Teamwork makes the dream work
The Team
Core Team
Alta Maré
CEO & Founder
Hi, I’m Alta Maré. I have years of experience ranging from team player to project and programme manager in the corporate, public and private sectors in all types of industries. I, however, was very lucky to convert my passion for choral music into an organisation that aims to support conductors and choirs to make a huge impact in their communities. We embrace diversity, create networks and celebrate choral music daily in our job.
I believe every singer, audience member and conductor leaves a ripple in our souls when they perform- like even the smallest stone thrown in the water – and that ripple of joy, passion and peace is taken back to your home, family and community. My family is my whole world and a huge part of CCNF, and they pitch in wherever possible to help.
My other passion, maybe let me rephrase – superpower – is eating. I am a huge foodie, and for stress relief bake and cook, so when I stress, I bake delicious goodies. I hope if our paths ever cross that you will find something in the music we showcase through the choirs we host for your soul, and that ripple will whisper peace, love and joy to you when you are alone and with others. Stay blessed! Alta
Caelen Swanepoel
Office Assistant
Music has been at the core of my life for as long as I can remember. From childhood, I found joy in singing with my family—harmonizing with my sister and father on long road trips, where I took on the soprano role, while my sister sang alto, and my dad added a tenor line. This early experience shaped my deep love for music and choral singing.
I further nurtured my passion by joining the choir in primary school, and by the age of 13, I began singing in the church choir, a practice I continue to this day. I am also a proud member of The Fellowship, an adult choir that brings me immense joy.
Working at CCNF is more than just a job for me—it's a dream come true. I thrive in the world of administration and logistics, the vital foundation behind each of our events. Being around choirs and witnessing the beauty of choral music unfold is a constant reminder of why I love what I do.
There’s nothing quite like the magic that happens when voices come together to create something truly special.
Matilda Herbst
Digital Manager
Hi, Matilda here! Since I can remember, I loved choir and classical music, and I had my very own CD collection varying from The Sound of Music to the best of Beethoven (yes, that is how far back my love for music goes).
I was one of three lucky girls who joined the primary school choir in grade R, and from there, the singing never stopped! I sang in both my primary school and high school choirs, as well as in a youth choir, where I had the opportunity to travel abroad and take part in an international choir competition.
From my early days in the primary school choir to my current role as the Digital Manager at CCNF, while still actively participating in adult choirs, my love for music has only grown stronger. The quote by Damian Marley perfectly captures my view of the magic of choirs— "I find it very fascinating that one person or a group of people can get together as a choir and come up with a song that ends up inspiring people to create emotions, love and togetherness. Communication, which comes from this idea that sparks off of humanity and becomes something that is cherished and loved by the people, is very fascinating to me."
I'm so fortunate to be able to do my "day job" as a digital manager at the amazing CCNF and to empower more people and choirs all around South Africa.
Tamerin Maré
Office Administrator
Hi! I am Tamerin. I love to see how my hard work of communicating in writing with choirs throughout the planning process are converted into fantastic Choral Celebration Festivals. I love that I am engaged with choirs and the sense of community you feel when you are around them. I love to listen to music and reading and to have fun with my family. I also love pretty clothes and dressing up!
Special Project Leaders
Christelle Engelbrecht
Programme Director: Summa Cum Laude on Tour(SCLT): Africa
Series Director: Prestige Concert Series
Christelle Engelbrecht is an accomplished pianist, chamber musician, choral conductor and arts administrator, with a robust background in both solo and collaborative piano performance. She has held positions as a collaborative pianist, accompanist, concert series organizer, and arts administrator at the North West University School of Music and Conservatory, where she pursued her academic career as a chamber pianist and researcher. Her research explores meaningful chamber music concert experiences as well as parental motivation in choral settings. Currently in the final phase of her Doctorate in Piano Performance at NWU under Dr. Truida van der Walt and Prof Liesl van der Merwe, Christelle has received masterclasses from esteemed pianists such as Antonio Pompa-Baldi, Nicolas Philips, Mūza Rubackytè, Carolina Oltmans, Robert Auler, and Petronel Malan.
