Young pianist promises passion

IMAN BULBULIA, a 14-year-old pianist, promises to dazzle the audience with her performance at the finals of the 2016 National Youth Competition.

Following three days of demanding rounds, she made it through to tonight’s finals.

She said she was overjoyed and privileged to be given the opportunity to play with the Cape Philharmonic Orchestra. She promises to bring “passion and style” to her performance.

Iman is one of the six finalists performing with the orchestra under the baton of Brandon Phillips.

This will be followed by a closing ceremony and the announcement of the winners. Cash and other prizes totalling R150 000 as well as gold, silver and bronze medals will be awarded.

The competition is celebrating 33 years and has successfully nurtured many young performers, discovering dozens of top musicians such as Pieter Schoeman (conductor of the London Philharmonic Orchestra) and Jeffrey Armstrong (leader of the Cape Town Philharmonic Youth Orchestra), Sulayman Human, Sakhile Humbane and Eben Wagenstroom.

It is the third largest music competition for classical musicians in South Africa and caters for emerging musicians who are below the age limit for the Unisa International Music Competition and the Afrikaanse Taal Kultuur Vereniging Muziq competition.

Bulbulia was born in Johannesburg but lives between Cape Town and Johannesburg when she is not travelling overseas.

The Grade 10 pupil is being home- schooled, which gives her the flexibility to focus on her music.

She started piano lessons at the age of 4 and since then has won numerous prizes and awards. In July she debuted at the Wiener Saal at the Mozarteum in Salzburg, the birth place of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. Based on her outstanding performance, she has been invited to perform at a concert in Carnegie Hall in March next year.

The finals of the competition are at the Hugo Lambrechts Music Centre, Parow, at 7.30pm tonight.

thembeka.dlamuka@inl.co.za

Iman Bulbulia