University News Last updated 24 July 2020
Three young South African musicians have gained scholarships to further their studies in the UK, following long-term and long-distance learning with music experts from Royal Birmingham Conservatoire.
17-year-old cellist Sifiso Mbatha, 18-year-old cellist Kamogelo Maraba and 16-year-old violinist Jordan Brooks have gained places at The Purcell School, Royal Birmingham Conservatoire and Chetham’s School for Music respectively.
Sifiso and Kamogelo have gained ongoing tuition and opportunities through the Conservatoire’s ARCO Project, an innovative distance-learning project between the Conservatoire and the Morris Isaacson Centre for Music (MICM) in Soweto, South Africa.
The ARCO students at MICM receive weekly one-to-one instrumental lessons, mentoring and coaching, delivered by a group of current students and recent graduates from the Conservatoire via the video conferencing system, Zoom.
Sifiso Mbatha, from Dobsonville, Soweto, was one of the inaugural group of students on the ARCO Project in 2015 and has now been awarded a scholarship for sixth form study at The Purcell School for Young Musicians in Hertfordshire, where he will be learning cello with Visiting Tutor in cello Ben Davies.
Kamogelo Maraba, from Diepkloof, Soweto, attended the National School of the Arts from 2015, achieving a distinction in music. He has concurrently been a student on the ARCO Project, a member of the Rand Symphony Orchestra and the Johannesburg Youth Orchestra. Kamo has been awarded a scholarship to study for a BMus (Hons) at Royal Birmingham Conservatoire, and will be learning the cello with Ben Davies.
Kamo said: “Music means a lot to me. It creates meaning in my life. I’m looking forward to growing as a musician and a human being, and to creating friendships that will hopefully last a lifetime.”
Jordan Brooks, from Cape Town, started violin lessons aged seven, performed as soloist with the Cape Town Symphony Orchestra, and won the South African National Youth Music Competition in 2019. He is Concertmaster of the Cape Town Philharmonic Youth Orchestra and the Beau Soleil Senior String Ensemble. Jordan has recently begun online lessons with ARCO to support his music education in Cape Town, and has now been awarded a scholarship to study at Chetham’s School of Music in Manchester, where he will be studying with fellow South African Jan Repko, a committed ARCO teacher and Visiting Tutor at Royal Birmingham Conservatoire and Chetham’s School of Music.
Jordan said: “I’m very excited to be stepping into a new environment and getting to know more people. I’m also looking forward to having the opportunity to receive lessons with the amazing Jan Repko!”
ARCO Project recently announced a partnership with the Quartet of Peace Trust and is looking forward to welcoming these three musicians to the UK.
Visiting Tutor in violin at RBC and Chetham’s School of Music Jan Repko said: “In collaboration with ARCO it has been my pleasure to teach the very talented young violinist, Jordan Brooks, online for the past couple of months. ARCO has been instrumental in guiding talented young South Africans like Jordan in their development and helping them to reach their full potential.”
The ARCO Project will continue to support the three musicians as they embark on their musical journeys in the UK, including fundraising for airfares, living expenses and outstanding tuition fees.
Donations to support these students can be made on the ARCO Justgiving page or contact alistair.rutherford@bcu.ac.uk or louise.lansdown@bcu.ac.uk