Personal Data

• Born in Dresden (Germany) 11 June 1921
• Emigrated to South West Africa 13 June 1931
• Swakopmund High School 1932-1939 graduated with Abitur(German Matric)
• 1940 Bank clerk in Mariental’s Standard Bank.
• Andalusia Concentration Camp 22 November 1940-44
• Baviaanspoort Concentration Camp 1944 till 23 May 1946
• 1946 Bank clerk Volkskas Bank Pretoria and Johannesburg.
• 1947-1989 South West Africa (now Namibia)
• 1947 learnt the Karakul trade from my father and did pelt purchases on farms. Accountant in one of the pelt firm’s head office in Windhoek (Shaban). Married on 8 July 1950 and after a year left the Karakul trade to settle in Windhoek. Joint Malherbe & Kiesewetter in the tyre and electrical contractors supplies. Later changed to Metje & Ziegler as co-manager in the Motor and Electrical Department. Became resident representative of Carspares, Cape Town in South Africa and 1955 became General Manager of Vanroux Motors. 1956 went on my own as independent Manufacturer’s Agent and travelled throughout SWA. From 1973-1980 lecturerd in cello at the State Conservatoire of Music in Windhoek. 1980 joined Claim Services and became independent loss adjuster for Insurance Companies.
• 1989-July 2000 in Randburg, Johannesburg. Worked in Insurance claims assessing and taught music in two High Schools.
• 2000 to date Waiake, North Shore City, Auckland NZ

1998 Festive Ensemble

Musical data.

• 5 years old, taught myself the mouth organ
• 6 years old started piano lessons by Prof. Wagner of Dresden Conservatoire.
• 14 yrs old taught myself to play the accordion and piano accordion.
• 17 yrs old had the only dance band in Swakopmund on piano and piano accordion with band members on violin, accordion and drums
• Played the flute in the Boy’s Scout band.

Studied music theory and history at Andalusia University (South Africa) and learnt the Double Bass and Cello.

Played 1st. Double Bass in Andalusia Symphony Orchestra and also in chamber music (Schubert’s Trout and Octet) and in Baviaanspoort learnt to play the oboe. Gave concerts with a piano trio on cello.

1992 Rolf Klein Quartet

1947 joined the Windhoek Symphony Orchestra as 1st. Cellist. Joined the Scherer’s oratorio choir as instrumentalist (cello) and the Windhoek Childres’s choir as accompanist on double bass and cello.

1968 Windhoek Symphony Orchestra

Played 1st. cello in all (but one) Scherer’s opera productions, in over 100 performances, national and international (1972 Germany tour 41 performances in three weeks). During my time as a lecturer I played 1st. Cello in the conservatoire’s chamber orchestra and in opera and symphony productions.In Johannesburg I played in various orchestras (National Symphony Orchestra, Rodepoort Pro-Musica Symphony and Opera orchestra, Randburg Symphony orchestra, Johann Strauß Ensemble, Deutsches Orchester, Witwatersrand University orchestra) and gave over 100 performances with the Festive Ensemble from 1996-1999.

Festive Ensemble