The Mzansi Chamber Music Collective Concerts in Joburg

The Mzansi Chamber Music Collective hosts a series of monthly live classical music concerts in and around the city. Their mission is to celebrate chamber music in all its depth and beauty while giving listeners an intimate experience in carefully chosen settings. Concerts take place in stunning venues such as the historic Northwards House in Parktown or the rustic Shed and Silo Country Restaurant in Benoni.

Audiences are treated to a range of works—from Bach to Beethoven, Ravel to Rachmaninoff, Smetana to Schubert. Each concert blends familiar favourites with lesser-known pieces that deserve to be heard.

It’s a chance to hear South Africa’s finest musicians, joined by select international guests, in an atmosphere that feels both personal and profound.

Buskaid Soweto String Ensemble

Buskaid is a charitable music organisation based in Diepkloof, Soweto, working to provide all children with the opportunity to channel their creative energies and enhance their academic abilities through the learning and playing of classical music.

The ensemble consists of talented young musicians, all Buskaid-trained, who perform a variety of Western classical, classic pop, Afro-pop, traditional township ‘vibe’, and, most recently, South Africa’s own Amapiano.

Ten key members of the renowned Buskaid Soweto String Ensemble perform an eclectic choice of repertoire, ranging from Rameau, Purcell, Brahms and Sibelius to their unique take on township Kwela, Afro-pop and Afro-jazz.

Cost: R275pp for adults, R225pp for pensioners and students, book via Quicket

When: Sunday, 2 August from 3pm to 5pm
Where: St Stithians College Chapel – Use Bishop Malinga Gate at 40 Peter Place, Lyme Park, Sandton

Odeion String Quartet

The Odeion String Quartet was established at the University of the Free State (UFS) in 1991 as a permanent, full-time, resident string quartet. At present, it is the only resident string quartet at a South African university.

The all-female quartet has performed to critical acclaim and will perform music by Beethoven, Feder and Päge.

Beethoven’s 2nd quartet of the “Razumovsky” set is named after the Russian Count of the same name and has set a new standard for the future of string quartet writing.

Arthur Feder is an eminent, young South African composer, who was recently commissioned by the Odeion String Quartet (OSQ) to write his 3rd string quartet, “The Tides Of…”; to be performed on the Quartet of Peace Instruments, of which the OSQ are custodians. This brilliant, evocative new work represents and tells the story of the four Nobel Peace Prize Laureates of South Africa. The Quartet of Peace instruments, each of which represents one of these four important South African figures.

The programme also includes the world premiére of a work by Motshane Pege, especially commissioned for the Odeion String Quartet by the Mzansi Chamber Music Collective.

Cost: R275pp | R225pp for pensioners and students, book via Quicket

When: Sunday, 16 August from 3pm to 5pm
Where: Northwards House, 21 Rockridge Rd, Parktown, Johannesburg

Miro Chakaryan and Elna van der Merwe

Celebrated South African-based Bulgarian violist and concertmaster of the Johannesburg Philharmonic Orchestra Miro Charkaryan, and celebrated pianist Elna van der Merwe are two of South Africa’s most distinguished classical musicians.

Both bring unparalleled artistry, technicality, and masterful interpretations to the stage, and in this concert, they present a recital of music for violin and piano.

Cost: R275pp | R225pp for pensioners and students, book via Quicket

When: Sunday, 6 September from 3pm to 5pm
Where: The Shed and Silo Country Restaurant, 77 Thomas Rd, Norton’s Home Estates, Benoni

Voices of Memory – Music for Mezzo-Soprano, Cello, and Piano

Lithuanian-born music teacher and mezzo-soprano Aukse Trinkunas is a member of the Chamber Choir of the Lithuanian Academy of Music and the vocal ensemble Museum Musicum. She has performed in Russia, Panama, Cuba, Italy, Poland and Finland and in various concerts and music productions across South Africa.

Cellist Gerrit Koorsen is a musician of extraordinary versatility and an accomplished scientist, holding a PhD in Biochemistry from the University of Cambridge as a recipient of a Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation scholarship. He currently serves as deputy head of the Department of Biochemistry at the University of Johannesburg.

Pianist Paul Ferreira holds a BMus (Hons) degree from the University of the Free State and is an accomplished répétiteur, vocal coach, and rehearsal pianist. He has contributed his talents to productions by PACOFS, UFS, Opera Africa, Gauteng Opera, and Cape Town Opera. Paul has also served as a musical director for acclaimed productions such as Grease, Cinderella, and Guys and Dolls.

Concertgoers can enjoy this rare trio as they explore the lush colours of the mezzo-soprano voice, the expressive depth of the cello, and the versatility of the piano in a dialogue across cultures and generations. Featuring works by the Catalan composer X. Montsalvatge, South African composer H. Hofmeyr, J.Brahms, and G.Fauré, the concert highlights themes of longing, nostalgia, and identity, while the cello repertoire provides resonant interludes that echo and expand upon these ideas.

Cost: R275pp | R225pp for pensioners and students, book via Quicket

When: Sunday, 13 September from 3pm to 5pm
Where: St Stithians College Chapel – Use Bishop Malinga Gate at 40 Peter Place, Lyme Park, Sandton

Peter Martens and Megan-Geoffrey Prins

Cellist Peter Martens and pianist Megan-Geoffrey Prins are one of South Africa’s most esteemed ensembles.

Peter Martens holds a Master’s Degree from the University of Cape Town (A Practical Guide to the performance of the six Bach cello suites on a modern instrument) and a PhD from Stellenbosch University (Contemporary performance of Beethoven’s cello sonatas with special reference to Carl Czerny) and is currently principal cellist with the Cape Town Philharmonic Orchestra and director of the Stellenbosch International Chamber Music Festival. He also lectures in cello performance at Stellenbosch University and teaches a class of talented cellists in Maputo, Mozambique.

Megan-Geoffrey Prins holds a Doctor of Music degree from North-West University and is currently a full-time piano lecturer at the University of Pretoria School of the Arts, where he teaches piano, didactics, and chamber music. He is regularly invited to give masterclasses at institutions and festivals, including the Stellenbosch International Chamber Music Festival and the Stellenbosch International Piano Symposium.

The duo perform music by South African composers Hendrik Hofmeyr and Thomas Rajna and the incomparable sonata for cello and piano by Sergei achmanino.

Cost: R275pp | R225pp for pensioners and students, book via Quicket

When: Sunday, 27 September from 3pm to 5pm
Where: Northwards House, 21 Rockridge Rd, Parktown, Johannesburg