Begin your holiday on the right note by attending  South Africa’s top young classical musicians perform in the Sasol Concert of the National Youth Orchestra, led by international conductors who will play some of the world’s best loved music. The Sasol Concerts will be held in Sasolburg, Johannesburg and Pretoria between the 12th and 15th of December.

The National Youth Orchestra celebrates its 50th anniversary next year, and through the support of Sasol, the Foundation is able to host top quality orchestral courses to fine tune the skills of 150 of South Africa’s best young musicians each summer. The concerts are held at the end of the course and are a platform to showcase the talent of these exceptional musicians 

The 150 musicians aged between 12 and 25 are drawn from across South Africa and are from not only the major metropoles, but also from Poffadder to Toekomsrust, truly representative of the best musical talent in South Africa.  

The Sasol concerts are a highlight on the classical musical calendar. The first of the three concerts will be held at the Gordon Institute of Business Science in Illovo, the second at the Etienne Rousseau Theatre in Sasolburg and their final concert for the year will be at the ZK Matthews Great Hall at Unisa in Pretoria.

The concert programme includes a variety of compositions including works to celebrate the centenaries of Richard Wagner (Siegfried’s Idyll) and Benjamin Britten (including his Sinfonietta Op. 1 and the Courtly Dances from Gloriana.)

The National Youth Orchestra Foundation plays a crucial role in the development of South Africa’s professional musicians. The wind and string orchestras to be showcased at the concerts are the only two national ensembles of this kind in the country. 

The award winning Irish conductor, Adam Cooke will be working with the National Youth Wind Orchestra, while the Swedish conductor and star violinist Fredrik Burstedt will conduct the National Youth String Orchestra. 

Tessa Campbell (17) from Grahamstown, one of the members of the National Youth Orchestra plays three instruments – timpani in the Kingswood Concert Band, violin in the Rhodes University Orchestra, and the piano. She was awarded honours for music at Kingswood College last year and has co-led the National Youth Orchestra in 2012 and 2013.

She said, “Music is a big part of my life so I am very excited about these concerts. Performing with the National Youth Orchestra is a great experience and I am honoured to be a part of the December Sasol Course.”

Zihle Ndika (22) is a music student at the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University in Port Elizabeth. She has performed with the National Youth Orchestra on tuba and has also been selected as an arts administration intern for 2013. "It gives me hope for the future of us musicians in the country. Through Nationals we'll generate good support from the public and eventually get to a point where we can all make a living out of music. I love the people, the music and the Nationals Team.  I love my National Youth Orchestra."

For almost half a century, the National Youth Orchestra has provided a platform for talented musicians to hone their skills through its training and development courses. Its legacy is far reaching with representation of alumni in top professional orchestras in South Africa and across the globe. Sasol has been supporting the Foundation’s initiatives for more than 35 years and this year was recognised with the Youth Development Award by Business and Arts South Africa.

“Sasol has supported the National Youth Orchestra since 1979; it is one of our longest standing sponsorships in the arts. Our support of the youth orchestra ensures this wealth of talent is invested in, through the best training and coaching, helping young artists develop so they can perform confidently. We are committed to the development of the arts and culture in South Africa and believe in our young talent,” said Richard Hughes, Sasol’s Sponsorship Manager. 

The wind and string orchestras will be formed during the summer course in Pretoria, from 5-15 December. This 10-day course is designed to fine tune South Africa’s national team of youth orchestras, by immersing the players in a professional music environment to teach teamwork, discipline, technical and orchestral skills instilling a love for music that will last a lifetime.

Sophia Welz, Managing Director of the National Youth Orchestra said, “They are the national team for classical music in South Africa and take great pride in representing our country. Audience members are always wowed by these incredible young musicians and what they’re capable of. Our December performances will be exhilarating – youth orchestras have so much energy. Don't miss out on our country’s top talent.”

For further information visit www.sanyo.org.za

CONCERTS

JOHANNESBURG
When: Thursday 12 December 2013
Time: 18h00
Where: Gordon Institute of Business Science, Illovo
National Youth Orchestra plays Britten, Wagner and Dvorak, conducted by Fredrik Burstedt (Sweden).
Tickets: R200 per person (including the food)
Bookings: www.gibs.co.za/forums/concert
Contact: email forumadmin@gibs.co.za or contact 011 771 4390

SASOLBURG
When: Friday 13 December 2013
Time: 19h00
Where: Etienne Rousseau Theatre, Sasolburg 
What: National Youth Orchestra plays Britten, Wagner and Dvorak, conducted by Fredrik Burstedt (Sweden) and Adam Cooke (Ireland)
This concert is sponsored by Sasol.
Tickets: R50 
Bookings: Computicket

PRETORIA
When: Sunday 15 December 2013
Time: 15h00
Where: ZK Matthews Great Hall, Unisa, Pretoria
National Youth Orchestra plays Britten, Wagner and Dvorak, conducted by Fredrik Burstedt (Sweden) and Adam Cooke (Ireland).
Tickets: R60-R130
Bookings: Computicket
Contact: email team@sanyo.org.za or contact 083 272 2117

Ends

For further information, please contact Anusha Mudhai on 011 709 6714 or anusha.mudhai@ogilvypr.co.za