To unite the power of classical, indigenous and jazz and thus offer a key to positive social development and to deep understanding between people across all borders
“Sustainable development and the flourishing of culture are interdependent” (UNESCO)
Our vision also encompasses:
Consolidating democracy and promoting human rights
Poverty reduction in the long-term
MIAGI - ' MUSIC IS A GREAT INVESTMENT', South African section 21 - not-for-profit company - addresses the issue of ethnic relations through its all-inclusive programming. By offering a platform for intercultural creative dialogue, MIAGI brings young people, artists and audiences together that would otherwise never meet.
MIAGI promotes music education for children and youth as an effective tool for social upliftment
Studies world-wide show that music education and participation in musical activities are the right tools to awaken young people’s creative vocation, promote social development and community cohesion, develop life skills and enhance career opportunities.
The South African Department of Arts and Culture in Collaboration with MIAGI, 2001 to 2011 – download Highlights pdf here
Since 2001, MIAGI has hosted an international, intercultural festival ‘uniting the power of classical indigenous and jazz’ in collaborations with dazzling soloists and ensembles from South Africa and abroad. Among them, Maxim Vengerov, Thikundwi kha Sialala, Bruce Cassidy, Fazil Say, Miriam Makeba, the MIAGI Youth Orchestra & Youth BigBand, Sibongile Khumalo, Soweto String Quartet, Louis Moholo, Irene Schweizer, Madosini, the Ngqoko Women, Sergei Nakariakov, Ladysmith Black Mambazo and the English Chamber Orchestra to mention just a few.
ABOUT THE SIMPHIWE DANA SYMPHONY EXPERIENCE - AN UP-COMING MIAGI PRODUCTION
Simphiwe in her own words:
"South Africa has gone through a lot of changes coloured with different emotions and experiences in the past three decades. It has been a period of going through different phases of awareness, some of them sometimes overlapping. The music industry as well has undergone similar transitions. From bubblegum in the 80's to kwaito of the 90's and now the difficult transition to a more sophisticated sound, what some choose to call afrojazz or afrosoul. This is not to say jazz did not exist in the 80's and 90's, but never has it been taken up by the young people like it has been in this decade. We have seen an explosion of the sound which has brought a lot of attention from the international world. The distinct African identity and sophistication with which these young people have carried this legacy, hopefully makes the mothers and fathers of South African jazz proud. There came Thandiswa, Zamajobe, Siphokazi, I, and a new young lady called Camagwini, to mention some.
I strongly believe that this is the kind of music that authenticates us, because pop exists in all different communities of the world…but it is usually this more sophisticated music that informs it, maps out and defines the sounds of the future also.
We have entered an age where we personally engage our environment. A meditative state, if you will allow me. We now understand that we are the change that must happen in our existence and for our existence to thrive. This requires an internal dialogue that then translates to visible individual attempts to shape our immediate future environment I believe that no one should underestimate the power of the arts when it comes to this regard. I wrote my music with this vision in mind, it has taken time to grow it, like any good brew.
Yours in the art of music, Simphiwe Dana".
MIAGI has for the past ten years wowed fans across South Africa with its exciting Festival and events, celebrating the unity in diversity of our musical heritage by fusing distinctly African with Western classical sounds.
By offering an international platform for intercultural creative dialogue, MIAGI has brought people together that would otherwise never meet.
Venda Ngoma Drummers and Dancers and the Cape Philharmonic Orchestra
Thikundwi kha Sialala – Venda Ngoma Drummers and Dancers met the musicians and the audience of the Cape Philharmonic Orchestra.
Click here to watch and listen to excerpts from this event on Youtube!
MIAGI AND MIRIAM MAKEBA
In 2004 and 2005, MIAGI had the honour and joy of working with Mama Africa, and to experience her exemplary artistry, paired with an immaculate professionalism and righteousness - the three corner stones that make a truly great artist and human.
Realising the MIAGI idea would not have been possible without generous and compassionate support from our international star-guests - Thank you!
