The Nelson Mandela University Symphony Orchestra is an orchestra based in Port Elizabeth at the Nelson Mandela University; and is one of 3 orchestras in the city.
The Nelson Mandela Univeristy Symphony Orchestra was first founded in the early 1980’s and was one of the leading ensembles at the institution. It was also one of the top university orchestra in the country with national and international tours and even be placed second at an international competition under the direction of Prof Jack de Wet. The orchestra continued to grow and performed some of the biggest works in the repertoire including the requiems by Mozart and Faure. The baton was passed on to Prof Erik Albertyn, Dr Peter Louis van Dijk and Colin Campbell.
In 2015, it saw the rebirth of the symphony orchestra, after 10 years of silence, with the support of current HOD of music, Prof Erik Albertyn but under the direction and guidance of final MMus conducting student, Grant Snyman. Grant was placed in the top 8 at the National Len van Zyl Conducting competition (2016).
Today, it is one of 3 orchestras in the city of Port Elizabeth and one of six university orchestras in the country. The orchestra is managed by students and is for the benefit of music students and students from all faculties from the Nelson Mandela University.
The orchestra recently looked back at some of the wonderful and sold out concerts of 2016: a collaboration concert with the Free State Youth Orchestra, the community collaboration concert with the New Apostolic Church and Port Elizabeth Orchestra which saw 900 audience members and our wonderful world premiere “His Day is Done” composed and conducted by Ed Sarath (USA).
In 2017, saw yet another exciting world premiere of Daniel Leo Simpson's (USA) Tuba Concerto No.1 in Bb Major which was performed by Tiago Vital.
The university orchestra strives for excellence and to promote classical orchestral music to the wider Port Elizabeth community – aiming to build a new and dynamic concert going generation in our city for the many years to come. It also strives to be a bridging orchestra for the city, for young students whom come out of schooling programmes for them to develop their orchestral skills and knowledge before one day auditioning for the ECPO or any other professional orchestra. To develop our young musicians through exciting concerts, collaborations and outreach concerts and to improve the standard of music in Port Elizabeth as whole.
