It is not too late for jazz and western art instrumentalists, younger than 32 years old, to apply for one of the country’s most coveted post-graduate music study awards, which enables the recipients to enroll for career-furthering post-graduate studies or master classes at international institutions.
Every year, rotating on a four-yearly cycle between composers, singers, keyboard players and instrumentalists, the SAMRO Foundation awards two scholarships worth R200 000 each for jazz and western art music, respectively. This year, instrumentalists will have the chance to demonstrate their mettle.
The SAMRO foundation overseas competition has changed the lives of numerous young musicians, and winners of this competition have been making waves as their careers go from strength to strength. The SAMRO Foundation is extremely proud to be associated with them all.
After winning the 2015 SAMRO Scholarship, tenor Levy Strauss Sekgapane went on to win the 2015 Monserrat Caballe international singing competition in Spain. He recently returned from Germany to star alongside South Africa’s own Pretty Yende for an excellent performance and standing ovation at the crowded Linder Auditorium on Thursday, 14 April. He is presently in Germany participating in various operas and completing his three-year scholarship in Dresden.
Darren English, winner of the 2012 Jazz Scholarship for instrumentalists, has just released his first album, and what an album it is! Imagine Nation features other pros like Kenny Banks Jr, Billy Thornton, Chris Burroughs, Carmen Bradford, Greg Tardy, Russell Gunn and Joe Gransden. The album can be bought at Hot Shoe Records.
To be eligible to compete in the 2016 SAMRO overseas scholarships competition, candidates must be a music student or professional instrumentalist between the ages of 20 and 32, and a citizen of South Africa, Botswana, Lesotho or Swaziland.
The competition takes place over three rounds: A preliminary round between Wednesday, 15 June and Wednesday, 22 June, the semi-final round on Thursday, 18 August, and the final round Saturday, 20 August 2016 at the Linder Auditorium.