‘Heart-warming, full-circle moment’ for former NSA students as they return for Festival of the Arts [VIDEO]

For the second annual NSA Jazz & Pop Ensembles in Concert, the National School of the Arts (NSA) has roped in two illustrious alumni to perform at the concert.

Dubbed a celebration of diverse musical genres featuring the NSA choir, jazz band, orchestra, and some soloists, this year’s concert will feature singer Zoë Modiga and acclaimed violinist Dr. Samson Diamond.

The former scholars will share the stage with NSA’s talented students as they take over the Mandela Stage at the Joburg Theatre in a concert organised by NSA’s Music Department.

The concert is part of a month-long artistic celebration in the Festival of the Arts that also includes other disciplines such as dance and drama.

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The NSA return

In her reflection on returning to NSA, the multi-award-winning Modiga described the art school as a sanctuary.

“The National School of the Arts is a sanctuary, a place where artistically gifted individuals come together to be empowered,” said Modiga.

“I am thrilled to make memories and magic with the students whose journey I intimately understand. This is my gratitude through song — a heartwarming, full-circle moment.”

Diamond is a former leader of the Free State Symphony Orchestra and Odeion String Quartet and he has performed with prestigious orchestras worldwide.

Since completing his master’s degree in music at the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester, Diamond has performed with various orchestras in England, the Netherlands, Belgium, and Germany.

“This concert is deeply meaningful for me. NSA is where my love for music was first nurtured, and I hope to inspire today’s students to embrace the boundless opportunities ahead,” Diamond said.

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Creative Confluence – Moving Stories

This weekend, the school’s dance and drama department, with another former scholar Evelyn Mabikwa, will present the Creative Confluence – Moving Stories.

This will be a showcase of physical theatre and choreography from the dance and drama departments.

Moving Stories features will premiere of Comforted Mourners, a new physical theatre work from former NSA student Mabikwa, featuring Grade 12 drama pupils. The production is funded by the National Arts Council.

On Monday, the NSA’s choir and orchestra performed their rendition of Happy Birthday to Minister of Sports, Arts and Culture Gayton McKenzie.

Last year, soon after his appointment as minister, McKenzie visited NSA after reports that the school was facing bankruptcy and is in need of funding to avoid closure.

“The minister undertook to have the ministry carry some of the school’s immediate liabilities, while the minister and the department will engage with the Department of Basic Education (DBE) to study the school’s business model and return it to independence and stability over the coming months,” read the Department of Sports, Arts and Culture’s statement at the time.

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