About Allmusic
On 1 September 2009 Allmusic moved to 36 Jeanette Street in Brackenfell to share the premises of Lukas van der Walt Pianos / Musical Pleasures.
Since 1 December 2020 Allmusic took over Lukas van der Walt Klavier Pianos / Musical Pleasures, which includes the sales, tuning, rentals, restoration and transport of pianos.
The owners of Allmusic, Sjoerd and Anna-Marie Alkema, are both experienced musicians with a thorough knowledge of music education and performance. Allmusic provides excellent advice and support to all music teachers, musicians, learners, and to the broad music fraternity.
Because we believe that whatever we cannot find does not exist, Allmusic offers a wide selection of sheet music for all instruments. We import directly from reputable distributors and publishers worldwide and supply the necessary material for beginner, advanced and professional musicians. Allmusic stocks all relevant material for the UNISA, Trinity, ABRSM and LCM exams, including theory books by various authors in preparation for written exams of all grades.
Apart from sheet music, we have books on music, acoustic instruments and accessories. The instruments include recorders, guitars, string, woodwind and brass instruments, harmonicas, and percussion instruments for class music. Accessories include strings, tuners, capos, bags, bows, goodies, mouthpieces, oils, and many more.
Allmusic has an extensive collection of choir music for all choirs. We regularly facilitate exciting workshops on relevant topics in the music education field. An Allmusic Academy is envisaged in the foreseeable future.
Gerty Mouers is our friendly assistant at point of sales for purchases, enquiries and orders.
Sjoerd Alkema
Sjoerd Alkema holds a BMus (UCT), UPLM, UTLM, MMus (UCT), and PhD (UCT), and is a conductor, pianist, accompanist, teacher, and business partner at Allmusic.
Having completed his conducting degree at the Salzburg Mozarteum, where he had the opportunity to attended masterclasses with Herbert von Karajan and performed on TV, he gained experience as conductor and chorus master in numerous theatre productions and symphony concerts. Among these are productions of Il barbiere di Siviglia, Aida, La traviata, Fidelio, La bohème, Lucia di Lammermoor and Nabucco, Fledermaus, Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, Camelot, Sound of Music, Gizelle, and Evita.
With the Bloemfontein and Con Spirito Philharmonic Societies, he conducted large scale choir and orchestral productions of the Requiems of Mozart, Rutter and Fauré as well as various productions of Handel's Messiah, Haydn's Creation, Bach's Christmas Oratorio and St John's Passion, Vivaldi's Gloria, and the opera extravaganza, A Night at the Opera.
His pianistic career included numerous performances and live broadcasts with instrumentalists and renowned singers such as Deon van der Walt, André Howard, De Wet van Rooyen, René Rakin and Isabella van Zyl. Schubert's Die Schöne Müllerin, Winterreise, Dichterliebe, Lieder by Wolff, Rachmaninoff, Brahms, Dvorak, Lawrence Fall, and Arnold van Wyk are among the highlights.
With the Bloemfontein and Con Spirito Philharmonic Societies, he conducted large scale choir and orchestral productions of the Requiems of Mozart, Rutter and Fauré as well as various productions of Handel's Messiah, Haydn's Creation, Bach's Christmas Oratorio and St John's Passion, Vivaldi's Gloria, and the opera extravaganza, A Night at the Opera.
His pianistic career included numerous performances and live broadcasts with instrumentalists and renowned singers such as Deon van der Walt, André Howard, De Wet van Rooyen, René Rakin and Isabella van Zyl. Schubert's Die Schöne Müllerin, Winterreise, Dichterliebe, Lieder by Wolff, Rachmaninoff, Brahms, Dvorak, Lawrence Fall, and Arnold van Wyk are among the highlights.
A summary of his PhD thesis on conductors of the Cape Town Municipal Orchestra between 1914 and 1965 is included in the CPO's centenary publication, A Century of Symphony.
As president of Crescendo South Africa, he organises the annual international Crescendo Summer Institute South Africa. He adjudicates Eisteddfods and competitions and is examiner for UNISA.
Anna-Marie Alkema
Anna-Marie Alkema (B Mus) studied choral conducting for two years in Salzburg, Austria. While teaching music full time in Bloemfontein, she was the writer for the music OBE material for all the grades in the learning support material of Future Entrepreneurs. This lead to her inclusion to the committee to develop the current CAPS music syllabus.
Anna-Marie has organised various large music events. Because of her initiative as a student the yearly KUESTA became an arts festival which also included a music competition. In 1989 she was instrumental in the successful organization of the first international choir workshop of the South African Choral Society, the fifth Philip McLachlan Worshop in Windhoek. More than 500 choir leaders and choristers from all over South Africa, Botswana, and other African countries, attended. The international artists were Gerhard Schmidt-Gaden (Tolzer Knaber Chor), Doreen Rao (America) and Willi Gohl (Switzerland).
As chair for the instrumental section of the VRYSTAATSE KUNSWEDSTRYDVERENIGING (VKV), Anna-Marie was a member of the executive committee. In this capacity, she organised a total of nine of these prestigious bi-annual Eisteddfodau.
As chair for the instrumental section of the VRYSTAATSE KUNSWEDSTRYDVERENIGING (VKV), Anna-Marie was a member of the executive committee. In this capacity, she organised a total of nine of these prestigious bi-annual Eisteddfodau.
Anna-Marie conducted various choirs. The Pacofs Edtra Youth Choir, of which the members came from the disadvantaged communities in Bloemfontein, won the ATKV competition and performed very successfully at the Roodepoort Eisteddfod. This project was discontinued after the political change in 1994. The St Andrew's School Junior choir performed with the Vienna Boys choir during a concert and the Sentraal High School choir performed on various occasions of which the performance at the centenary festival of the school was a high light. She also conducted various musicals at both St Andrew's and Sentraal High School.
The past 10 years, Anna-Marie is the manager of Allmusic in Brackenfell, of which she and her husband Sjoerd are the owners. Together they developed Allmusic as one of the main role players in the music market, supplying not only music books and learning and support material for schools, but also acoustic instruments and their accessories. She organizes regular workshops and keeps clients informed about new directions in the music market. The business model is based on professional service and advice, and speedy delivery of special orders, which is made possible through courier of purchases from suppliers all over the world.
Gerty Mowers
Gerty started working as a telephone assistant for Musical Pleasures in 2005. When Allmusic took over from Musical Pleasure in September 2009, the owners developed her capabilities as a shop assistant to the full. Her friendly attitude and helpfulness greatly compliments Allmusic. Do not hesitate to phone Allmusic for any enquiries, knowing that Gerty will offer kind and knowledgeable assistance.
