The Standard Bank Jazz Festival, Grahamstown 2013 incorporates a variety of disciplines into their programme. Mainstream is one of the genres that will be highlighted at the festival this year, though it is just one part of the formidable line-up which includes Blues / Funk / World Music, Afro-Jazz, Modern Jazz and Youth. Trombonist Steve Turre of the Juilliard School of Music, New York, has played and recorded with many artists around the world. These include Dexter Gordon, McCoy Tyner, Roland Kirk, Dee Dee Bridgewater, Ray Charles, Max Roach, Horace Silver, Carlos Santana, the Carnegie Hall Jazz Band, the Mingus Big Band, JJ Johnson and hundreds of others, but his most iconic performances were probably with Dizzy Gillespie’s United Nation Orchestra where he shot to prominence on both trombone and shells. He has won the Down Beat Readers’ poll five times as Best Trombonist and has enthralled audiences with his performances on different sized conch shells. Turre is an innovative musician and composer who keeps one foot in the past and one in the future. He adds zest to the Awesome Big Band, and his solo show is supported by a strong line-up compromising Marcus Wyatt (Trumpet), Bokani Dyer (piano), Hein van de Geyn (bass) and Kevin Gibson (drums). One of the sell-out trademarks of the Jazz Festival in Grahamstown is the Awesome Big Band – a unique selection of top international jazz musicians in a standard Big Band format. A band of this nature is also known as a Jazz Orchestra for the dynamic and harmonic depth and contrast that arrangers can produce from 17 instruments, reminiscent of Classical orchestras but with the added power and energy that jazz exudes. This year’s band is conducted by Canadian trumpeter Bruce Cassidy, renowned for his quirky, powerful arrangements. Regular audiences at the National Arts Festival will recognise Frank Sinatra & Friends as a sequel to the series of earlier successes that have been conceptualised and conducted by . . .

Multiple types of melody make up the Music programme at the 2013 National Arts Festival, Grahamstown. Hailing from Brakpan on the East Rand, 2013 Standard Bank Young Artist for Music, Runette Botha, made her professional début at the Royal Albert Hall, performing in a gala concert alongside José Carreras and Kiri te Kanawa. She has also performed the Erwin Stein arrangement of Mahler’s Fourth Symphony at King’s Place with Trevor Pinnock and Mahler’s Second Symphony at Cadogen Hall, and has been a member of the Staatstheater Kassel Opera Studio since 2011. She obtained a MA (Opera) at the Royal Academy of Music in London. She had previously studied at the University of Cape Town as a student of Professor Virginia Davids, after initially obtaining a BCom Accounting degree at RAU (now the University of Johannesburg). Accompanied by Audrey Hyland, she will showcase her immense vocal ability in a performance comprised of works covering 3 decades of composers: Händel, Obradors, Strauss, Berlioz, Verdi, Rakhmaninov, Bernstein, Britten and Refice. The 2013 Gala Concert celebrates the music of Verdi, (b 1813), Wagner (b 1813), Mascagni (b 1863), Britten (b 1913) and artist/musician, Gerard Sekoto (b 1913). Starting off with the Grand March from Aida and ending with Elgar’s Pomp & Circumstance March No 1, the concert will include arias by Puccini and Gounod, sung by soprano Runette Botha (2013 SBYA for Music), and Ben Schoeman (2011 SBYA) playing Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue; as well as music by Strauss and Stoltz. Conductor extraordinaire Richard Cock will take audiences on an explosive musical journey of celebration with the KZNPO and these two celebrated and talented young artists. The Odeion String Quartet was established at the University of the Free State (UFS) in 1991 as a permanent fulltime resident string quartet, and is the only resident string quartet at a South African university. Samson Diamond, 2010 Standard Bank Young Artist for Music was appointed . . .

