Extravaganza celebrates 130 years of music at Unisa

On 30 November 2024, the Unisa Directorate Music hosted the Unisa Music 130^th Anniversary Concert, featuring performances by, among others, the Johannesburg Festival Orchestra.

This musical showcase was made up of A-list musicians, comprising laureates, alumni and artistic associates who are nationally and internationally recognised as being among the best. The concert list featured conductor Brandon Phillips, winner of the inaugural Len van Zyl Conductors’ Competition, and Artistic Director and Conductor of the Cape Philharmonic Youth Orchestra, Marc Duby, Professor Extraordinarius in Musicology at Unisa, and Professor Theo van Wyk, South Africa’s first graduate with an organ recital degree and the first person of colour to earn a doctorate in musicology. They were joined by a host of artists with a distinguished record of stellar achievements and performances.

Johannesburg Festival Orchestra conducted by Maestro Brandon Phillips

The guest list of this event comprised of dignitaries, enthusiasts, and members of the judiciary, including Advocate of the High Court of South Africa, Dr Dexter Ryneveldt, and keynote speaker at the 2024 Unisa Founders Lecture, Lady Justice Meaza Ashenafi Mengistu, the first woman in Ethiopian history to become the President of the Federal Supreme Court (Chief Justice) of that country.

The first half of the concert saw solo and ensemble performances by Van Wyk, Magdalena de Vries, and the Moya Collective, featuring Ndabo Zulu and Thando Zide.

In the second half of the show, Phillips was joined by the Johannesburg Festival Orchestra in what can only be described as a majestic musical performance.

A celebration of key milestones

In his welcome address, Professor Thomas Pooley, Acting Director: Directorate Music, said that the concert celebrates key millstones reached by the university, including pioneering international music competitions. He added: “We build on this foundation of excellence to advance the art of music for the next generation, by strengthening and growing the syllabi in African music, jazz and classical music, and embracing opportunities afforded by the fourth industrial revolution, to reach out and empower communities across Africa and beyond.”

Prof Thomas Pooley, Acting Director: Directorate Music

Setting the bar high

Unisa Principal and Vice-Chancellor, Professor Puleng LenkaBula, said that the celebratory concert highlights the university’s multidimensional programmes in music. She added that the performances comprise staff, students, alumni, and musical associates, “all of whom have set the bar high for musical performance in South Africa and the globe.”

Unisa Principal and Vice-Chancellor, Prof Puleng LenkaBula

Dr Thabo Mbeki, Chancellor of Unisa and President of the Unisa International Music Competitions, stated that the university has made a unique global impact on music education through examinations, qualifications and competitions, serving thousands of students across the globe. “In 2025, both music theory and practical examinations will be offered online for the first time,” he said to resounding applause.

Dr Thabo Mbeki, Chancellor of Unisa and President of the Unisa International Music Competitions

A celebration of 130 years of music

Sean Adams, Acting Deputy Director (Professional): Directorate Music, said that the concert’s primary objectives are to celebrate 130 years of music and music examinations at Unisa, and to celebrate the high standards that have been and continue to be maintained. He continued: “We are celebrating the offerings of the past, but more importantly looking towards the future as we plan on implementing many new curricula, including practical examinations in African music instruments such as the UHadi bow and African marimba, which will be launched next year.”   

Adams stated that the concert, in part, celebrates the changes that have taken place in music since the country became a democracy, and the role that Unisa has played in providing opportunities for young musicians from disadvantaged communities to study music and take the Unisa graded music examinations. “Our curricula,” he said, “continue to be transformed through the inclusion of notably more compositions by composers of colour and by female composers. Over the past years, we have also expanded our footprint on the African continent and currently have Unisa music examination centres in Botswana, Kenya, Malawi, Namibia, Tanzania, Uganda and Zambia.”

(Top, left to right) Prof Theo van Wyk after performing “Toccata for Madiba”, and Magdalena de Vries (marimba and cowbells)
(Bottom, left to right) The Moya Collective featuring Ndabo Zulu and Thando Zide, and Keenan Ahrends (guitar) with Cara Stacey (UHadi bow)

In the same vein, Pooley added that the concert began with a “Toccata for Madiba” written by Surendran Reddy for the 1998 Unisa International Organ Competition, a departure from classic organ writing which embraces many uniquely South African elements, including musical themes from Nkosi Sikelel’ iAfrika. “This is one of a myriad ways in which the music chosen for this milestone concert reflects on the meanings of home, of identity, and other themes pertinent to this year’s celebration of 30 years of democracy,” he asserted.

Concluding his message, Adams stated that the Directorate Music continues to play a pivotal role in setting the standard of music education in South Africa and the other countries where the Unisa music examinations are conducted.

He concluded: “The concert series and international competitions hosted by the Unisa Music Foundation bring the world to South Africa and are a springboard for our artists to reach a global audience. We are excited to collaborate with artists and institutions across the world to advance music as a force for good in society.”   

Unisa remains the only music examinations board on the African continent, and one of only a few operating globally. The university has offered music examinations since 1894 and have been overseeing scholarships since1899. Over the past 130 years, music at the university has grown to include competitions, community outreach, and qualifications ranging from licentiates to PhDs. This concert celebrated this rich heritage with performances by musicians who are laureates, alumni and artistic associates.

* By Godfrey Madibane, Acting Journalist, Department of Institutional Advancement

* * Photography by Shooheima Champion, Multimedia Centre