Nomazulu Moyo
KRUGER NATIONAL PARK, South Africa – The Johannesburg Philanthropic Orchestra at the weekend brought the joy of classical music to children from the Mdluli community when it performed at the Mdluli Safari Lodge, within the Kruger National Park.
Director Chris Schalkwyk described the concert as “a very joyous occasion,” emphasising the orchestra’s commitment to community outreach.
“Today was all about reaching out to our local schools,” said Schalkwyk. “We introduced the young kids to a full monacle orchestra, with students from three primary schools and a secondary school, one from each village of the Mdluli Community.”
The event was aimed to exposing the students to various musical instruments and inspire them with the possibilities of music education.
“We want to show the community that we care and help them grow and be educated,” Schalkwyk added.
The children responded with overwhelming positivity, with many dancing and singing along.
“It was an absolutely special occasion,” Schalkwyk noted, expressing hope that some students would take up playing instruments in the future.
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The outreach concert also served as a platform for potential sponsorship opportunities.
“I’ve just spoken to Sanparks’ representatives who were present,” Schalkwyk said, adding that he was hopeful for support to expand the programme to more schools in the area.
The event was the third of its kind, with previous occasions focusing on a single school.
“We decided to expand. We have to bring one school from each village every time so that we can have a bigger impact,” Schalkwyk said.
He said he was looking forward to more community members experiencing the Philanthropic Orchestra’s performances.
