Our People

about us

Our
People

At the Mzansi National Philharmonic Orchestra we believe in the power of music to transform lives.

Driven by the pursuit of musical excellence, we strive to deliver extraordinary performances that showcase our African vibrancy, our artistic integrity and our talent, inspiring and moving audiences wherever we go.

As ambassadors of South African classical music, we aim to make orchestral music accessible to all, connecting with a rich and culturally diverse audience, using music to build relationships and create opportunities that were never there before.

Discover our story, our vision, and the passion that drives us.

About us

board of directors

JUSTICE LEONA THERON

JUSTICE LEONA THERON is a distinguished Justice of the Constitutional Court of South Africa. She was appointed to the Judge White Commission by President Mandela in 1995.

Subsequently, in 1999, she was appointed to the High Court of South Africa, making her the youngest judge in the country at 33 years old, as well as the first black female judge in the KwaZulu-Natal High Court. She has also served on the Court of Appeal in Bloemfontein.

Ms WENDY
LUHABE

MS WENDY LUHABE is a social entrepreneur and economic activist with multiple honours for her pioneering contribution to economic empowerment of women in South Africa. She was recognised as one of the 50 Leading Women Entrepreneurs of the World (1999), and is recognised by the World Economic Forum in Switzerland as a Global Leader of Tomorrow. Ms Luhabe is an experienced director and holds honorary doctorates, including from her Alma Mata, the University of Fort Hare.

PROF MUXE NKONDO

PROF MUXE NKONDO is a social policy, national strategy development, and discourse analysis scholar and practitioner. He is the former Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic Affairs) at the University of Limpopo, and former Vice-Chancellor of the University of Venda, as well as a Harvard Andrew Mellon Fellow in English. He has lectured at various universities, including Harvard, Oxford, Chicago’s Northwestern University, Northeastern University in Boston, the University of Connecticut, the University of Oklahoma, Colorado College, and Vassar College.

About us

Chief Executive and Artistic Director

Mr BONGANI
TEMBE

MR BONGANI TEMBE is widely regarded as one of Africa’s leading arts practitioners. Mr Tembe studied at the Juilliard School in New York and has performed in many parts of the world. He is regarded for his positive contribution to the advancement of arts and culture in South Africa and internationally. In 2016, he was honoured by the French Government with an insignia of Officer des Arts et des Lettres for his contribution to the arts.

About us

Artistic Planning Committee

DR SAMSON
DIAMOND

In 2024, Dr. Samson Diamond celebrates thirty years as a concert violinist, with twenty years as a featured performer. He has achieved acclaim as a soloist, concertmaster, chamber musician, educator, and curator. With over ten years in administration, he has held roles in festival curation and artistic advisory. From 2013 to 2023, he led the Odeion String Quartet, touring internationally. Currently, he manages education programmes for the Johannesburg Philharmonic Orchestra and serves as an associate concertmaster for the Mzansi National Philharmonic Orchestra.

Prof NINA
SCHUMANN

Prof Schumann holds a piano professorship at the University of Stellenbosch, passing on her artistic knowledge and producing students of the highest calibre.

In addition, her contribution to music includes the co-founding of an independent record label, TwoPianists Records, and the founding of the renowned Stellenbosch International Piano Symposium and Stellenbosch International Chamber Music Festival, which has quickly become the best-known chamber music festival on the African continent. Nina Schumann is a Yamaha International Artist.

Prof KARENDRA
DEVROOP

Karendra Devroop is a Professor of Music at Tshwane University of Technology, previously the Director of UNISA’s Music Foundation. As South Africa’s leading saxophonist, he has collaborated with top jazz and classical artists globally, with numerous live and studio recordings to his name. He has performed as a soloist with many prestigious orchestras, including the Lamont Symphony, Johannesburg and Cape Town Philharmonic Orchestras, and the Sanremo Symphony Orchestra.

About us

Management Team

Nicole
Haynes

Nicole Haynes works with Mzansi Philharmonic as Business and Tours Manager. She currently manages special events, including national and international tours. In addition to this role, Nicole has been deeply involved in the company’s business management, and her interest in the governance of arts institutions has led her to develop unique relationships with the Orchestra’s key stakeholders. Nicole has a Bachelors Degree in Music (BMUS Hons) and a Masters in Business Administration (MBA) from Edinburgh University.

Dr Polina
Burdukova

Dr Polina Burdukova is the Mzansi Philharmonic’s Orchestra Manager. She is a cellist, having studied in Belgium, the UK, Germany and Russia. From 2001-2005 she held the position of Co-Principal Cello in the Cape Philharmonic Orchestra. She received KANNA Award Nominations in 2007 and 2008, and has enjoyed a successful solo and chamber music career. She has a PhD in music performance, and is involved in artistic planning and production for a number of South African orchestras.

About us

The Orchestra

Our Associate Conductors, Concert Masters and Some of Our Musicians

DANIEL
BOICO

Associate Conductor

Daniel Boico is the Artistic Director and CEO of the Free State Symphony Orchestra, as well as Associate Guest Conductor of the KZN Philharmonic. Former Chief Conductor of the MÁV Symphony Orchestra, Budapest, Daniel was Assistant Conductor of the New York Philharmonic, as well as apprentice conductor and assistant to Daniel Barenboim at the Chicago Symphony.

