The Barrow family has a sincere love and appreciation for the arts and over the years has played a pivotal role in the establishment, support and development of a number of key platforms and organisations.
In 1995, Nic initiated the Klein Karoo National Arts Festival (KKNK), the largest of its kind in South Africa, which he chaired for six years and in 2009 initiated the Klein Karoo Klassique, a celebration of classical music, local art and cuisine. Furthermore, he established and chaired the Oudtshoorn Music Society for more than ten years and has shown much support and involvement in the Johannesburg Philharmonic Orchestra.
A very fond relationship also exists between the Cape Town Philharmonic Orchestra (CPO) and the Barrow family who for several years have been a corporate sponsor, donating funds for fees of artists as well as award-winning Le Lude MCC to artists on the CPO stage.
Nic and Ferda are exceptionally proud to be supporting the CPO in the 2020 season and in particular the CPO’s 14th International Summer Music Festival which opens on January 16th with Beethoven Refigured.
Soloist for the concert is Portuguese-South African pianist Luis Magalhães, who performs alongside the CPO’s principal guest conductor, Bernhard Gueller. The program also includes Overture to Mozart’s opera, Don Giovanni, and the Symphony No. 5 in B flat. The concert, taking place at Cape Town City Hall, provides a rare opportunity to hear the Beethoven Violin Concerto in a different form – transcribed by the composer himself for the piano.