Jazz lovers are in for a treat this Saturday (17 May), when the Endler Concert Series presents the SU Jazz Division Showcase, featuring Hilton Schilder, Bheki Khoza, the Stellenbosch University (SU) Jazz Band and the Maties Jazz Society.
The concert marks the official launch of the SU Jazz Division’s new Artist-in-Residence Programme, which champions cultural inclusion and musical diversity, allowing students to study jazz, African music and Western classical traditions in equal measure.
The programme was initiated through a partnership between Dr Ncebakazi Mnukwana, lecturer in the SU Division of Music Education and course convenor of African Music, and Prof Sibusiso Moyo, vice-dean of Research, Innovation and Postgraduate Studies in the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. Their collaboration aims to re-centre South African musical heritage within a forward-looking academic context.
The first artist to be welcomed to the programme is the legendary guitarist and composer Bheki Khoza, whose afro-jazz and Maskandi-rooted style has earned him international acclaim. With a career that spans collaborations with icons such as Miriam Makeba, Abdullah Ibrahim and Winston “Mankunku” Ngozi, he brings a wealth of experience and artistic insight to Stellenbosch.
He will appear alongside Cape jazz pioneer Schilder, performing with the SU Jazz Band and Maties Jazz Society, under the baton of Pascal Haas, and curated by Ramon Alexander.
The concert is both a celebration of legacy and an exciting glimpse into the future of jazz education at the SU Konservatorium.
The programme will also feature vocals, violin and flute by students of the SU Music Department, building bridges between classical western music and jazz.
The SU Jazz Division Showcase is also a celebration of Khoza and Schilder’s musical legacy, bringing new dimensions to their iconic sounds.
• The concert starts at the Endler Hall at 16:00. Tickets, at R165 (standard), R125 (pensioners) and R65 (students), can be booked online through Webtickets.
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