South African conductor Brandon Phillips made his debut with South Africa’s flagship orchestra, the Mzansi National Philharmonic Orchestra, at the Linder Auditorium on Friday evening (24 November) at the opening concert of the International Society for Contemporary Music’s 2023 World New Music Days Festival in Johannesburg, South Africa.
“Presenting contemporary music, including works by South African composers, is an immensely important part of showcasing and preserving the rich repository of music in the modern day, and I can’t think of a better occasion to make my debut with Mzansi National Philharmonic Orchestra, and I look forward to more concerts on their podium!” said Brandon Phillips.
The 2023 ISCM World New Music Days (WNMD) festival is hosted in South Africa by NewMusicSA, marking the 100th-anniversary edition of this historic celebration of music and creativity. The 10-day extravaganza will bring together over 100 composers from 50 countries, making it a global hub for new ideas, collaborations, and artistic fusions. With more than 70 groundbreaking new music compositions performed by an impressive line-up of over 200 musicians across 25+ events, WNMD 2023 will be the most significant assembly of contemporary music ever witnessed on the African continent.
Bongani Tembe, Mzansi Philharmonic Chief Executive and Artistic Director, said: “We are proud to include Brandon Phillips amongst our roster of esteemed guest conductors of the Mzansi Philharmonic. His passion for music excellence across a variety of genres, and his commitment to developing young South African musicians, fits well with our esprit de corps.”
Now full time at the University of Cape Town’s South African College of Music, Phillips is no stranger to the South African stage, having made regular guest appearances with the KZN Philharmonic, Johannesburg Philharmonic and Johannesburg Festival Orchestras in addition to his work with the Cape Town Philharmonic.
Phillips began his career in the New Apostolic Church. He studied bassoon and viola at the University of Cape Town, receiving his Diploma for Orchestral Studies and BMus Hons in solo bassoon in 2005. He was the winner of the inaugural Len van Zyl Conductor’s Competition in 2010 (now the SA Conductors’ Competition) and is regularly invited to be an adjudicator and conductor for various competitions such as the ATKV, Artscape National Youth, UNISA Winds and the Schock Singing competitions.
