WeeklySA_AdminENERGY: Opera soloists, pianist Christopher Duigan and the UJ Choir will share the stage at a fundraising concert to help financially struggling art, design and architecture students continue their studies…
By WSAM Reporter
An evening of music at the University of Johannesburg will help raise funds for academically deserving students whose financial circumstances threaten their ability to continue studying.
The annual Faculty of Art, Design and Architecture (FADA) Dean’s Concert takes place on Saturday, November 7, at the UJ Arts Centre’s Keorapetse William Kgositsile Theatre on the Auckland Park Kingsway Campus.
Presented by UJ Arts & Culture, the concert supports the bursary fund established by FADA Executive Dean Professor Federico Freschi. First staged in 2016, the event brings performers, audiences, alumni and donors together in support of creative education.
Freschi, an accomplished baritone, will perform alongside acclaimed pianist Christopher Duigan and South African-born soprano Angela Gilbert.
The UJ Choir, directed by Sizwe Mondlane, completes a programme combining solo performances, musical collaborations and choral singing.
For Freschi, the fundraising effort is about helping students develop talents that have a role beyond the university.
“Our students are the future artists, designers and architects who will shape how we live, think and see the world,” he said.
He said the changing world of work would demand greater creativity, including the ability to imagine new possibilities and respond to complex challenges.
“Supporting creative education is an investment in that future. I invite our alumni, friends and business partners to join us for an evening of wonderful music and help these young people realise their potential.”
Gilbert brings extensive international experience to the concert. An alumna of the Metropolitan Opera’s Lindemann Young Artist Development Program, she has performed with the Metropolitan Opera, San Diego Opera and Cape Town Opera.
Her signature roles include the title role in Donizetti’s Lucia di Lammermoor. She also represented South Africa at the BBC Cardiff Singer of the World Competition in 2003.
Duigan has a longstanding association with the Dean’s Concert. He, Freschi and Gilbert have studied and worked together over many years, adding a shared musical history to an event marking a decade of student support.
“Audiences can look forward to the intimacy of a solo voice, the dialogue between singer and pianist, and the thrilling sound of a choir,” Duigan said.
“Bringing Angela, Federico and the UJ Choir together gives us wonderful scope for contrast and collaboration. We want audiences to experience the warmth, energy and emotion that make live music so rewarding.”
Businesses, donors, alumni and friends of the university are invited to attend and contribute to the bursary fund.
According to the university, qualifying donations are eligible for a tax benefit.
Arrival is from 17:30, with the concert beginning at 18:00. Tickets are available through the university’s booking link.
