Maja van Dyk

Violinist

Maja van Dyk completed her BMUS IV degree at the University of the Free State in 2015, specializing in Viola Performance and Orchestral Studies. In 2011 she won the UNISA National Grade 8 Bursary Competition, and received the trophies for Best Violist and Best Bach performance at the Stellenbosch Eisteddfod. She has taken part in the Franschhoek & Stellenbosch (SICMF) chamber music courses, and has been a member of the MIAGI and South African National Youth Orchestras (SANYO). Highlights of her career so far include touring South Africa with the Mzansi National Philharmonic Orchestra (MNPO) in December 2022; touring New York City (USA) as part of the Youth Philharmonic Orchestra (YPhil) in 2015; touring with The World Orchestra (TWO) in South Africa, Spain, and Lebanon; touring Europe with MIAGI and Bloemhof Stringendo. Further highlights include working with renown musicians such as Marin Alsop, Sir Roger Norrington, Andrea Bocelli, Pretty Yende and Michael Nyman to name a few, and performing in venues such as Carnegie Hall, Amsterdam Concertgebouw, Berliner Philharmonie, Hamburg Laeiszhalle, and Konzerthaus Berlin.
Since her return to Cape Town in November 2015 Maja has been freelancing for numerous ensembles and projects, until joining the Cape Town Philharmonic Orchestra (CPO) as Viola Tutti (2019-2022). She has also been a substitute violin teacher for the CPO Masidlale Project (2016, 2017, 2018). Maja is one of the founding members of the Salt & Pepper Duo (violin/viola) with colleague Samantha Durrant, and together they have performed at the St. Georges Walk-in concert series, online as part of Couch Concerts, and in Hermanus for Overstrand Arts/Kunste (OAK). The duo also performed at Bowmans, Erin Hall and The Baxter (as part of CPO’s chamber music concerts). At present Maja is the administrator of the Handevat Music Project NPO, based in Kleinmond, and she is also the co-teacher and -music arranger of the award-winning Handevat Marimbas. Besides Handevat, Maja teaches at Camps Bay Primary School, and performs as part of various ensembles, orchestras and interesting projects in and around Cape Town.