Oor Petronel

This theatre entrepreneur, arts developer, power-house voice and diva is a passionate and talented artist. She writes, performs and produces her own productions and music from the country of her birth, South-Africa.

Growing up in the beautiful Overberg town, Villiersdorp of the Western Cape of the country, Petronel use to sing and dream of a career in entertainment. The town’s people loved to see her dancing in the wind and singing to the trees. In 1999 she won a national singing competition called ATKV-Crescendo and her Alma Mater were the firsts to vote for her.

Petronel has an astounding voice and after winning this competition, started touring the country with her own, unique cabaret shows. She soon got involved in theatre and cultural development and has served on many committees and theatre collectives to develop the arts and artists of the South-African community. That recently includes being a mentor for ATKV-Crescendo who operates as a talent scouting agency today, being a patron for the cultural forum, MOCCA, in her home town Mossel bay and served with the Western Cape Cultural Commission for six years, heading as chair person in her last term there.

In 2020 she was awarded with the Cordis Trust “Orde van die Beiteltjie” - a very special award for her continued support of the Afrikaans culture and still continues in the creation and establishment of opportunities and many adventures as an artist not only for herself, but many others too.

She has also been nominated for a SAMA and FNB Theater Award for best Cabaret Artist and in 2024 was awarded "Die Orde van die Ster" by Cordis Trust for her continued dedication and creation in the South African arts and culture sector.

Petronel has performed and shared stages with artists like McCoy Mrubata, Karin Hougaard, Craig Lucas, Riku and Jackie Lätti, Sarah Theron, Gert Vlok Nel, Piet Botha, Mel Botes, Min Shaw, Nico Carstens, Jannie du Toit, Bacchus Nel, Churchill Naudé, Frazer and Deniel Barry, Deon Meiring, RAAF, Gian Groen, Ramon Alexander, conductor Eric Rycroft and the Pretoria, Philharmonic orchestra, the Cape Town Philharmonic orchestra and various live TV performances with great South African Musicians and so many more wonderful artists. 

She also tours with artist Lidi de Waal that went to the Klein Karoo National Arts Festival in Oudtshoorn and rhe FNB Woordfees in Namibia.

Petronel furthermore specializes in arrangements with the poetry of artist and writer Louisa Punt-Fouchè and more recently a series of three arrangements for the writer Julio Agrella that is part of his latest release in his Afrikaans detective bookseries, Zeus van Wyngaardt.

Petronel is classically trained, plays piano and guitar and specializes in the arrangements of poetry, constructing music as a poem itself. She has an enigmatic, giving stage personality.

She hosts a variety of solo performances under "Musiek van die Lang Vrou" that varies in content with her vast repertoire of original music, arrangements and covers of music that influenced her.  She does all this in her own, special and highly creative way.

Petronel Baard.

Singer-songwriter.

The ultimate performer.