Central SA
Six musicians to compete for R100,000 HumanNaudé scholarship at UFS─── REFILWE BEKANE 12:00 Tue, 11 Nov 2025
The sixth HumanNaudé Music Scholarship Competition is scheduled to take place in two weeks at the Odeion School of Music of the University of the Free State (UFS) in Bloemfontein.
The event is open to young classical singers and instrumentalists. It carries a single price of R100,000.
Odeion senior innovation and development officer Marius Coetzee highlighted the importance of this level of funding. “I think it’s essential because it’s always about finances.”
Top musicians often go to study abroad after their undergraduate degrees. Being a classical musician also involves significant costs for instruments, lessons, and masterclasses, he added.
Dané van Graan (piano) from the University of Cape Town. Photo: HumanNaudé Music Scholarship Competition
The six finalists for this year represent several institutions:
- Carmen Traut (voice) from the University of Cape Town;
- Dané van Graan (piano) from the University of Cape Town;
- Xoliswa Memane (voice) from UFS Odeion School of Music;
- Musa Makgato (clarinet) from Rhodes University;
- Jessica Helena Pereira (piano) from the University of Pretoria School of the Arts; and
- Lutholwethu Kom (voice) from the North-West University School of Music.
Xoliswa Memane (voice) from the UFS Odeion School of Music. Photo: Odeion School of Music, UFS
Previous recipients, including pianists Isaac van der Merwe and Gerhard Joubert, and violinist Pieter Joubert, have used the funds for study abroad and extended audition periods, a purpose which Coetzee confirmed is designed to enable the next step in a musician’s development.
“The scholarship was created by a trust fund left by pianist Japie Human and his partner, Willem Naudé. Human was a former piano lecturer at the Odeion School of Music. They left funds in the trust to ensure the competition’s continuation and established the rules that govern it. The convener of the competition is (celebrated pianist) Charl du Plessis,” said Coetzee.
The final concert is scheduled for Tuesday, 25 November, at the Odeion. Admission is free of charge. The judges this year are Esthea Kruger, Johan Cromhout, and Charl du Plessis. Coetzee added the host institution wishes for the competition to grow.
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