UCT is proud to announce a concert celebrating the
excellence of South African College of Music alumni, featuring
performances by Jimmy Dludlu, Nina Schumann, Melanie Scholtz, Mike
Campbell and Pretty Yende.
All are UCT graduates and multi-award winning musicians,
recognised internationally, who are generously donating their performance
at this UCT Alumni Concert to raise funds for music student bursaries.
“Giving back is the challenge to UCT alumni,” says Jimmy
Dludlu, who has made this objective one of his career goals with the work
he is doing in South African townships and universities across the
continent. “There are opportunities for UCT alumni in their own way to
help develop their communities and support UCT projects as the musicians
in this concert are doing”.
Jimmy has previously appeared in South African College of
Music concerts and flies in from Angola, where he has been teaching. As a
performer he is appreciated by millions and has shared stages with artists
such as Pat Metheny, Joe Zawinul, Al Jarreau, Gilberto
Gil, George Benson, Youssou N’Dour, and Buena Vista Social Club.
Jimmy. His style combines both traditional and modern elements of jazz
drawn from, among others, Wes Montgomery, George Benson and Pat Metheny,
as well as South African legends Miriam Makeba, Letta Mbulu, Hugh Masekela,
Themba Mokwena and Allen Kwela. He is particularly drawn to the sounds of
west and central Africa, as well as Latin America, but jazz remains his
first love. His numerous original compositions fall within the tradition
of what has been loosely termed Afro-Jazz.
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Dr Mike Campbell, Associate Professor and convener of the
Jazz Studies Programme at the SA College of Music directs the UCT Big
Band.
Nina Schumann, who is a professor at the University of
Stellenbosch, will perform with her husband, Louis Magalhães. The
Magalhães-Schumann Piano Duo, or TwoPianists, have presented their
repertoire across South Africa, the USA, Germany, Portugal, Austria,
Switzerland and Japan.
Melanie Scholtz graduated in 2000 and lectured in jazz vocal
studies at UCT from 2004 to 2005. She is in great demand as a jazz singer
but is equally comfortable performing in other styles: pop classical, R&B
or electronica. She returns from performing in Europe for this concert.
Pretty Yende recently made headlines by winning all the top
prizes at the Hans Gabor Belvedere International Singing Competition in
Vienna - including a season at La Scala.
The UCT Alumni Concert was initiated three years ago to
honour the South African College of Music graduates and raise funds for
the music bursaries. Selaelo Selota, Judith Sephuma, Sibongile Mngoma and Francios
Du Toit performed at the previous concerts.
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