About
The Music
Today the Johnman’s home, Camido, functions as the Johnman Music Centre. Filled with the collected furniture, artworks, and books of the Johnmans, its high-ceilinged rooms provide an inspiring setting in which a variety of musical instruments are taught to all ages. Currently 11 teachers work both individually to grow their own practical studio classes in different instruments as well as combining pupils into ensembles for concerts.
Camido’ is a picturesque Victorian villa with an atmosphere of being loved and lived in, almost as if Dorothy and Charles had just stepped out on an errand and would be home any minute. Both were passionate about sharing knowledge. Charles as a lecturer in English often tutored students informally at home, individually or in groups; Dorothy taught Eurythmics to generations at Rhenish School and gave cello lessons at home. Their home was the meeting point for notable visiting musicians and venue for ensembles and music-making.
Our Teachers
Johnman Music Coordinator, Piano & Music Theory
Suzaan Lambrechts
Suzaan Lambrechts joined the Johnman School of Music in January 2021. She is passionate about piano, music theory and accompaniment. Her teaching methods focus on the overall musical development of her students whilst establishing a good foundation of technique from a young age.
Suzaan was born and educated in Stellenbosch. During her school years, she appeared on the UNISA Roll of Honour for Outstanding Achievement in piano and organ on numerous occasions. As a student of Zorada Temmingh she was the category winner for organ in the National Youth Music Festival in 1990. She received her B.Mus (Musicology) cum laude with Piano Performance up to her third year (under Melanie Horne) and was awarded the Chancellor’s Stipendium as best music student for the year group 1991-1994 at the University of Stellenbosch. During this time she also held a position as accompaniment assistant at the US (where she accompanied strings, vocals and various brass instruments) and she was the organist at Stellenbosch Central Church. Suzaan taught music for 2½ years at Stellenbosch High, during which time she completed her Hons.B.Mus (Music Education) cum laude. She was also awarded for her excellence as a teacher in music theory by UNISA during this time. Suzaan left Stellenbosch for London in 1998 where she worked for two years at St Marylebone’s School for Performing Arts. Here she taught A-level music and piano and accompanied instrumentalists and singers.
Suzaan’s career took an interesting turn whilst residing in Lydenburg, Mpumalanga from 2000-2020. As a mother of two young children she became aware of the need for the musical development of young children in town. She ended up setting a music business for preschool children. Over time this led to her conducting all 3 school choirs in town over a period of 10 years. These choirs won numerous awards at the Nelspruit Eisteddfod and at KykNet Sing in Harmonie. The Business Chamber of Lydenburg awarded her with a special individual award for her contribution to the cultural development of the town and for excellence in choir conducting.
Tel: 084 208 5500
Violin/ Viola
Maryke Lintvelt
Maryke Lintvelt studied at the University of Stellenbosch, where she qualified with a B.Mus. degree, majoring in Violin. She later resumed studies with Eric Rycroft and obtained a Licentiate in Performing from UNISA. She initially followed a career in teaching and worked at various institutions before joining the CAPAB orchestra in Cape Town as permanent and full-time player. During this time, she also taught at the Conservatoire of Music of the University of Stellenbosch where she was both founder member and concert master of the US String Orchestra, and the US Symphony Orchestra which toured and performed in Europe on three occasions between 1980 and 1990.
Maryke has been teaching violin and viola at the Johnman Music Centre since its inception in 1996. She also manages ‘String Along’, and performs with its various ensembles, providing music for corporate and private events.