28 July: Young Euro Classic Festival, Concert by the New Skool Orchestra @ MIAGI
More information to follow and details about other performances in Austria and Germany TBC
TOUR PROGRAMME
Christian Muthspiel - Out of South Africa, Symphonic Poem on Themes by Tshepo Tsotetsi (2011/2012) (Commissioned by MIAGI; premiere performance)
Antonin Dvořák - Romance in F minor for Violin and Orchestra, Op.11
Leonard Bernstein - On the Waterfront, Symphonic Suite
Claude Debussy - Prélude à l’après-midi d’un faune
George Gershwin - An American in Paris
MYO & MYBB - grew out of the need of a formation for youth studying within the many developmental music education initiatives that MIAGI has partnered with and supported since 2001.
The members are guided by some of the very best tutors and conductors and come from all ethnic and social backgrounds. There is no cost to individual participants and MIAGI arranges orchestra courses and international tours as well as other performance opportunities for the young musicians.
Dear MYO & MYBB Parents/Guardians - Welcome to join the MIAGI Parents/Guardian Association!
Contact Dawn de Souza for more information: parents@miagi.co.za/tel.: 082 710 4497/011 450 4811.
You can listen to the MIAGI Youth Orchestra at the Young Euro Classic Festival playing Dvorak's Symphony #9 at the Konzerthaus in Berlin, 14 August 2009:
here a link to a short film by Deutsche Welle World about our youth orchestra tour to Germany in 2009
SOME 2009 TOUR FEED-BACK:
"When the audience begins to dance in a packed hall one thinks one MUST be dreaming!: The MiagiYouth Orchestra sings, swings, dances and brought, not only with Dvorak's famous symphony, ‘New Worlds' to the Berlin." Der Tagesspiegel
"For this event, the Berlin Konzerthaus hall seating 1 700 could easily have been sold out twice, such was the demand for tickets." Ulrich Deppendorf - director of the ARD television station.
"Congrats to all members of the Orchestra for the Berlin concert! It was one of the best performances I have ever experienced in my life! If I ever needed inspiration for my work I got it from the first to the last minute of your concert!" Blasko Smilevski - Secretary General of Jeunesses Musicales International
"How can we together increase music & arts education and opportunites in South African schools?" - 19 April 2012 - meeting at Cape Gate MIAGI Centre for Music:
Present at the meeting facilitated by Lalita Rathinasamy (GPEDU) were 22 key representatives from the Johannesburg Cluster within Gauteng Department of Education as well as representatives from the Morris Isaacson High School, First National Bank, MIAGI and a selection of musicians and music educationists active in Soweto.
Lalita Rathimansamy in her opening words: "the horrific violence that we encounter each day through media makes it all too sadly clear to us that something is terribly wrong with our society. We have to urgently take actions to heal this wrong and we believe that increased opportunites for our children to engage in arts and music education would be one such important action."
Photo below, Penny Whistle music in the court yard after the meeting - more photos from the event at our CMCM page!
4 April 2012 - Concert at the German Missions in South Africa, Lesotho and Swaziland in celebration of the recently esablished partnership between MIAGI and Young Euro Classic (YEC). The German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle has adopted the patronage to the MIAGI/YEC initiative. Read more here
Photo, left to right: great 'jazzing' at the German Missions, with MIAGI Youth Orchestra members Monique van Willingh (flute), Thembinkosi Mavimbela (double bass) and Amy Crankshaw (piano).
TED Worldwide Auditions - Johannesburg - at the Cape Gate MIAGI Centre for Music in Soweto - 1349 Mphuthi Street, Jabavu
May 3, 2:00pm to May 4, 2012 at 11:00pm
This is a rare opportunity to showcase Africa's ingenuity. Be part of it. Read more about this, and about other TEDxSoweto events happening at the CMCM, at our CMCM page.
NEW SKOOL ORCHESTRA with its flamboyant Jazzy Musos & Music Mix presented a wonderful Valentines Concert supported by MIAGI in the Musaion, University of Pretoria!
THANK YOU New Skool Orchestra!
Gustavus Symphony Orchestra from Minnesota, USA performed for an enthusiastic audience at the Cape Gate MIAGI Centre for Music in Soweto - CMCM - on 29 January 2012!
An array of fascinating speakers with equally fascinating subjects at the TED x Soweto event, that took place at the Cape Gate MIAGI Centre for Music on 24 September 2011.
Click the logo above, for more information on TEDxSoweto!
