BLOEMFONTEIN – The music scholarship competition which is regarded as one of the biggest in prize money in South Africa, are nearing its highlight for 2025.
The sixth HumanNaudé Music Scholarship Competition will take place at the Odeion School of Music at the University of the Free State (UFS) in Bloemfontein in November.
Any young classical singer or instrumentalist could enter this scholarship competition, which carries a prize of R100 000.
For the preliminary rounds, candidates were required to submit video recordings in which they performed a contrasting program 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.
The six finalists are:
- Carmen Traut (voice) – University of Cape Town (UCT);
- Dané van Graan (piano) – UCT;
- Xoliswa Memane (voice) – UFS Odeion School of Music;
- Musa Makgato (clarinet) – Music & Musicology, Rhodes University;
- Jessica Helena Pereira (piano) – University of Pretoria (UP) School of the Arts; and
- Lutholwethu Kom (voice) – 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 a legacy in the musical life of Bloemfontein and the rest of the country.
They left funds in a trust to sustain the scholarship and personally 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’s 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 for the final round on Friday, 25 November at 18:30 at the Odeion at the UFS main campus, are free of charge.
Read more on www.humannaude-trust.co.za.
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