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<\/p>\nBefore taking the sound, spirit and artistry of South Africa to one of the world\u2019s most prestigious choral stages, the University of Johannesburg (UJ) Choir offers audiences an opportunity to witness the magic right on home ground.<\/p>\n
The UJ Choir Farewell Concert will take place on Saturday, 15 August 2026 at 3pm at the UJ Arts Centre\u2019s Keorapetse William Kgositsile Theatre, located on the University\u2019s Auckland Park Kingsway Campus in Auckland Park, and will feature the choir\u2019s programme that will be presented on the international stage.<\/p>\n
The concert marks an important moment in the choir\u2019s journey as it prepares to represent South Africa and the African continent at the World Symposium on Choral Music 2026 in Macau, China.<\/p>\n
Selected from hundreds of choirs from around the world, the UJ Choir is one of only 13 ensembles invited to perform at the symposium and the only choir representing the African continent. In a further honour, the choir has been invited to officially open the symposium programme, a distinction reserved for leading choral ensembles from across the globe.<\/p>\n
This historic invitation is more than an opportunity to perform. It places UJ Choir at the centre of a global exchange between conductors, composers, scholars, educators and some of the world\u2019s most respected choral ensembles.<\/p>\n
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Through its performance, the choir will share the richness of African choral music, the creativity of South African composers and the artistic excellence that exists on our diverse continent.<\/p>\n
The symposium\u2019s 2026 theme, Reimagining the Future, resonates strongly with the University of Johannesburg\u2019s commitment to innovation, creativity, African excellence and the role of the arts in shaping a more connected future.<\/p>\n
For Johannesburg audiences, the Farewell Concert offers the first opportunity to experience the complete programme that the choir will present in Macau. Rooted firmly in UJ Choir\u2019s distinctive identity, the programme features music composed and arranged predominantly by South African musicians.<\/p>\n
The repertoire celebrates the languages, stories, rhythms and lived experiences that shape South Africa\u2019s musical heritage, while presenting a bold and contemporary expression of African choral music.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis concert is for everyone that has supported, encouraged and carried us to this point,\u201d said Sizwe Mondlane, Senior Choirmaster of UJ Choir. \u201cBefore we take South African choral music to Macau, we want to share this programme with them. We want people to experience it and then send it off into the world with the utmost confidence of authentic representation.\u201d<\/p>\n
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UJ Arts & Culture invites audiences, alumni, friends of the choir and members of Johannesburg\u2019s wider choral community to be part of this significant send-off.<\/p>\n
Join UJ Choir for an afternoon of powerful music, South African storytelling and celebration as the ensemble prepares to carry the voices of home onto the world stage.<\/p>\n