Trained by legendary Professor Ilya Musin at the Saint Petersburg Conservatory, Daniel has led the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, DSO Berlin, Israel Philharmonic, Nürnberger Symphoniker, Moscow Philharmonic, Chicago Symphony Orchestra, New York Philharmonic, and has collaborated with Itzhak Perlman, Gil Shaham, Daniel Barenboim, Gary Hoffman, Olga Kern and Bryan Cheng, among others.

KUTLWANO
MASOTE

Associate Conductor

Born in Soweto, Kutlwano Masote began violin lessons under the tutelage of his father, Michael, a respected music teacher and founder of the Soweto Symphony Orchestra. After studying at the University of the Witwatersrand, he was awarded a scholarship by Yehudi Menuhin to further study cello and chamber music at the International Menuhin Music Academy in Switzerland. His affinity for cross-cultural music projects has set him apart as a versatile music director and conductor.

PIETER
SCHOEMAN

Concert Master

South African violinist Pieter Schoeman has served as Leader of the London Philharmonic Orchestra since 2008. At the recommendation of Pinchas Zuckerman, Pieter studied in New York with Sylvia Rosenberg. He went on to perform internationally as a soloist and recitalist in the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam, Capella Hall in St Petersburg, Staatsbibliothek in Berlin, Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles and London’s Royal Festival Hall. As a chamber musician he regularly appears at London’s prestigious Wigmore Hall.

SARAH
OATES

Associate Concert Master

South African Sarah Oates has a varied career in orchestral performance, chamber music, and teaching. She served as associate concertmaster of the Philharmonia Orchestra in London for ten years and became the concertmaster of the Dutch Ballet Orchestra in 2022. A sought-after guest concertmaster, she has played with the London Symphony Orchestra, the BBC Philharmonic, and others. Educated in South Africa, she studied in London, Manchester, and New York, where she worked with the legendary violinist Pinchas Zukerman.

SARAH OATES

DAVID
JURITZ

Associate Concert Master

David Juritz, born in Cape Town, began playing violin at age five. He received a Scholarship to the Royal College of Music, winning the Tagore Gold Medal. After joining the English Chamber Orchestra, he led the London Mozart Players until 2010. An in-demand chamber musician, he performs with groups like the London Tango Quintet and Soloists of London. He also plays solo violin on film soundtracks, including “Long Walk to Freedom” and “The Theory of Everything.”

DR SAMSON
DIAMOND

Associate Concert Master

In 2024, Dr. Samson Diamond celebrates thirty years as a concert violinist, with twenty years as a featured performer. He has achieved acclaim as a soloist, concertmaster, chamber musician, educator, and curator. With over ten years in administration, he has held roles in festival curation and artistic advisory. From 2013 to 2023, he led the Odeion String Quartet, touring internationally. Currently, he manages education programmes for the Johannesburg Philharmonic Orchestra and serves as an associate concertmaster for the Mzansi National Philharmonic Orchestra.

Leon
Bosch

Prinicipal Double Bass

Leon Bosch, a renowned double bass player and conductor, has led ensembles worldwide, transitioning to conducting in 2015 after studying in St. Petersburg.He has performed with leading orchestras and ensembles, and was for twenty years principal double bass of The Academy of St Martin in the Fields. A South African native, Bosch studied at the Royal Northern College of Music. He now teaches at Trinity Laban Conservatoire and conducts masterclasses globally. Bosch has also contributed to BBC Radio and writes for various music magazines.

Leon Bosch

Robert
Pickup

Associate Principal Clarinet

Robert Pickup studied clarinet and musicology in South Africa, following which he earned his soloist diploma with Thomas Friedli in Geneva. He has served as principal and assistant principal clarinetist with numerous orchestras, including the Brabants Orkest and the National Symphony Orchestra of the SABC. Currently, he is solo clarinetist with the Orchestra of the Zurich Opera and the period instrument ensemble Orchestra La Scintilla. He is professor of clarinet at the University of Lucerne.

Maria
Du Toit

Associate Principal Clarinet

Former principal clarinet of the Cape Town Philharmonic Orchestra, Maria du Toit is a South African/Dutch clarinettist who is internationally in demand as soloist and chamber musician. She has performed as soloist with various orchestras across the globe, and won numerous competitions – among which, first prize in the international clarinet competition Jeunesses Musicales in Bucharest. Recent and upcoming engagements include tours to China, Indonesia, Spain, Ireland, Hungary, South Africa and the USA.

Louise
Lansdown

Principal Viola

Louise Lansdown is a violist, educator, and philanthropist, serving as Assistant Head of Strings at the Royal Northern College of Music and Professor of Viola at the Yehudi Menuhin School. She directs both the Lionel Tertis Competition and the Cecil Aronowitz International Viola Competition, which she also founded. Along with her students, she launched the ARCO distance learning project, based in South Africa and India. Louise will shortly launch her debut solo album “Mzansi Viola”, as well as a documentary: “Cinderella No More: The English Viola Legacy” (with Timothy Ridout). She is currently writing a book, “Hindemith and the Viola”, soon to be published by Schott.

Louise Lansdown

Dingaan
Chabalala

Trumpeter

Dingaan Chabalala, a renowned South African trumpeter, studied under top maestros and performed with major orchestras like the Mahler Chamber and Bergen Philharmonic. He has played in prestigious venues including the Royal Concertgebouw and Elbphilharmonie. On returning to South Africa, he co-founded the first regional orchestra in the Northern Cape and regularly performs with the Mzansi, Johannesburg, and KwaZulu-Natal Philharmonic Orchestras, significantly contributing to the local classical music scene.