Author: stelsinkins

National Youth Orchestra in Potch and Joburg

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The National Youth Orchestra will be performing in Potchefstroom on July 2 and Johannesburg on July 3 – don’t miss these wonderful concerts!

In the heart of the winter, the orchestra will be hosting its Winter Course from June 27 to July 2 in Potchefstroom. The musicians will be performing under South African conductor Matheu Kieswetter, and Norwegian conductor, Bjørn Breistein.

The two orchestras (string ensemble and wind orchestra) consist of 85 young musicians from all over South Africa. The aim of this course is for these young musicians to meet each other and learn about diverse cultures, develop as young professionals (with access to national and international networks that the youth orchestra provides) and discover the pure joy of orchestral music.

This course is proudly sponsored by the National Lottery Distribution Trust Fund, Artéma, the SAMRO Foundation and North West University. One of the orchestra members will also have the opportunity of receiving a “Pukki” bursary from the university to the value of R20,000.

The course will be concluded with two Warm Your Heart concerts at the Snowflake in Potchefstroom on July 2, and at The Orbit in Braamfontein, Johannesburg, on July 3. Tickets for these events are available on the National Youth Orchestra’s website: www.sanyo.org.za/events.

The National Youth Orchestra invites music enthusiasts to come and experience the exceptional talent South Africa has to offer in these exhilarating performances with exquisite music including Finlandia by Sibelius in celebration of his 150th anniversary, and a SAMRO-commissioned piece by star South African composer Andile Khumalo.

For more information, visit: www.sanyo.org.za

Semi-finalists sing the tune of a new South Africa

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Last week, SAMRO Foundation administrators and a panel of adjudicators completed an intensive selection process – narrowing a pool of 35 applicants to 12 semi-finalists.

On August 27 these talented South African vocalists – six in Western Art (“classical”) music and six in Jazz – will compete live during the intermediate round of the Foundation’s annual Overseas Scholarships Competition. One singer in each category will claim the ultimate prize: a R170 000 study award and the opportunity to accelerate their journey towards artistic and creative excellence.

The SAMRO Overseas Scholarships Competition has evolved much over 53 years. This evolution has followed South Africa’s compelling journey towards a unique cultural identity that reflects our history, our struggles, triumphs and visibility on the global stage.

“We are now starting to hear a truly South African sound,” says Andre Le Roux, managing director of the SAMRO Foundation. “This year, SAMRO Foundation administrators and adjudicators took note of and were impressed by several candidates who chose South African compositions for their competition repertoire.

“Compared to previous years, there seems to be increased appreciation of South African composition. For us as a Foundation within Africa’s largest music rights organisation and composers’ society, this is proof that we’re doing impactful work to preserve our rich heritage and shape the new inclusive voice of our country.”

All 12 semi-finalists are between 22 and 30 years of age and are pursuing their passion as top achievers in the music world. Many have already honed their musical prowess as professional performers.

This year’s top six in the Jazz music category are:
Amy Campbell (UCT)
Mikhaela Kruger (UCT)
Palesa Modiga (UCT)
Nelmarie Rabie (TUT and UP)
Kwena Ramahuta (UKZN)
Amy Walton (UCT)

The Western Art music category’s semi-finalists are:
Khanyiso Gwenxane (TUT and UCT)
Andiswa Makana (TUT)
Nombuso Ndlandla (NWU)
Levy Sekgapane (UCT)
Makudupanyane Senaoana (UCT)
Victoria Stevens (UCT)

Four finalists – two in each category – will compete for top prizes on August 29 at the Linder Auditorium. This thrilling final round is open to the public, features live accompaniment, special guests and performances of a selection of musical works including a South African composition specially commissioned for the occasion.

The SAMRO Overseas Scholarship Competition rotates every year between awards for vocalists (2011, 2015), instrumentalists (2012, 2016), keyboard players (2013, 2017) and composers (2014, 2018).

Three SAMRO Overseas Scholarship winners have been recognised as Standard Bank Young Artist Award recipients, and countless others have gone on to pursue successful professional careers as internationally renowned Western Art and Jazz musicians.

Help my friend and awesome guitarist, Guy Buttery

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My friend, Guy Buttery, is launching a crowdfunding campaign to pay for the recording of his next album. This is one awesome dude and one of the most talented guitarists I know, so if you can help him out. This is what Guy had to say:

“I am pretty damn excited to be launching my crowdfunding campaign today in support of my upcoming album. It’s been a long time coming, but this new record has undeniably been the most ambitious thing I’ve ever done and also features a bunch of songs and guest artists I’m super stoked about.

“So far I have guest appearances from Vusi Mahlasela, Piers Faccini, multi-Grammy award winner and founder of Windham Hill Records, Will Ackerman, Gareth Gale, Derek Gripper, Shane Cooper, Nibs, Dan Patlansky and a bunch of others. We also made a pretty random video for this whole jol so check that out too. It’s very silly.

“Essentially I see this whole crowdfunding campaign to support the making of this music, much like an advance from a record company. Except it’s from you, which is way less kak.