Start spreading the news and plan for a wine-divine weekend of wine tasting, music, food and wine-education at the 3rd annual TOPS at SPAR GUGULETHU WINE FESTIVAL taking place on Friday 24th May and Saturday 25th May 2013 on the rooftop of the Gugulethu Square Mall. Festival co-founders and local entrepreneurs, Mzoli Ngcawuzele from Mzoli's place and Lungile Mbalo are promising visitors a divine wine festival whilst also celebrating Africa Day, which falls on Saturday 25th May 2013. Says Mzoli Ngcawuzele, Co-founder of the festival and owner of Mzoli’s Place in Gugulethu, “We look forward to this festival and invite all our Cape Town suburbs to come and learn something about our heritage wines and each other. This festival is beautiful, safe and an amazing experience. It is truly a mixture of colours and cultures all with something in common pulling us together. It is our love of wine and it’s amazing ability to make us see what is important in life.” TOPS at SPAR, the festival headline sponsor and Friday VIP Lounge sponsor, have a great belief in this festival and audiences. Says Mark Robinson, TOPS Group Liquor Manager, "TOPS at SPAR is proud to headline the TOPS at SPAR GUGULETHU WINE FESTIVAL. Our motivation in business is broad enough to include the aspirations and needs of others; therefore a home-grown festival like this that encourages sustainable entrepreneurship is close to home at TOPS at SPAR. We are really looking forward to meeting our customers and friends at the festival too.” Lucindi Branfield, SA Brand Manager for J.C. Le Roux says “The glamorous J.C. Le Roux lounge is the ultimate spot for fashionistas to live Le Good Life at the TOPS at SPAR GUGULETHU WINE FESTIVAL. Visitors can choose from a stunning selection of Cap Classique and sparkling wines, from everybody’s favourite, Le Domaine, to the prestige cuvée, Scintilla. There will be prizes to be won and nougat tastings on offer, as well as the opportunity to have your picture taken . . .

The Standard Bank Jazz Festival, Grahamstown 2013 incorporates a variety of disciplines into their programme. The Standard Bank National Youth Jazz Festivaltakes place alongside a diverse programme that features Mainstream, Blues / Funk / World Music, Afro-Jazz, Modern Jazz and Youth. Mainstream performances are headlined by special guest from the Juilliard School of Music in New York, renowned trombonist and shells specialist Steve Turre. He adds zest to the Awesome Big Band, and his solo show is supported by a strong line-up compromising Marcus Wyatt (Trumpet), Bokani Dyer (piano), Hein van de Geyn (bass) and Kevin Gibson (drums). One of the sell-out trademarks of the Jazz Festival in Grahamstown is the Awesome Big Band – a unique selection of top international jazz musicians in a standard Big Band format. This year’s band is conducted by Canadian trumpeter Bruce Cassidy, renowned for his quirky, powerful arrangements. Other Mainstream performances include those by Dutch performers Paulien van Schaik (voice) andHein Van de Geyn (double bass) – masters of their instruments in a context so subtle the audience is spellbound; AJ Brown - a young singer and saxophonist from Britain; a Vocal Celebration byJustin Binek (Head of Vocal Jazz Studies at The University of the Arts in Philadelphia) and Paulien van Schaik and a Frank Sinatra Tribute. African influence dominates the Blues / Funk / World Music category, with South African icon Vusi Mahlasela, commonly referred to as "The Voice" of South Africa in tribute to his passionately soaring performances. The Soweto String Quartet - fondly known as Nelson Mandela’s favourite group – makes its first appearance on the Grahamstown Jazz stages, as do established blues artistsRobin Auldand Albert Frost and young sensations MiCasa. Saxophonist Rus Nerwich’s project is simple, fun and musically rich, incorporating elements of the different styles he enjoys in a contemporary musical context with the intent and style of . . .

