Experience South Africa’s renowned Mzansi National Philharmonic Orchestra (MNPO) in Cape Town at a once-off performance marked by musical mastery and sheer brilliance. The concert will be held at the stately City Hall and conducted by the world-renowned Ukrainian maestro Kirill Karabits, the outgoing chief conductor of the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra who was recently honoured with an Honorary OBE by King Charles in recognition of his service to and promotion of symphonic music.
After performances in Johannesburg’s Linder Auditorium (Thursday 28 November) and the Sand du Plessis Theatre in Bloemfontein (Sunday 1 December), the MNPO’s national 2024 tour, entitled Rhythms of Hope, reaches a crescendo on December 4, 2024 in the Mother City, with a highly anticipated concert at the Cape Town City Hall that will feature top orchestral musicians as they bring a stunning repertoire to life. This tour celebrates hope across the country as South Africa marks 30 years of democracy.
The national tour comes hot on the heels of the Mzansi Philharmonic’s most recent triumph which saw the formation of the Africa United Youth Orchestra, made up of the continent’s most promising young musicians, in their acclaimed international debut at Carnegie Hall in August 2024. Additionally this year, the Mzansi National Philharmonic Orchestra performed at the official inauguration of the Honourable President Cyril Ramaphosa.
The concerts will open with a world premiere of the powerful uShaka iLembe Suite composed by the highly accomplished South African Philip Miller and featuring the incomparable vocalist Mbuso Khoza with the versatile soprano Ann Masina. The first half ends with Gershwin’s popular Rhapsody in Blue with South African Leo Gevisser at the piano, a brilliant young talent who recently graduated from the Juilliard School in New York. 2024 also marks the 100th anniversary of the iconic , timeless piece. After interval, the grand symphonic suite Scheherazade by Rimsky-Korsakov will be performed, led by the distinguished MNPO Concertmaster Sarah Oates.
The Rhythm of Hope tour, generously supported by the national Department of Sport, Arts and Culture, is a celebration of artistic talent as the the musicians take audiences on an unforgettable journey that shares the magic of music and the power of unity. Says Bongani Tembe, Chief Executive and Artistic Director of Mzansi National Philharmonic Orchestra, “As we embark on our Rhythms of Hope national tour 2024, the Mzansi National Philharmonic Orchestra is thrilled to showcase remarkable South African artists and great music to communities across South Africa.”
There are several satellite events happening around the concert in all three cities. In Cape Town, as part of their community engagement programme, the Mzansi Philharmonic will perform and engage with over 300 young students at the Athlone School for the Blind in Cape Town. In addition, the MNPO will welcome French luthier Antoine Gourdon to South Africa towards the end of November. An exceptional violin maker based in Newark-on-Trent in the UK where he also teaches at the International School of Violin Making, Gourdon will live-make a violin throughout the course of the tour, ultimately presenting it to a deserving candidate at the Cape Town concert. Members of the public are welcome to observe the luthiers at work in the City Hall foyer on 2, 3 and 4 December from 10h00 to 17h00 to interact with the luthiers and learn more about their craft. Those keen to bring their orchestral stringed instruments in for a consultation (in all three cities), should please make an appointment via info@mzansiphilharmonic.org.za.
Tickets for Cape Town performance cost from R150 to R450 through Quicket: https://www.quicket.co.za/events/287040-mzansi-philharmonic-national-tour-24-cape-town/#/. To find out more about violin live-builds in Johannesburg and Bloemfontein, please email info@mzansiphilharmonic.org.za.