In addition to her piano expertise, Christelle is an experienced choral conductor, having directed the North West Children's Choir, the Potchefstroom High School for Girls Choir, and the Hoërskool Volkskool Choir. She conducts various choirs in and around Johannesburg and regularly presents workshops for conductors and choristers. Recently, she served as the resident conductor for the CCNF UDUMO 2023 Project Choir, leading 350 children’s voices, and as local support conductor for the 2024 and 2025 Mzanzi Conductor's Conventions.
At CCNF, Christelle’s roles include Programme Director for the Summa Cum Laude on Tour, an international festival hosted in Sun City from 6-10 August 2026, which combines competitive and non-competitive elements, workshops, and cultural exchanges between local and international choirs and orchestras. She also serves as Series Director of the Prestige Concert Series, a platform aimed at providing professional performance opportunities for youth orchestras in South Africa, fostering collaboration with international ensembles, and inspiring young musicians to achieve excellence. Through these roles, Christelle continues to expand musical opportunities and build a foundation for high-caliber performance experiences among young artists.
Merna Nicholls
Programme Director: Choral Development
Merna Nicholls has always had a passion for music and choral singing. She has been privileged to sing and work with some of our country’s and the world’s most prestigious conductors and choral educators. After completing her undergraduate degree in Music she went and stepped into the Music education sector. After gaining insight and experience in the music education sector, she gained her masters in Music education specialising in the role of music education in a multicultural South-Africa. She has always had a passion for education and education through music.
Having been part of some of our country’s most prestigious choirs, she knew how big of an opportunity and platform it was. She has understood the importance of giving back and sharing her knowledge as a choral singer herself but also sharing choral education through her academic qualifications in Choral education. Enriching choirs with new knowledge and working with conductors who have not had the opportunities she had is what drives her to teach and grow the choral community through teaching.
Bernard Krüger
Artistic Programme Director: Group Projects &
Artistic Director: Summa Cum Laude on Tour(SCLT): Africa
As a musician, conductor, composer, arranger and music educator with international experience Bernard Krüger is always trying to explore new ways of engaging with performers and audiences. Although he is classically trained, he is equally comfortable in contemporary styles. Bernard’s specialties include strategic development, musical and theatrical conception, vocal training, advanced musicianship, and much more lately that to sing TOGETHER brings the biggest joy of all.
Leon Starker
Programme Director: Mzanzi Conductors Convention
Leon Starker completed a B.Sc. degree with Chemistry and Maths as well as the Higher Education Diploma at Stellenbosch University. During his student years he studied singing with Prof. George van der Spuy and sang in the Stellenbosch University Choir.
He holds both an advanced Diploma in Choral Conducting as well as an M.Mus. in Choral Conducting from the Nelson Mandela University where he studied with well-known South African composer-conductor couple, Péter-Louis and Junita van Dijk.
Leon has been the conductor of the Cape Town Youth Choir since 2003. While they focus on a cappella music they have also performed major works such as the Rachmaninov Vespers, Händel’s Messiah (broadcast on national television in 2018), Arvo Pärt’s Passio (St John Passion) and Karl Jenkin’s Armed Man a Mass for Peace. They have recorded numerous CDs.
With CTYC, Leon has travelled the world where they presented concerts in venues such as Carnegie Hall in New York, St Paul’s Cathedral in London, and the Mozarteum Großer Saal in Salzburg. They have participated in various international competitions, winning gold and most recently winning the prize for the best performance of a contemporary work at the International Chamber Choir Computation in Spittal an der Drau, Austria (2019) and placing second in the mixed voice category of the 2022 edition of the Marktoberdorf International Chamber Choir competition.
Leon taught choral conducting at the University of Cape Town College of Music from 2015 till 2018.
Leon’s day job is database developer, and SQL and VBA programmer. He is married to Louise (a music teacher), and they have three daughters.
Events Team
Diago Jackson
Super Crew
Victoria Mogashoa
Super Crew
Braiton Valentine
Super Crew
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