Lizzie
ELIZABETH RENNIE
CONTEMPORARY MUSICIAN
Violin and Viola

Lizze is from an extraordinarily musical family in Cape Town, South Africa. She started playing violin and piano at around age six, then got serious on viola in her teens. After dropping out of med school in 1989, Lizzie became the youngest member of the Cape Town Symphony Orchestra. In '91 she was awarded a scholarship from the University of Cincinnati to study viola performance with Masao Kawasaki. During her three years in the USA, she played in many ensembles, toured Mexico, played in the Aspen Music Festival, gave recitals in New York City and graduated a year early!

Lizzie returned to SA in '94, having graduated summa cum laude, and took up the co-prinicipal viola position in the Cape Philharmonic Orchestra. Later she moved on to become principal violist of the PACOFS Orchestra in Bloemfontein and then in '98 moved to Joburg to join the National Symphony Orchestra.

When the NSO closed down in 2000, Lizzie embarked on a freelance career which grew from basic survival into a richly varied experience. She has established herself as a "studio-friendly" muso in Gauteng and has contributed to recordings for top artists such as Paul Hanmer, Johnny Clegg, Anton Goosen, Johannnes Kerkorrel, Nianell, PJ Powers, Lionel Bastos, Theuns Jordaan, Jannie du Toit, Laurika Rauch, Vusi Mahlasela, Zim Ngqawana, Coleske and more. Lizzie also tasted the life of rock-n-roll as the violinist for the band Watershed, with whom she played for two years, the highlight of which was a European tour in 2002.


"Now that the Watershed chapter is over for me, I continue to busy myself freelancing and teaching, whilst enjoying developing my own contemporary solo act, encouraged by numerous requests to do something bold and new - a South African answer to the Vanessa Mae idea. I love the fact that my skills allow such a wonderfully broad range of musical projects: one day it's Mozart and the next it's something with a completely different groove! I truly believe that this colourful variety is a fitting reflection of current life in South Africa and I am grateful to be able to embrace music in the fullest sense possible"