BLOEMFONTEIN – The sixth Human Naudé Music Scholarship Competition takes centre stage at the Odeion School of Music (OSM) at the University of the Free State (UFS) in Bloemfontein this month of November. Any young classical singer or instrumentalist could enter this scholarship competition, which carries a prize of R100 000.
Entering the competition
For the preliminary rounds, candidates were required to submit video recordings in which they performed a contrasting programme of a high standard.
Only six finalists have been selected to compete in the final round, which will be held on Tuesday, 25 November, at 18:30 in the Odeion auditorium.
The six finalists are:
■ Carmen Traut (voice) of the University of Cape Town (UCT);
■ Dané van Graan (piano) of the UCT;
■ Xoliswa Memane (voice) of the UFS Odeion School of Music;
■ Musa Makgato (clarinet) of the Music and Musicology department of the Rhodes University;
■ Jessica Helena Pereira (piano) of the University of Pretoria (UP) School of the Arts; and
■ Lutholwethu Kom (voice) of the North West University (NWU) School of Music.
With its substantial prize money, the scholarship is regarded as one of the largest in South Africa, particularly since the former international music scholarships offered by Unisa and the Southern African Music Rights Organisation (SAMRO) are no longer available.
Previous winners of the competition include pianists Isaac van der Merwe and Gerhard Joubert, as well as violinist Pieter Joubert.
The scholarship was established by pianist Japie Human and his life partner, Willem Naudé, who both left behind a legacy in Bloemfontein and the rest of the country. They left funds in a trust to sustain the scholarship and set out the rules governing it.
Charl du Plessis, convenor of the competition, says: “It is a great privilege to host this competition in memory of a remarkable pianist such as Japie Human. Thanks to this prize, previous winners have been able to complete their studies with greater focus and financial security. Each year, it is a wonderful experience to witness this truly Free State project advance and see new talent flourish.”
The judges for this year’s competition are Esthea Kruger, Johan Cromhout, and Charl du Plessis.
Admission to the final round is free of charge.