“It also gives me a chance to offer access to some pretty rad and exclusive perks such as house concerts, vinyls, posters, two of my personal guitars, an exclusive demo’s EP, original photographic prints from an Ugandan adventure, LP test pressings, T-shirts, or the option to hire me in as a producer/engineer at my home studio where this new album is being recorded. There’s more stuff too.

“Please also feel totally at peace to share the link, the video or this email around to your fellow human. Check out the campaign page and video and also have a look at what’s on offer by clicking on the link.”

The crowdfunding site: http://www.igg.me/at/guybuttery

Guy’s email: buttery@iafrica.com

Guy Buttery. Photo: Gillian Coetzee

Guy Buttery. Photo: Gillian Coetzee

KZN student productions at the National Arts Festival

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DURBAN University of Technology will present Behind Closed Minds at the National Arts Festival in Grahamstown.

Written and directed by Farrell Drew, the play offers a dramatic and emotionally powerful story. It is a dark and soul-questioning piece that touches on issues such as loyalty, injustice and the misuse of power.

Behind Closed Minds is centred on the lives of Dr Victor Duval, his wife and assistant Anita, and the patients who were released into their care. The play seeks to examine a side to hypnotherapy that has yet to be explored, while revealing how the selfishness of one man destroyed the lives of all those who trusted him.

The play will be staged in the Rehearsal Room at 11.30 am on July 7 and 2.30 pm on July 8. Tickets are R45 (concessions R35).

Also staging a work in the student drama festival is the University of KwaZulu-Natal Durban. Ashes to Ashes, written and directed by Camilla Rogers, is a political satire that ridicules the actions of our political leaders and law enforcers, while acting out a robbery.

The play will be staged in the Rehearsal Room at 5 pm on July 6 and 8 pm on July 7. Tickets are R45 (R35 concessions).

Bookings are open and can be made via the website:http://www.nationalartsfestival.co.za. Ticketing call centre: 0860 002 004

Pick up a Festival programme and booking kit from selected Standard Bank and Exclusive Books. The full programme is online athttp://www.nationalartsfestival.co.za

A look at Alan Paton’s life and works in ‘A Voice I Cannot Silence’

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DURBAN actors Ralph Lawson, Clare Mortimer and Menzi Mkhwane will be starring in Greg Homann and Ralph Lawson’s A Voice I Cannot Silence.

The play, which is based on the life and work of Alan Paton, highlights the invaluable contribution made by the author of Cry, The Beloved Country who was, in the words of Douglas Livingstone, a “lighthouse in the South African twilight” during the dark decades leading up to the country’s constitutional democracy.

Paton’s internationally recognised gifts of lyric verse, evocative prose and vibrant story telling are combined to create a richly dramatic portrait.

The play focuses on his years as principal of Diepkloof Reformatory, the “toughest black borstal in the Southern Hemisphere”, where he introduced daring reforms that brought him into conflict with the architect of apartheid Hendrik Verwoerd, his position as president of the Liberal Party that led to harassment and a 10-year period during which his passport was taken away by the apartheid government, his indomitable belief in and daunting struggle for human rights, and the complexities of his personal relationships.

These weighty themes are explored through Paton’s interaction with Anne Hopkins, whom he employed in 1968 as a secretary shortly after the death of his wife Dorrie.

While trying to come to terms with his loss, the memories of his wife and their love for each other are set in contrast to his difficult days spent at the reformatory some 20 years earlier where he remembers vividly a curious young man called Sponono.

A Voice I Cannot Silence is being staged at the Rhodes Box Theatre at noon and 8.30 pm on July 10 and July 11, and at noon on July 12.

Tickets are R70, with concession tickets at R65.

A post-performance discussion with the director and cast, moderated by an arts journalist from City Press, will take place after the noon performance on July 10.

Bookings are open and can be made via the website:http://www.nationalartsfestival.co.za. Ticketing call centre: 0860 002 004

Pick up a Festival programme and booking kit from selected Standard Bank and Exclusive Books. The full programme is online athttp://www.nationalartsfestival.co.za

Ewok delivers a visceral experience

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DURBAN actor, poet and spoken-word artist Iain “Ewok” Robinson will star in Yobo: You’re Only Born Once in the Thomas Pringle Hall at 3 pm on July 8, 4 pm on July 9, 4 pm on July 10 and noon and 9 pm on July 11.

Yobo is a spoken-word, audio-visual experience created by Robinson and his wife Karen Logan. It delivers a highly visceral theatre experience using live video projection and an original score created across continents.

Set against the backdrop of the constant construction that is contemporary South Africa, Yobo draws us into the world of a solitary white man living camped beneath a national highway.

Tickets are R70 (concessions R65).

Bookings are open and can be made via the website:http://www.nationalartsfestival.co.za. Ticketing call centre: 0860 002 004

Pick up a Festival programme and booking kit from selected Standard Bank and Exclusive Books. The full programme is online at http://www.nationalartsfestival.co.za

Iain ' Ewok' Robinson.

Iain ‘ Ewok’ Robinson.