Anna-Marie Alkema (B.MUS) is the owner and manager of Allmusic and secretary of the Okavango Sakekamer. She is also well-known as teacher and music educator.

She was organiser and co-coordinator of various major events starting with the National Kuesta Art Festival in 1978 where her responsibilities included competitions, day-to-day planning, accommodation, rehearsal schedules, and catering. Robert Brooks and Deon van der Walt shared the overall first prize in that year. Kuesta changed in that year from a week of workshops to an Art Festival.

Another major event was The Philip McLachlan V Workshop in Windhoek in 1989. This was the first international workshop of the South African Choral Society and had more than 500 attending. As organising secretary of the committee, she had to co-ordinate all aspects of the event. The international choir leaders, who participated as lecturers and conductors, were Gerhard Schmidt-Gaden (Germany), Doreen Rao (America) and Willi Gohl (Switzerland). During other McLachlan workshops she assisted in the organisation that included many famous conductors of the day, one of the most noted being the international choral conductor, Robert Sund, from Sweden.

Between 1990 and 2008, while living in Bloemfontein, she was responsible for the instrumental section of the bi-annual Vrystaatse Kunswedstryvereniing (VKV). This entailed the program coordination and managing between 400 and 600 entries every time regarding schedules, venues, adjudicators and certificates.

As HOD at Sentraal High School in Bloemfontein the music productions of the centenary festivals were her responsibility. One highlight was Limirieke Sonder Brieke by learners of the school and Brommer in die Sop by two alumni, Philip de Vos and Theo Alkema. Another part of the festival was the tour of Neil Immelman, international pianist and also a previous learner of the school. He performed as soloist with the Free State Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Anna-Marie’s husband, Sjoerd Alkema, also an old member of the school. Other music productions she managed and staged at Sentraal High School were Alibaba, West Side Story and Romeo and Juliet

Anna-Marie was part of the Parent Teacher Association of the Musicon for 10 years. In 2000 Dr Ria de Villiers appointed Anna-Marie as writer to assist Future Entrepreneurs in the development of learning support material for the OBE curriculum. She wrote material for Arts and Culture from grades 4 to 9, and Music from grades 10 to 12. Apart from the content, the writing process included a learning program, a year plan, day-to-day planning, work schedules and lesson plans. The material was released on CD in word-format.

Currently, Anna-Marie, assisted by her husband Sjoerd, is writing textbooks for the CAPS Subject Music which includes General Music Knowledge and Music Literacy for grades 10 to 12.

Anna-Marie always assisted in various ways in the preparation for concerts. During the 12 years in which Sjoerd Alkema managed and conducted the 65-member Free State Youth Symphony Orchestra, she regularly helped in the organisation of concerts and assisted during their annual tours. Their four children were all educated musically, with Theo and Leana holding degrees in music. Although not fulltime, Theo is active as accompanist, and Leana is presently pursuing a music career as cellist in Frankfurt, Germany.

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Published 13 July 2012