Knowing Me, Knowing You — Ms Beverley du Plessis (née Jacobs) [alumna]

Instrument(s) / Discipline(s):
Voice.

Period of study at the NWU School of Music / PU for CHE Department of Music:
2005-2012

Qualifications completed at the NWU / PU for CHE:
UDM, BMus, MMus.

Notable professional achievements:
• Sang the role of Suor Infermiera in a production of Suor Angelica in Italy.
• Singing the role of Donna Elvira from Don Giovanni in the Baxter Theatre with Cape Town Opera.
• Doing an interview on KFM about me as an opera singer and singing in Don Giovanni.
• One of my students performed on the Expresso show on SABC 3.

Performing Donna Elvira (Don Giovanni) in the Baxter Theatre.

Current professional position / occupation:
Voice teacher at Parklands College, Cape Town.

Top 5 must-hear music:
1. Mozart — The Magic Flute
2. Beethoven — Symphony No. 3
3. Rachmaninoff — Piano Concerto No. 2, Op. 18
4. Verdi — La Traviata
5. Schumann — Dichterliebe

Which personal music experiences are most memorable to you?
• Perfoming in Italy in various concerts and in the opera.
• It is always a special moment when I get the opportunity to perform with an orchestra.

Top 5 must-read books:
1. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson
2. Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
3. Redeeming Love by Francine Rivers
4. My Sister’s Keeper by Jodi Picoult
5. The Shining by Stephen King

Favourite quote(s):
“If you’re a musician, you’re a musician; you don’t ever get that out of your bones.” — Alex Clare

Top 5 must-see movies:
1. The Lake House
2. Water for Elephants
3. Life of Pi
4. The Shawshank Redemption
5. The Pianist

Which television show(s) can you watch over and over again?
Friends.

Favourite food:
Sushi.

Favourite drink(s):
Wine and coffee (which I am not supposed to drink, but who cares?)

How do you relax?
Mmmm, what is that? I am training for the World Triathlon series in Cape Town, so I suppose I relax by swimming, cycling and running.

On one of our training rides in the city.

Family:
Husband, Andre du Plessis.

With my husband. This is what we do during loadshedding!

Which places would you still like to visit?
Germany, Switzerland and Thailand.

What are your funniest / fondest memories of your time at the Conservatory?
I will always remember our Music Education production that we had to do in our second year. We performed a child-friendly version of Mozart’s The Magic Flute. Lots of laughs and tears with all my fellow students.