Under the baton of internationally acclaimed conductor Kirill Karabits, the orchestra wove together a programme that spanned the familiar and the new. From the cinematic grandeur of Scheherazade to the jazz-infused brilliance of Rhapsody in Blue under Leo Gevisser’s capable fingertips, each piece held its own resonance. Yet, it was the world premiere of Philip Miller and Mbuso Khoza’s uShaka iLembe Suite that became the soul of the tour—a story rising from the depths of history, given new breath on the concert stage.

Commissioned for this tour, uShaka iLembe Suite began as film music, created to capture the epic tale of Shaka Zulu. But its transformation into a concert work brought new meaning. As the voices of Mbuso Khoza and Ann Masina soared over the orchestra, it was as if centuries collapsed into a single moment. Their timbres—untamed yet refined—carried the weight of a history too often left unheard in the concert hall. It was a performance that did not just tell a story; it transported audiences into it.

These soloists, accustomed to different platforms, found themselves at the heart of an orchestral world. The fusion was electric. Seeing them stand before a symphony, in spaces where their voices had seldom been heard, was witnessing something come alive—a sonic reclamation. uShaka iLembe Suite was not an adaptation; it was a homecoming.

Rhythms of Hope was about taking music where it matters most. Our visit to the Athlone School for the Blind was one of those moments where music transcended performance. Musicians of the Mzansi Philharmonic played not just for, but with, the students—an exchange of sound, touch, and rhythm that echoed long after the final note. The instruments became conduits of connection, proving that music is as much about feeling as it is about hearing.

Equally powerful was our visit to the Nelson Mandela Children’s Hospital. In the quiet corners where resilience meets fragility, music became a balm. These performances were not about applause; they were about presence. About being there, in sound and in spirit, lifting the weight of illness.

The Rhythms of Hope Tour was a promise—to continue building an orchestral landscape that mirrors the diversity and depth of South Africa. It was a pilgrimage, as poet Puno Selesho so powerfully phrased it, through 30 years of democracy, with music as our compass. We commissioned her to write and perform Ascent of Hope, a spoken word piece that resonated with the heartbeat of our nation’s journey.

“Mama, what if for a moment there was silence?”

And in that silence, a melody was born—one that wove its way from Cape Point through the peaks of the Drakensberg, echoing in the laughter of children playing kgati in Giyani before finding its place in the hushed anticipation of the concert hall, where the Mzansi National Philharmonic Orchestra were tuning their instruments, ready to carry the sound of tomorrow.

The tour’s legacy extends beyond the performances. From masterclasses at the University of Pretoria to mentorship sessions at Muzokids in Cape Town, the ripple effect continues. In partnership with French luthier Antoine Gourdon, we crafted a violin that will rest in the hands of a young musician, symbolising the orchestra’s unwavering commitment to nurturing the next generation.