Thank you to Cape Gate Holdings for the wonderful centre building and to the National Lottery Distribution Trust Fund - Principal MIAGI Funder - for funding the initial setting up and running of the centre!
LEGENDARY GILBERTO GIL AT THE MARKET THEATRE with special guest appearance by Vusi Mahlasela - the two events on 12 and 13 May 2011 were sold out and the audience seemed to be happy with their investment - read more at Events!
MIAGI Youth Orchestra and Bundesjugendorchester Germany - Rare music uncovered! Read morehere
Follow us on:
Click - direct link to a MIAGI film from 2011 - MYO playing an excerpt from Bernstein's 'On the Waterfront'!
MIAGI is proud recipient of Gauteng Province's official recognition of our contribution to education
Text (photo above): To MIAGI. In Appreciation of your Contribution to Education, Gauteng Province.
MIAGI offers South African artists opportunities to showcase their talent nationally and abroad.
MIAGI introduces South African music to audiences worldwide. We inspire dialogue among people of different cultures through an intense process of artistic exchange that includes commissioning new intercultural compositions. This underlines our objective to educate in the broadest sense of the word – MIAGI unites people through music and empowers musicians throughout South Africa.
MIAGI has commissioned and premiered 14 major new intercultural works (read more about them here)- the 2012 commission is: Christian Muthspiel - Out of South Africa, Symphonic Poem on Themes by Tshepo Tsotetsi (read more here)
We are grateful to the NLDTF's Arts and Culture Distribution Agency for allocating a multi year funding grant to MIAGI - thank you!
MIAGI has throughout the years frequently received generous funding through the NLDTF. Without your support, a large number of all the initiatives, projects and events documented on this website would not have been possible.
MIAGI MENTOR & PROTEGE PROGRAMME
This programme supports young exceptionally talented aspiring artists. It also supports and develops semi-professional formations representing a variety of musical genres, that have emerged as a result of MIAGI’s work in the past 12 years.
Through this programme, MIAGI has offered many young musicians opportunities to further their studies by offering scholarships and instruments (through the MIAGI instrument library) and by financing participation in prestigious international competitions. Many of the MIAGI proteges are now pursuing successful careers abroad, among them: Musawenkosi Ngqungwana, Angela Kerrison and Pretty Yende.
MIAGI offered Pretty Yendemany opportunities that she utilised optimally; these included the International Hans Gabor Belvedere Competition in Vienna, the International Vocal Competition 's-Hertogenbosch and the Istituto Internazionale per l'Opera e la Poesia opera competition in Verona.
Since she won all first prizes at the Belvedere Competition in Vienna in 2009, she is continuing earning accolades and prizes through her participation in prestigeous concerts and competitions all over the world. Pretty Yende is enrolled in Milano within the Teatro alla Scala Academy programme.
Musawenkosi Ngqungwana, also a succesful International Hans Gabor Belvedere competition participant, is currently Resident Artist at The Academy of Vocal Arts Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Angela Kerrison who after her successful participation in the IIOP Opera Competition in Verona was enrolled at the International Opera Studio, Operhaus Zurich, is currently pursuing a successful international career.
Pretty Yende
Musawenkosi Ngqungwana
Angela Kerrison
Member of the MIAGI Youth Orchestra and MENTOR & PROTEGE PROGRAMME,Donné de Kock won 2nd prize in the Artscape National Youth Music Competition held in Cape Town on 15 October, 2011!
Donné de Kock
Thokozani Brothers, directed by Mhlangabezi Masizana, - tour of Switzerland, May/June 2010, facilitated by MIAGI.
Thokozani Brothers
The Thokozani Brothers is community project based in a high rate crime area of Cape Town. The project, estblished in 1997, offers unemployed young men a meaningful occupation, and an alternative source of income, by giving them regular training in the traditional Isicathamiya music and dance style. The project is further committed to improving the mostly severely adverse living conditions of the youth in the area.
David Imani
The MIAGI supported singer/composer/song writer David Imanifrom the DRC has recently signed his first recording contract
In August 2008 David became more known to the South African public through his success performance during the Free To Be concert, produced by MIAGI and hosted by the SADC Secretariat, the Southern Africa Trust and MTN at the WITS University Great Hall.
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