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The national lockdown has not stopped the music of the KwaZulu-Natal Philharmonic Orchestra from being heard, with 47 musicians from one of South Africa’s leading orchestras taking part in the symphonic repertoire of the 2020 National Arts Festival.
Now in its 46th year, the festival was held online for the first time as a result of the coronavirus pandemic. It began on June 25 and ended on July 5; however the KZN concerts are part of the “videos-on-demand” offering and as such will be available to view until the end of July.
The orchestra’s CEO and artistic director, Bongani Tembe, says they had to cancel their winter season performances due to the pandemic but found other creative ways to continue sharing their music with audiences.
For the festival, they are presenting a concert titled The Joy of Classical Music with the KZN Philharmonic Orchestra, which was recorded live at Hilton College in the Midlands, while following all the necessary safety protocols.
The concert features timeless classics ranging from Grieg’s Holberg Suite to Barber’s Adagio for Strings, with highlights from Mendelssohn’s Symphony No 4 and Schubert’s Unfinished Symphony.
The programme is introduced by Classic 1027 presenter Deano Maduramuthu.
“Music lovers all over South Africa and across the continent can tune in to hear this great orchestra perform a specially curated programme for the virtual National Arts Festival,” Tembe says.
“We hope this concert will uplift the spirit of South Africans and Africans during these trying times.”
The Joy of Classical Music with the KZN Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by Lykele Temmingh, aired as part of the Fringe live-streamed events, with tickets are R100 each. By also making it available to view until the end of July, audiences can view the performance at their leisure.
Tickets to the orchestra’s virtual performance can be bought at nationalartsfestival.co.za/show/the-joy-of-classical-music-with-the-kzn-philharmonic-orchestra/
For more information about the orchestra, visit www.kznphil.org.za
