ALMA OOSTHUIZEN, soprano
The soprano, Alma Oosthuizen, matriculated from the Pro Arte Secondary School in Pretoria. Thereafter she studied at the University of Stellenbosch under Peet van Heerden and Professor George van der Spuy. She obtained het UNISA Teachers' Licentiate and Performers' Licentiate in singing, the latter with distinction. She continued her studies under Eric Muller at the Opera School of the Pretoria Technikon. In 1994 Alma and pianist David Taljaard undertook a concert tour to Europe with successful performances in The Hague, Antwerp, Brussels, Hamburg, Frankfurt, Vienna, Berlin and Oslo.
For the past 14 years, she appeared as freelance soloist with various performances of Lieder, Cabaret and Industrial Theatre for inter alia UNISA and the Universities of Potchefstroom, Witwatersrand, Stellenbosch, as well as Classic FM, SAFM, Radio SA and for companies. She was nominated twice for the Radio Artes award and has received various awards and prizes: the Pretoria Technikon Opera Prize, the winner's prizes (Song-Category) of the ATKV Forté Competition, the SABC Total Prize, and the winner's prize (Concert Division) of the UNISA International Singing Competition.
Alma has also been responsible for outstanding contributions to music theatre with her appearances in Oliver (Baxter and Breytenbach theatres), Jaques Brel is Alive... (State Theatre Pretoria and Baxter Theatre), The Carpenters - We've Only Just Begun (State Theatre Pretoria), and in A Little Sondheim Music (Breytenbach Theatre and Grahamstown). In the State Theatre Pretoria she premiered performances of contemporary South African composers such as Nataniël, Ettienne van Rensburg, Marlene Wessels, Stefaans Grové and Hendrik Hofmeyer. Since 1999 she appears regulary in concerts with Sibongile Khumalo and Malcolm Nay in the production Two Divas and a Little Jazz.... Her concerts were recorded by ETV and regularly presented in actuality programmes. Over the past twelve years she lectured at the University of Potchefstroom as well as the Witwatersrand and is currently teaching at the George Performing Arts Studio.
