeth and Pretoria in 1979. Since then she has established herself as a distinguished performer of Lieder and oratorio.
Performing in Germany, Denmark, Austria, Switzerland, the United States and South Africa, Hanneli has appeared in broadcasts on Austrian, Turkish and South African radio and television. Noted as an interpreter of Mahler’s music, she has also earned acclaim in the repertoires of Bach and Brahms.
Hanneli made her American debut with Mahler’s Das Lied von der Erde with the National Symphony Orchestra in the Kennedy Centre in Washington in 1992, under the baton of Mstislav Rostropovich.
Her first recording of Brahms lieder accompanied by well-known Geoffrey Parsons and songs by Arnold van Wyk was released in the early nineties. Her CD recording of Brahms Lieder with the renowned pianist Graham Johnson, was released in 1996.
In 2003 she received an SABC 2 Music Award for the best Classical Music Album, the Mahler & Wagner Orchestral Lieder.
Hanneli’s final performance took place in March 2015.
As Chairperson of the Rupert Music Foundation, Hanneli is currently involved in supporting classical music in South Africa through the funding of various selected concerts, projects and events, including continual support to South African symphonic orchestras.
CONCERTS
Inspired by her love of music and the desire to share the finer things, Hanneli initiated a programme of monthly Classical Music Concerts held in the historic cellar on La Motte wine estate.
A varied selection of classical music is performed by renowned local as well as international artists. Each year’s concert series is concluded with a Christmas-time presentation.