SANYOF HIGH NOTE ENDING FOR 2010

With a proud history of nearly half a century, the Sasol-sponsored South African National Youth Orchestra Foundation has closed 2010 with some exciting firsts. This year they have not only elected the first female conductor in SANYOF’s history, but have also launched Instrument Societies. This is an online virtual society which operates to connect individuals who share the same passion for their instruments with each other and the world.

Widely acclaimed female conductor Ewa Strusińska recently conducted the National Youth Orchestra (the flagship ensemble) at the Sasol National Youth Orchestra Course in Durban. During her time with SANYOF, Ewa Strusińska aims to mentor young South African talent and combine her international flavour with the energy of the orchestra.

“Sasol welcomes Ewa to SANYO and is confident that her input will benefit the aspiring artists,” Sasol’s Corporate Social Investment Manager, Pamilla Mudhray, says. “Sasol and SANYO place particular emphasis on talent identification and aim at developing talent to proffer excellent results.”

Held annually, the course accommodates the National Youth Orchestra and the Concert Orchestra (part of a SANYOF development programme and a feeder for the National Youth Orchestra) and offers an intense period of orchestral training and development. Participants are selected through a merit-based anonymous audition system from across the country. This enables the Foundation to select the very best young South African musicians, regardless of financial or geographical barriers.

Beyond this practical training, Sasol and SANYOF also aim to link South Africa with international music enthusiasts through the online platform Instrument Societies which is available on Facebook. Instrument Societies are currently used by the South African Percussion Society, the South African Double Reed Society, the South African Single Reed Society and the South African Flute Society. Sasol and SANYOF hope to connect South Africa to the rest of the world and propagate skills transfer and healthy discussion among like minded musicians.

“SANYO is proud of these developments and are convinced they will add value to the organisation moving forward,” says Sophia Welz, Chief Operations Officer of SANYOF. “Our constant aim is to empower young South Africans with musical knowledge and imagination, and instil in them a love for music and a dedication to the highest standards of performance.”

Pamilla Mudhray concludes, “Sasol’s commitment to the arts is a dynamic one. Our sponsorship ensures that aspiring artists are mentored by professional individuals, that women are not excluded from any leadership and that South Africa is on par with international best practices. We commend SANYOF for the work they have conducted over the past years and with the developments mentioned above, there is no doubt that they will continue to mould young artists into true professionals”

The South African National Youth Orchestra performed a concert in Durban supported by the KwaZulu-Natal Philharmonic Orchestra and a further concert in Pietermaritzburg with the Concert Orchestra. All proceeds go towards the development of the Foundation and its work with young South African musicians. More information on http://www.sanyo.org.za/