Tel: 021 886 4099 / 082 577 1050
Clarinet
Annamarie Bam
Annamarie Bam graduated with the degrees BMus and BMus (Hons) from the University of the Free State, South Africa, having taken lessons with Harold Strebel in Cape Town and Heinrich Armer in Bloemfontein. She was the overall winner of the ATKV Forte competition and won the overseas scholarship for Performer’s Licentiate from the Royal Schools of Music. She continued her studies at the Royal Academy in London under John Davies, Richard Addison and Antony Pay as well as attended masterclasses with Karl Leister in London and Guy Deplus in Nice. Her orchestral experience began at an early age in Bloemfontein where she joined various wind bands as well as the PACOFS Orchestra as an ad hoc member. She was principal clarinet of the S.A. National Youth Orchestra for four consecutive years. When she returned from London, she joined the Natal Philharmonic Orchestra as sub-principal clarinet and was later promoted to co-principal. In 1992 she took up a full-time teaching position at the Musicon in Bloemfontein and rejoined PACOFS. As an experienced chamber musician, Annamarie has played with ‘Taffanel Trio’, the ‘Poulenc Players’ sextet, in a duo with Elna van der Merwe, and in a trio with Elna and Sabina Mossolow, on recent appearances at the Woordfees (2016, 2018), and in Sasolburg with ‘Trio Classique’, an ensemble with Benjamin van Eeden (piano) and Karen Gaertner (viola).
Annamarie teaches privately at home and at the Johnman Centre in Stellenbosch and began a recorder school (the ‘Little Crickets’) for young children in 2005. She teaches a course in clarinet repertoire and teaching methods as a part-time lecturer at the Stellenbosch University Music Conservatorium. She lives in Somerset West with her husband and two daughters. Annamarie joined the Stellenbosch City Orchestra in 2015 as clarinet player. The orchestra gave its first performances at Oude Libertas (Stellenbosch), at Lourensford (Somerset West) and, recently, in the open-air concert hall Congratia, near Oudtshoorn.
Tel: 021 851 6136 / 083 2909 703
Singing / Voice
Suzanne Erasmus
Suzanne Erasmus’s career as qualified music teacher started off in 1986 at Eikestad Primary School. In 1987 she completed the Senior Musicianship and in 1988 the Teachers Licentiate in Singing (both from UNISA). In 1993 the Higher Licentiate in Performance at the US (Cum Laude) followed. Suzanne had the opportunity to be part of a 6-month Opera Workshop Programme, under the auspices of CAPAB and UCT, where she had master classes with Evelyn Dalberg, Wayne Long, Wendy Fine, Lawrence Folley and Angelo Gobbato. In 1988 she became a member of the CAPAB ad Hoc Opera Choir, and she was awarded a CAPAB Opera studio bursary in 1994 where opportunities for solo roles followed. As part of a CAPAB Operette tour, Suzanne was also casted as Orlofsky in The Fledermaus, and for CAPAB’s production of The Consul (Menotti) and Cosi fan tutti in the Johannesburg Civic Theatre she was respectively the understudy for the Sectretary and Dorabella. She frequently participated in solo and ensemble singing with Deon Irish (St Michaels Church, Observatory) and Shirley Gie (Tafelberg). Suzanne also performed as soloist for the Tygerberg Civic Choir (Edward Aicheson), and the Stellenbosch Camerata (Acama Fick). In 1999 she was Alto Soloist for both Hendrik Hofmeyr’s Requiem (Premiere) at the KKNK and at the Stellenbosch Festival and Beethoven’s 9th Symphony in the Endler with Eric Rycroft as conductor. She adjudicated both at the Stellenbosch Eisteddfod (2002-2004) and at Helderberg (2009). She has done coaching for children soloists and ensembles for Artscape Opera productions as well as coached an ensemble for Kyk-Net Fiesta Awards in 2009. In 2013 she obtained her MMus in Performance (singing) at the US.
As from 2010 Suzanne has been teaching individual singing full time. She has joined the Johnman Music Centre in the beginning of 2018.
Tel: 073 1685 890
Guitarist, multi- instrumentalist and music teacher
Dirkie van Staden
Dirkie van Staden is a guitarist, multi- instrumentalist and music teacher. His main project is STRINGS ON FIRE Violin & Guitar Duo together with Internationally acclaimed violinist Johann Scheppel. As former member of the South African guitar duo CH2, and current member of STRINGS ON FIRE, WORLD@SOUTH and other instrumental Duos and groups, Dirkie has won several awards such as SAMA’s, GHOEMA’s and Sputh African Independent Artist Ward.
