Northern suburbs' young musicians gear up for prestigious music competition

Thirteen young musicians from the northern suburbs will be among those participating in the Hubert van der Spuy National Music Competition from Saturday, September 30, to Thursday, October 4.

This instrumental competition is organised and presented by the Tygerberg branch of the South African Society of Music Teachers (SASMT). This year’s contest will take place at Stellenbosch University’s department of music.

It has four categories: Piano, strings, woodwind, brass, and also other instruments including classical guitar, recorder, and percussion.

This competition offers children aged 13 and under the chance to showcase their instrumental skills and compete against peers from across the country - and occasionally, from other parts of the continent.

As part of the auditions, the participants had to record themselves in a single, uninterrupted video of less than 10 minutes without pausing the camera,  containing at least two contrasting styles of music. They were not allowed to edit the audition tape in any way. 

The closing date for submissions was Friday, May 9.

The competition is inspired by Professor Hubert van der Spuy, a respected music educator and former chairperson of the SASMT Tygerberg Branch. It was first held in 1989.

The young musicians from northern suburbs who will be participating in this year’s contest come from areas including Kuils River, Bellville, and Durbanville.

This year’s competition features a total of 44 musicians from KwaZulu-Natal, Gauteng, Namibia, the Eastern Cape, and the Western Cape.

Hilda Boonzaaier is the current chairperson of the SASMT Tygerberg branch.

“If the quality of the auditions is a prediction of what we are about to experience at the 36th Hubert van der Spuy National Music Competition, we are in for a big treat. Congratulations to our successful candidates. We exhort you to work hard for this very special event,” she said.

Professor Mario Nell, representative of Stellenbosch University’s music department said they are committed to the development of young talent and musical excellence.

Professor Van der Spuy was honoured with the Lifetime Achievement award at the 13th KykNET Fiëstas in March 2023. He has many other awards as well.