WWW.CLASSICSA.CO.ZA

Innovative internet platform for Classical Music launched

The recently launched www.classicsa.co.za is a unique website entirely dedicated to the business of classical music in South Africa. This interactive online directory, news centre and platform introduces a new era for classical music in South Africa.

Louis Fouché, founder of www.classicsa.co.za, explains the move to create an internet platform for classical music in South Africa: “In South Africa, each and every day, an increasing number of aspiring youngsters from all community backgrounds enrich their lives by receiving music tuition based on fundamental classical music principles. Thousands of choristers look forward to their weekly choir practice, and gifted South African musicians and dynamic organisations are concertising somewhere in the country. On top of that, now more than ever, up-and-coming South African musicians are making impressive inroads in the international classical music arena. This makes it one of the most vibrant and unique classical music scenes in the world and it deserves a global platform.

“www.classicsa.co.za was created for this reason - to showcase this extraordinary environment and to enable all South Africans, and the world, to access it at the click of a button.”

Daily media offer limited coverage of classical music events or none at all. www.classicsa.co.za offers classical music lovers and practitioners unlimited information on an ongoing basis. It can also be used as a homepage, where users will be updated regularly about the classical music business with details and features they will not find elsewhere.

The website is of great value to anyone interested or involved in classical music in South Africa. Anyone from professional musicians, teachers, orchestras, choirs, music therapists or wedding ensembles, to instrument makers or piano tuners have the opportunity to advertise their services by listing on the directory.

Basic listings of individuals, groups or organizations are provided free of charge and display their names, professions and where they are located. For a minimal fee per month they can upgrade to a full listing, which consists of a “mini-website” providing full contact details, a photograph and CV, as well as related links.

A full listing also offers a valuable solution to persons or organisations without the technical capacity or financial means to have their own website. It offers them immediate visibility on the worldwide web and can be of particular use to entities such as smaller organisations or schools.

A major drawcard and already highly-frequented feature on the site is the What’s On events calendar. At the click of a button, users have the option to see which concerts and events are on, either in a chosen month, a chosen day or a chosen genre. Added to that, you can refine your search to look for concerts in your specific region. This feature provides musicians, concert presenters and publicists an opportunity to promote their activities at no cost.

Some of the permanent features displayed on the homepage are News & Reviews, CD/DVD of the Month and Focus On. These allow for reporting on the latest happenings and developments on the classical music front, interviews with music personalities and local CD releases.

A monthly electronic newsletter, will also keep subscribers up to date with www.classicsa.co.za news. By subscribing to the free newsletter you stand a chance to win tickets to concerts or music-related events. Apart from a regular blog, www.classicsa.co.za is present on social internet networks such as Facebook and Twitter.

Fouché concludes: “It is simply astonishing to see how classical music threads through the South African community and how much is happening that the public is unaware of. We invite people active in the industry to become involved by informing us of their achievements, eg. often you hear of a South African choir winning an important international award, but there is no mention of it in the press. We’d like to tell the whole world about these inspirational achievements. With the website, we can bring people the news and give them the opportunity to take pride in these accomplishments and enterprise.”

With the introduction of this innovative venture, www.classicsa.co.za will also focus strongly on supporting music development programmes and assist with initiatives geared towards accelerating audience capacity development in South Africa.

For more information visit www.classicsa.co.za