Rike started her music education at age six, playing the piano and later the oboe and performed in various youth orchestras during her school years. At the age of nineteen she was introduced to the alto saxophone and decided to make it her main instrument. She played first at the Centurion Lake Hotel as resident musician and did some freelance work with various pop bands; Avalanche, Scandal, Worx, Big Bands; Bonzai Big Band, SAAF Big Band, and saxophone quartets. Her repertoire ranges from classical to pop and jazz.

Rike regularly performed with Afrikaans singer Mathys Roets at music festivals Aardklop, KKNK and Grahamstown and recorded the live album Hy’s ons man with songs of Leonard Cohen and Koos du Plessis. She did studio work for Mathys’s other albums and for “Drie van die Bestes”. She played at the launch of Angolan singer Tony N’Guxi’s album Kazeze.
In 2001 she was a semi-finalist for the Crescendo Music Competition for one of her own compositions. In 2002 she joined the Cape Town band Southern Glow and performed at the famous “Jazz Bar” at the Hilton Abu Dhabi in the UAE for two years. She also performed with the band “The Worx” at the Royal Mirage Hotel in Dubai.

In 2004 she joined the Barnyard Theatre circuit and has toured with shows like Roll over Beethoven, The Piano Boys, Boogie Wonderland, Forever Young, Tonight’s the Night, Rock around the Clock and Bloubloed en Biltong.
Rike plays on a Selmer alto saxophone and has recently started playing soprano saxophone. She was fortunate enough to meet the famous sax player David Sanborn in person at the JVC Jazz festival in New York.

You may have seen Rike perform in shows like Roll over Beethoven Rock me Amadeus or Piano Boys at the Barnyard theatres. Or maybe some years ago with Afrikaans singer Mathys Roets at the Oudtshoorn  festival and Aardklop. Maybe you have been to the famous Jazz Bar, Hilton Hotel  in the Middle East, Abu Dhabi and caught her playing with Southern Glow, or  at the Royal Mirage hotel in Dubai.

In  2001 she was the residential musician at the Centurion lake Hotel, playing solo  saxophone with backing tracks. Part  of her experience has been working with many different groups, from pop bands  to string quartets and big bands. Bands like Avalanche, Velocity, The Worx, and  Cape Town band, Southern Glow.

Currently, a favorite for functions is a duo with saxophone  and violin. It forms a dynamic duo: two female instrumentalists performing  classics hits like In the mood. The repertoire ranges from classical music to  light jazz and contemporary music. The unique blend of saxophone and violin  promises a delightful and highly entertaining feature to any function.</p>

Rike recorded her own album, which features some of  her own instrumental compositions and arrangements of songs. Some of the  musicians showcased on the album include guitarist Mauritz Lotz. The album is  available at request and at performances.

Classically trained, Rike studied the oboe and also had  piano training since the age of six. During her school years, she played in the Wits and TED youth orchestra. She joined the Air Force Band as a musician and was introduced to the alto saxophone. She played with the SAAF Glenn Miller big band and also a saxophone quartet. Qualifications include Music theory Gr VI, Oboe Gr VIII, and Chief Musician (Military teachers licentiate) on both oboe and saxophone at the Air Force Band
Rike gave saxophone lessons part time at various high schools and is still available  for saxophone lessons in the Johannesburg area
In  2001 she was a finalist in the crescendo music competition.

Kristel-Lynn Birkholtz - Violinist

Kristel is an accomplished musician, having undergone extensive formal training from age 6, which culminated in a BMus degree from Wits (1999), where she majored in performance. She also received numerous awards and prizes during her studies.  Besides being a highly experienced violinist, she is also proficient in piano, flute and singing.

The highlights of her performance career include performing in the Subaru car advert in 2007*, playing the lead violin role in various Barnyard Theatre productions including: Beethoven Rocks Again (2003/4), Harvest Moon (2006), Rock Me Amadeus (2006/2008) and Natural Women (2007).  She has made guest appearances on e-TV's Backstage (2005), with Watershed on KykNet (2000) and recently appeared as a violinist on Egoli (2006/7/9). Performing in the curtain raiser to the Lions vs. Lions Rugby Match at Ellis Park (2009). She does frequent session work for various recording studios and has had the opportunity to perform overseas in Dubai, Botswana and Zambia.

She also has extensive experience in performing for large corporate events and is proficient playing in different musical genres, from classical to jazz, Celtic to rock and funky dance to local African styles.  Music combinations can include: solo violin, violin and backtracks, violin and piano, violin and guitar, or even two violins. Her instruments include acoustic violin, electric violin and a custom-made tin-can electric violin crafted by AfriCan in Cape Town.

Kristel is currently completing her Masters in Music Degree at Wits University and also finds time to compose her own music. She has recently released a contemporary album, Burning Bridges, a play on words which refers to the bridge on the violin. The album consists of solo violin complimented with piano and acoustic guitar accompaniment, with fresh arrangements of well-known classical and jazz tunes. Two more albums, one classical and one original, are set for release soon.


*Other online references of music videos can be found at

http://youtube.com/watch?v=d9esU43SP5M&feature=related

http://youtube.com/watch?v=KUtmrRK9rF8

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VgvxUv9Hhag

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sUNAKNtoT70