KwaZulu-Natal Philharmonic Orchestra

It's a fantastic instrument and it's a magical world.

So to be able to play with, say, Voltaire, or as we did earlier on in the year in Durban with Moussaki and also with Ladysmith, Black Mambazo and full orchestra, the KZN Philharmonic Orchestra.

Last year we performed at Naval with Paul Henmer.

at uh kilani country club with judith sapuma we also did donluck so these are people that you don't usually associate with an orchestra but to be able to bring this dialogue because the artists certainly appreciate it as i'm sure volta will be able to to to expound on but we also love it as orchestral people and audiences you know they are like a child in a toy shop because these wonderful worlds come together in the most magical way and the storytelling becomes on a on a different level

I started at the school four years ago, um, so this is my fourth year, and I...

What happened was a current music educator had just suddenly left, and they phoned the KwaZulu-Natal Philharmonic Orchestra and asked, "Do you recommend anyone, um, to come join our school?" And I'm originally from the Eastern Cape, from Port Elizabeth, and I said, "Let me come see what the program is like, if I'm going to enjoy it or not." And I spent a month in Empangeni before I officially started working here, and I absolutely loved it, and saw that-

Mm

...

... yeah, I am an oboist.

So I joined the South African National Youth Orchestra when I was in grade 11, and also did the Stellenbosch International Chamber Music Festival for a number of years.

I studied music at Stellenbosch University under Ioana Matei, which is a, a Romanian oboist- And after I left university, I became a freelance musician in South Africa, played for the KwaZulu-Natal Philharmonic Orchestra predominantly, especially during COVID.

But before COVID, um, I actually taught at the Afghanistan National Institute of Music, um, for a year.