On Song, the artist celebrates his musical identity and inspiration, showcasing original arrangements, wide-ranging collaborations and the co-writing of a new song. The Sheku Kanneh-Mason story continues. The celebrated cellist has released a new solo album, which reveals more about the star and what inspires
Representing South Africa on a global stage, four members of the recently formed Mzansi National Philharmonic Orchestra (Mzansi NPO) participated in the world premiere performance of the G20 Orchestra. The concert took place on 12 September 2022 in Central Java’s Borobudur Temple in Magelang, Indonesia.
‘People were listening to [Duke Ellington and Count Basie] at home because we felt this is our music and these are our black heroes. The attraction … was that the rhythms were more like our mbaqanga.’ So said the late South African jazz trumpeter Johnny
At a recent performance at The Linder Auditorium in Johannesburg, The Mzansi National Philharmonic Orchestra (Mzansi NPO) partnered with the Turquoise Harmony Institute (THI) to highlighting the plight of asylum seekers and refugees, who are among the world’s most disenfranchised people. The intention was to
UJ Arts & Culture in partnership with The Wits School of Arts’ Cultural Policy and Management Department and The University of KwaZulu-Natal’s Centre for Creative Arts present a Spring Celebration Programme on 2 and 3 September 2022. This intergenerational programme features Abbey Cindi’s United States
The talented Indonesian-American conductor, Rebecca Tong, will be leading the joint JPO and KZNPO concert of the Early Spring Season Concerts. With the pressing call for more diversity in the conducting field, the La Maestra competition was the first conducting competition for women only. Rebecca
The Johannesburg Philharmonic Orchestra (JPO) has announced its Early Spring Season running from 25 August to 8 September 2022 on Thursday nights at 19:30 at the Linder Auditorium, this time at full capacity seating. Continuing with the tradition of featuring accomplished international conductors and soloists,
The global outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic in the early months of 2020 shut down nearly all physical and social human activities. For musical practice this meant near death. Performing music is, after all, one of the oldest forms of social human engagement. In Nigeria,
Ana Sofia Fonseca’s feature documentary Cesária Évora opens with hand-held, bootleg-style footage of the legendary Cabo Verdean morna singer in rehearsal. It is visually inauspicious but subtly heralds the film’s great strength. An intimate approach that illuminates Évora’s extraordinary career while staying close to her
Inspired by Louis Armstrong’s words ‘Music is life itself,’ Bizana-born musician Luthando Madikizela returns from Gauteng to his hometown to harmonise with the talented Neo Motsatse on the violin. The duo will perform The Music Story, a classical music performance at the Tropical Nites Theatre
The establishment of the Mzansi National Philharmonic Orchestra (Mzansi NPO), South Africa’s first national orchestra in the democratic era, was officially announced at a press briefing on 14 July 2022. Heading up the Mzansi NPO as CEO and Artistic Director is Bongani Tembe, who is also
The artist’s third album traverses a new musical terrain as he keeps on expanding his sound and working with friends from around the world. Listening to the three albums of Congolese-Canadian artist Pierre Kwenders, who is based in Montreal, they almost sound like they were
The closing weekend of the National Arts Festival celebrated the stamina, creativity and energy of South African artists with the Standard Bank Ovation Awards. The late-night Awards took place after the last shows of the evening on 2 July and was packed with artists and
Every so often, when the new line-up of the Cape Town Opera is announced, one cannot help feeling envious and somewhat deprived living in Gauteng, a place where so very few opera productions happen. But now, there is a great opportunity for opera fans taking
Nduduzo Makhathini is a prolific South African pianist, improviser, healer, educator, scholar and storyteller. He possesses a gift that enables him to articulate a distinct and rich identity and genealogy. His sound signifies a deep rootedness in his ethnic identity in the Zulu culture, and
Listen to The New Four Seasons on Apple Music, Deezer, Spotify, or iTunes Store here. The ground-breaking work is reimagined on period instruments with new collaborators Chineke! Orchestra and soloist Elena Urioste. A decade on from the release of his mesmerising Recomposed album, trailblazing composer
Competition closed (the winners have been contacted). Proudly sponsored by the Judith Neilson Head Trust, Cape Town Opera, in collaboration with Sempre Opera and Roodepoort Theatre, presents Mozart’s famous masterpiece, Le Nozze di Figaro at the Roodepoort Theatre from 6 to 15 July 2022. The production forms
It’ll be the ultimate celebratory homecoming for audiences and the arts community as the National Arts Festival gears up to resume its live format with an immersive in-person arts experience from 23 June to 3 July in Makhanda. The Festival will re-emerge with a carefully
UPDATE: The National Arts Festival is back to 100% capacity thanks to the removal of Covid-19 restrictions. More tickets are therefore on sale for the big shows you’ve been asking for. Later this month, the 2022 National Arts Festival (NAF) will once again open itself
The Stellenbosch International Chamber Music Festival is back and will take place at the Stellenbosch University Konservatorium building from 1 to 10 July 2022. The first concert on 1 July opens with works by Arvo Pärt and Peteris Vasks featuring violinist Daniel Rowland, back by
UPDATE: The National Arts Festival is back to 100% capacity thanks to the removal of Covid-19 restrictions. More tickets are therefore on sale for the big shows you’ve been asking for. The National Arts Festival (NAF) is officially back in Makhanda after two years of
Stories of turbulence, healing and triumph thread through this year’s programme as the National Arts Festival returns to Makhanda in a live festival format from 23 June – 3 July 2022. ‘There’s a pull towards stories from history, and explorations of other ways of seeing
Sony Music Entertainment has recently released the first-ever career-spanning album from songwriter, musician, poet, novelist and visual artist Leonard Cohen. Comprised of 17 tracks from Cohen’s expansive career, Leonard Cohen: Hallelujah & Songs from His Albums, features an unreleased and unforgettable live performance of Hallelujah
UPDATE: The National Arts Festival is back to 100% capacity thanks to the removal of Covid-19 restrictions. More tickets are therefore on sale for the big shows you’ve been asking for. We’re still afraid we might jinx it by saying it out loud, but the
The Johannesburg Philharmonic Orchestra (JPO)’s new Winter Season takes place at the Linder Auditorium this 9 – 30 June. Forming a part of the stellar programme, is violinist Samson Diamond. Appointed leader of the award-winning Odeion String Quartet since 2013, and resident at the University
The journey towards the staged production of Hlakanyana has undoubtedly been a long and difficult one, but through a growing team of innovative and passionate musicians, theatre-makers, writers and performers, it’s finally made it to the theatre. Directed by Janice Honeyman and co-produced by Madevu