In the death throes of last year, the DMus degree was conferred on Christelle Engelbrecht. She performed two concerts and submitted a thesis titled “The meaning of chamber music concerts for audience members: a comparative case study”.
In her thesis, Christelle found that musical spaces, interpersonal connections, cultural identity, a search for satisfaction, ritualistic elements, and moments of emotional transformation during chamber music concert attendance contributed to the making of personal and collective meanings for the audience members. These findings enrich the literature on chamber music audience engagement, musicking, and interaction ritual theory. The study has practical implications for performers and concert organisers seeking to enhance and expand audience engagement through intentional programming and the creation of meaningful spaces. Prof Liesl van der Merwe was the promoter for the thesis.
Christelle performed two concerts with exceptional musicality and virtuosity under the expert guidance of Dr Truida van der Walt. Examiners commented that she repeatedly created magical moments that touched the listeners with their sincerity.