Dirkie performed on 3 CH2 Albums and collaborated with Chris Chameleon, Andre Schwartz, Nadine, Soweto String Quartet, International Guitar Sensation Marcin Patrzalek, Magdeleen Minnaar, Timothy Moloi, Internationally acclaimed blind adventure specialist Hein Wagner etc. Dirkie performed live on Expresso, SABC, JukeBox, Ontbytsake, RSG, Classic FM 1027, Fine Music Radio, GROOT FM, De KAT TV etc. Their composition “Green Eyed Panther” reached No 7 on the top 10 of a leading Australian radio station. Dirkie left CH2 in 2020 to focus on STRINGS ON FIRE and other projects.
Dirkie is ’n versatile instrumentalist. He plays and teaches on all the brass and some woodwind instruments but focuses on the guitar with a very distinctive and unique rhythmic playing style. Few guitarists can compare with his nuevo-flamenco pop and Spanish rasgueado technique. His rhythmic guitar mastery and sound became one of the cornerstones of all the duos and musical groups that he is part of. He is currently appointed at Stellenbosch High School as full-time music teacher. In his free time, he puts his pen to musical arrangement and composition. Apart from music, Dirkie is also a Photographer and DJ for Weddings, Corporate Events, and all functions.
Tel: +27 78 910 8696
Piano Pedagogue and Music Teacher
Bea de Wit
Bea de Wit is an accomplished piano teacher and music educator with extensive experience in holistic music teaching. She specialises in nurturing the whole child through the development of piano playing and general musical skills by incorporating the principles of the Kodály method into her teaching.
Bea holds a bachelor’s degree with Honours in Music with a major in Piano Pedagogy from the University of the Free State. She has been a music director at several prestigious South African schools and has worked internationally as an accompanist and music educator. In particular, she was the official accompanist of the Drakensberg Boys’ Choir and founded the LASIDO Music Association in Italy, which is committed to the musical education of children aged 5 to 18. She also ran a private piano studio and taught at the Vinzentinum Episcopal Institute in Brixen. Bea has recently returned to South Africa where she now joins the Cape Choral Academy team as Head of Music, continuing her commitment to holistic music education and the transformative power of teaching.
Bea’s teaching is enriched by continuous professional development, including training in Kodály-based pedagogy and international piano teaching methods at prestigious institutions throughout Europe, the UK and South Africa. Bea’s teaching philosophy emphasises creativity, patience and the joy of music-making, inspiring students to develop both technical skills and a deep connection to music.
Tel: 071 318 0926
GUITAR, UKELELE
Reghardt de Beer
Reghardt de Beer grew up in Stellenbosch and started learning the violin, piano and guitar from a young age. Towards the end of his school career, he gained a deep love and understanding of the therapeutic value of music, as well as the joy that one can derive from creativity in the form of improvisation and composition, as well as the social outlet that music can provide.
He went on to do a BMus degree and a PGCE at Stellenbosch University, a BMus Honours at the University of Cape Town and a BA Psychology Honours through Unisa. He furthermore lived abroad for a few years, doing care-work in Scotland and teaching English in South Korea. Back in South Africa he taught music full time at Paul Roos for 5 years, after which, he was involved with several other local schools, all in a part time capacity.
Today, Reghardt is a seasoned musician, teacher, multi-instrumentalist, arranger and active performer. He teaches a broad scope of instruments, including the classical- , acousti – , electric- and bass guitar and the ukulele. He also conducts therapeutic music sessions, plays in two bands and is currently doing a Masters in Psychology at SU. With 15 years of teaching experience, Reghardt de Beer can tailor a suitable learning experience for any personality – young or old alike.
Tel: 076 563 7000
