Louisa Theart is an energetic young flautist who graduated from the University of Cape Town (UCT) in South Africa with a B.Mus (distinctions in flute and chamber music) in 2009, having been placed on the Dean’s Merit List for academic excellence.

She went on to graduate from the Royal College of Music (RCM) in London with an M.Mus in Performance in 2012. In South Africa Louisa has studied with Bridget Rennie-Salonen and her English teachers include Trevor Wye, Sue Thomas and Simon Channing. She has had success in numerous music competitions having been a finalist and prize winner in the ABSA National Youth Music Competition, The National Ensemble Competition, The UNISA Gr.8 competition as well as the Schock Foundation Prize for Chamber Music at UCT .

She has appeared as a soloist with the KwaZulu-Natal Philharmonic Orchestra, as well as the UCT Symphony Orchestra and has acted as a principal member of various youth orchestras including the Stellenbosch International Chamber Music Festival Orchestra, the National Youth Wind Ensemble and the UCT Symphony Orchestra. Highlights at the RCM include performing in the RCM Symphony Orchestra under Lorin Maazel as well as being selected to perform in a public masterclass for Sir James Galway. She also performed in a variety of graduate orchestras in London including the London Mahler Orchestra and the University of London Symphony Orchestra.

Upon her return to South Africa, Louisa won the Woodwind category prize at the ATKV Muziq competition 2012. She appears as an ad hoc orchestral musician on a regular basis performing with the CPO and Camerata Tinta Barocca. She also enjoys an active teaching career.

Published 15 April 2013