Magical music

NATIONAL YOUTH ORCHESTRA: SERIES OF CONCERTS

Fourth Symphony of Tchaikovsky and Stravinksy’s Pulcinella Suite.

Jumping off Bloukrans Bridge, the highest bridge in Africa, with a bungee cord attached to your ankles is ranked as one of the most extreme things you can do in South Africa. Laughable. If you want to explore extremes, put yourself in the shoes of anyone involved with the South African National Youth Orchestra (Sanyo).

These people know more about dedication, risk and free-falling than anyone else. Sometimes finding an audience is hard. Other times it’s the lack of funding.

Classical music faces constant struggles, yet there seems to be a group willing to tie a rope to their ankles and jump into anything for the world’s most familiar music. And it starts with the young people of the orchestra.

“Much is required for a young athlete, the first step is a willingness from a young musician to give it everything.

“Then it takes good teaching (one on one and group classes), a decent instrument and support from friends and family to get through the hours of practice, rehearsals and performances.

“Many of our young musicians access this kind of help through music programmes at home, school or university, or through the National Youth Orchestra itself,” says Sophia Welz, the orchestra’s managing director.

This week the orchestra is gearing up to host a series of concerts in Pretoria and Johannesburg.

This not only closes the year for the group of volunteers and musicians involved with the country’s symphonic national team, it’s also a celebration of the arts.

The orchestra will perform the Fourth Symphony of Tchaikovsky and Stravinksy’s playful neo-classical Pulcinella Suite under the baton of acclaimed US conductor Sarah Ioannides, who is listed as one of the top 20 female conductors in the world. Tickets for the shows are still available in abundance – an irksome part of developing the arts in South