South African born violist and overtone singer, Gareth Lubbe, appears as soloist and chamber musician throughout Africa, Europe, Asia and America. After several years as principal violist of the Gewandhaus Orchestra in Leipzig, he accepted the post of professor at the Folkwang University of the Arts in Germany where he now has a studio of viola students from around the world. He is a regular guest artist and teacher at festivals such as Stellenbosch in South Africa, Kuhmo in Finland, and O/Modernt in Sweden amongst many others. As an acclaimed overtone singer, Gareth gives performances and lectures around the world. Prominent composers have written works for his voice, and his vocal skills have been recorded for radio, films and computer games.

In 1994 Gareth had the honour of playing for Nelson Mandela on the day he became the first democratically elected president of South Africa.  This transformative moment ultimately led him to Community H.E.A.R.T, an international organisation founded by the freedom fighter and anti-apartheid activist, Denis Goldberg. Its primary concern is to help constructively change the lives of the African people and the way the world perceives their continent. 

In 2005 Gareth began a career as principal viola player, firstly at the Royal Flemish Philharmonic in Antwerpen, Belgium under Phillipe Herreweghe and two years later on the same position at the Gewandhaus Orchestra of Leipzig in Germany under the baton of Riccardo Chailly. During his eight years in that orchestra, he started to explore the realms of musical-education at the Leipzig „Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy“ conservatory and in 2013 was appointed as Professor of Viola at the Folkwang University of the Arts in Essen as successor of Vladimir Mendelssohn. He is on the international faculty of the annual Chamber Music Festival in Stellenbosch which brings together up to 400 young students from across Africa and other parts of the world. He is also a regular guest at international festivals and masterclasses in Finland, England, South Korea, Japan and Brazil amongst others. Focus of mind and awareness of body, resonance and ‘flow’ are the guiding points in all his teachings.