Budding performing artists are reminded that the deadline for the ACT | DALRO | Nedbank Performing Arts Scholarships for 2013 is fast approaching. These scholarships are awarded to enable ambitious youngsters keen to pursue a performing arts course at any accredited South African tertiary institution. Through an annual country-wide competition; participants are assessed on their acting, dancing and singing potential; with the process culminating in a final showcase before an independent panel of judges. “It is an immense privilege to be able give the greatest gift of all; education to young people. With DALRO and Nedbank’s generous support, the Arts & Culture Trust has been able to award six scholarships through an investment of more than R900 000 to date. We are extremely grateful to have partners who share our commitment to the development of artistic talent,” says Chief Executive Officer of The Arts & Culture Trust, Pieter Jacobs. Sponsored by Nedbank Arts Affinity and the Dramatic, Artistic and Literary Rights Organisation (DALRO), the ACT Scholarships Programme is aimed at learners in their final year of secondary education who wish to pursue undergraduate studies in the performing arts. Also eligible for participation are individuals who are between the ages of 18 and 25 but not considered to be professional or registered for an undergraduate course during 2013. In order to secure commitment from participants, a registration fee of R120 per entry is charged and proceeds are utilised for the implementation of the Scholarship Programme. For the auditions, participants are required to prepare a prescribed monologue, song and dance. In addition to the prescribed performances, contestants will also get an opportunity to perform their chosen monologue, song and dance. During the preliminary round, a panel of judges, comprising two ACT staff members and one DALRO representative will select six finalists after conducting auditions in six cities, as . . .

registrations to attend the “Creative Currencies” Arts and Culture Conference taking place in Johannesburg on 6, 7 and 8 August 2013. The conference will focus on commercial and trade aspects of cultural and artistic endeavour in South Africa and further afield. A limited number of sponsored registrations are available to practitioners who devote their time and effort to contributing to the vibrancy of arts and culture. Individuals who are passionate about transferring skills, knowledge and who support the development, presentation and preservation of arts, culture and heritage will be considered. Sponsored registrations carry with them the expectation that recipients will make the most of their conference attendance in terms of gathering information, learning and interchanging with other delegates with the view of making a contribution to their organisation and/or the industry in general. Recipients will be required to complete an evaluation form after the conference. This year's conference has attracted participation and support from a number of influential players in the arts and culture space, including the European Union (EU), British Council, the European Union National Institutes for Culture (EUNIC) network, Arterial Network South Africa and the Visual Arts Network of South Africa (VANSA). A partnership with the Cultural Development Trust will see the conference include an expo component for the first time. The organisers further wish to thank media partners SAfm, Mail & Guardian and Classicfeel magazine; and acknowledge the invaluable support of Santam, Business and Arts South Africa (BASA), the SAMRO Foundation and Distell Foundation. The closing date for sponsored registration submissions is Friday 31 May 2013. Successful applicants will be contacted on 20 June 2013. The Arts & Culture Trust's decision regarding selection of successful applicants is final and no further correspondence will be entered into. Registration form available . . .

Boundaries of both audiences and performers are extended with the Performance Art offering from the National Arts Festival, Grahamstown. In a performance cycle entitled Anthea Moys vs. The City of Grahamstown, the (first ever) Standard Bank Young Artist for Performance Art, Anthea Moys, will compete against the people of Grahamstown in a tournament of skill, strength, and artistry. Over a series of seven contests over seven days, outnumbered and outclassed, Moys will single-handedly do battle against Grahamstown’s best teams: its athletes, its artists and its intellects... Moys has spent three months prior to the Festival learning the skills she will need, from the teams and cultural groups against which she will be competing, and these contests will be documented in a living exhibition that will grow and evolve over the course of the Festival, as the documentation for each of the performances is installed in the Monument Gallery. Swiss artist/performer Yann Marussich is a unique character of the contemporary dance genre, and delivers performances which have a striking impact on the audience. Disturbing, provocative and authentic, his performances and choreography have been staged across Europe and other parts of the world since 1989. In Bleu Remix, Marussich, returns to the theme he explored in 2001 in the Bleu Provisoire creation, when he let a mysterious blue liquid ooze as blood would, through the layers of his skin, as though it was a final effect or a by¬product of his body’s inner processes. Each time Bleu Remix has been performed, a different musician has accompanied Marussich. The spontaneous meeting of two artists brings further elements of risk and uniqueness to the event, as the music explores the creation over and over again and depicts new ways of perception. In Bain Brisé, Marussich is covered under a mountain of glass shards in a bathtub from which he slowly emerges over the course of 90 minutes. The initial sense of danger is interfered by the . . .