It was very special to attend the University of Michigan Symphony Orchestra’s concert at Cape Town City Hall, Tuesday, May 27, 2025.This was the wrap up concerts of the tour which has taken the renowned student orchestra around South Africa. The tour was facilitated by Classical Movements, the classical music producers – bravo for this tour.
Daniel Washington (bass-baritone, USA), Karen Slack (soprano, USA) and Goitsemang Lehobye (soprano, SA) were the soloists and treated us to solo and ensemble singing. We were on a musical high after this concert which ended with a sensational rendering of Miriam Makeba’s Pata (aka the click song), which had the audience on its feet, dancing along. As we say in South Africa, this was full-on Gees. The direct translation from Afrikaans is “spirit” but it means a lot more than that. It is emblematic of great vibes, positivity, and community. We experienced that on a cold winter’s night in Cape Town. Watch a snippet of Pata-Pata here: https://vm.tiktok.com/ZMSMJEJSX/ and https://www.facebook.com/share/r/16dfrJxysY/
The young musicians of the orchestra (averaging an age of 18-24) played with an intensity, energy and artistry which was breath taking. We were in awe from their playing and then at the end, they put their instruments down and went into choir mode. How amazing is that. The conductor of University of Michigan Symphony Orchestra, Kenneth Kiesler, has been its music director and conductor, since 1995 and his gees was evidenced in the concert. He revved up the audience, after each segment of the audience and got us involved. The USO is considered one of the world’s finest student orchestras and one can see why after attending this concert. It is not only the care they take in their playing but also very much about the performance, with its invitation for the audience to be immersed in the music and the invitation to applaud and whoop for delight. This is classical music with very cool hipster young people and a conductor who is a delight.
The programme for the Cape Town City Hall concert was an awesome mix of American popular classics and African repertoire. It included Gershwin, traditional African and South African songbook. I was intrigued by the opening number, Leonard Bernstein’s Symphonic Suite from On the Waterfront (1955) – Bernstein’s only film score, composed for the film, On the Waterfront.
Kiesler told the audience that this was the first time that the University of Michigan Symphony Orchestra has toured to Africa. This was an exhilarating joyous concert and we hope that they will come back soon.
✳ Featured image: Daniel Washington (bass-baritone, USA), Karen Slack (soprano, USA) and Goitsemang Lehobye (soprano, SA) were the soloists for the Cape Town City Hall concert by the University of Michigan Symphony Orchestra, May 27, 2025. Pic: supplied.
