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MOSSEL BAY NEWS - A violinist impressed the audience at a function at Point High School so much that there was a sense of awe, a hush and many people recorded him on their cellphones. 

Stéfan Conradie played Por Una Cabeza by Carlos Gardel at the recent function. 

Conradie (27) is a music teacher at Point High School. 

Born and bred in George, he started teaching at Point part time in 2022. 

See a video here: https://youtu.be/6tB-WWCuof0?feature=shared

He moved to Mossel Bay in 2023 and now teaches fulltime at the school. Conradie, who studied music at the University of Cape Town, also plays the piano. 

He says: "I like the romantic period and musicians such as Cesar Frank and Robert Schumann. 

"My favourite instrument is the violin. I would never advertise myself as a pianist. I often perform in concerts as part of quartet. We consist of a cellist, two violinists and a viola player.

"We played at the Woordfees in Stellenbosch last year as well as the KKNK in Oudtshoorn." 

Conradie also performs at weddings and other functions. He was 11 years old when he started playing the violin. He had private tutors mainly, but also did music at school - Outeniqua High. 

Mossel Bay's Zelia le Roux was one of his tutors, as well as a Polish tutor, Karol Legierski. 

Conradie's advice to budding violinists is: "Focus on the first finger of your left hand, because it is the basis of intonation."

When he is not teaching or performing, such as at the school function on 23 January, he enjoys motorbiking and fishing. 

"My wife catches more fish than I do," he says with a laugh. "We often fish at Gansbaai. We use hand lines and catch Cape cod mainly."

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