A stellar line-up of soloists will bring additional shine to the University of Michigan Symphony Orchestra, when they visit South Africa in May 2025.
March 2025 – Under the auspices of the School of Music, Theatre & Dance, The UFO serves as a training ground for gifted young musicians, many of whom go on to significant careers in major symphony orchestras, opera houses, and chamber music ensembles and as leading educators.
Under the baton of Kenneth Kiesler, who has been at the helm of The University of Michigan Symphony Orchestra (USO) as its music director and conductor, since 1995, the USO is considered one of the world’s finest student orchestras. Soloists for the tour will include renowned bass-baritone and tenured Professor of Music at the University of Michigan School of Music, Theatre & Dance, Daniel A. Washington, 2025 Grammy award-winner soprano, Karen Slack and South Africa’s own star soprano, Goitsemang Lehobye.
Audiences are in for a treat, as the tour takes the UFO across the country – from the University of Pretoria, to Soweto and Jozi, before moving on to Stellenbosch and the Cape Town City Hall for its final performance.
The University of Michigan Symphony Orchestra, under the direction of Kenneth Kiesler, delivers an absolutely professional performance on this CD—listeners would never guess that it is a student ensemble. All the musicians are technically superb, and their ensemble playing is flawless.
Additionally, there is a youthful vitality and energy throughout the entire disc. Kenneth Kiesler not only confidently “masters” his performers but also works masterfully with orchestral colors, which is particularly appreciated in places where Kaprálová drew inspiration from musical impressionism. V?roslav N?mec, Prosinec & Harmonie 2022
TOUR ITINERARY:
* Wednesday May 21, 2025, 19:00
CONCERT I: Aula, University of Pretoria
* Friday May 23, 2025, 19:00
CONCERT II: Regina Mundi Church, Soweto
* Saturday May 24, 2025, 16:00
CONCERT III: Linder Auditorium, University of the Witwatersrand/JCE, Johannesburg
* Monday May 26, 2025, 19:00
CONCERT IV: Hugo Lambrechts Music Centre, Parow, W Cape
* Tuesday, May 27, 2025, 19:30
CONCERT V: Cape Town City Hall
This tour is brought to South Africa by Classical Movements, the premier concert tour company for the world’s great orchestras and choirs and the power behind the ihlombe Choral Festival, the biggest international choral gathering in South Africa, as well as Tours for the Minnesota Orchestra, the Boston Philharmonic Youth Orchestra and many others. Classical Movements creates meaningful cultural experiences through music in 147 countries.
For more information and to book tickets visit:
http://www.classicalmovements.com/umso-sa-tour/
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PROGRAMME FOR THE UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA
BERNSTEIN On the Waterfront Suite
GERSHWIN Porgy and Bess
Summertime (opening of the opera w/cut to beginning of the aria) (Goitsemang Lehobye)
I Got Plenty o’ Nuttin’ (Daniel Washington)
My Man’s Gone Now (Karen Slack)
Bess, You Is My Woman Now (Daniel Washington and Karen Slack)
- Intermission –
WILLIAM DAWSON Negro Folk Symphony
CARL DAVIS, arr. Deep River (Daniel Washington)
HALE SMITH, arr. Witness (K. Slack and G. Lehobye)
SIDUMO NYAMEZELE Bawo Thixo Somandla (a capella)
Plea for Africa (Goitsemang Lehobye, with K.Slack and D.Washington)
MORE ABOUT…THE UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA
The University of Michigan Symphony Orchestra, led by its music director Kenneth Kiesler since 1995, has been recognized by its 2005 GRAMMY Award for Best Classical Album (William Bolcom’s Songs of Innocence and of Experience); The American Prize in Orchestral Performance in 2011; two Adventurous Programming Awards from the American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers (ASCAP); GRAMMY nomination for its 2014 premiere recording of Darius Milhaud’s L’Orestie d’Eschyle, critical acclaim for its recording of music by Vít?zslava Kaprálová, and when its recording of James P. Johnson’s operas De Organizer and The Dreamy Kid earned a coveted place among the “New York Times Best Classical Albums of 2023.”
Under the auspices of the University of Michigan School of Music, Theatre & Dance, the UMSO serves as a training ground for gifted young musicians, many of whom go on to significant careers in major symphony orchestras, opera houses, and chamber music ensembles, and as leading educators. The UMSO has also been at the core of U-M’s distinguished and renowned graduate program in orchestral conducting, ranked number one in the U.S. by U.S. News and World Report since 1997.
UMSO tours have included performances at the festivals of Salzburg and Evian, and at Carnegie Hall. The orchestra has premiered dozens of new works by contemporary composers, five of which have been part of its ten-year commissioning and recording initiative known as MORE (Michigan Orchestra Repertoire for Equity). The UMSO has also played the American premieres of recently discovered music by Felix Mendelssohn, Josef Joachim, and Vít?zslava Kaprálová, and has several recordings currently available on Naxos, Equilibrium, Pierian and Centaur. Audiences are invited to watch and listen to UMSO performances, conducted by Kenneth Kiesler, on YouTube.
MORE ABOUT…DANIEL WASHINGTON (Bass-Baritone)
Daniel A. Washington is a renowned bass-baritone and tenured Professor of Music at the University of Michigan School of Music, Theatre, & Dance, as well as an Honorary Professor at the University of Cape Town. An expert in African American classical music, spirituals, and Porgy and Bess, he is an award-winning artist, teacher, and mentor with an illustrious career spanning major opera houses and concert stages worldwide.
Washington’s operatic highlights include debuts at the Royal Opera Covent Garden, Teatro Massimo in Sicily, and Theater des Westens in Berlin, as well as creating the role of Steven Biko in the Royal Opera’s Biko. Concert appearances include performances with the Berlin Philharmonic under Sir Simon Rattle and the London Symphony Orchestra. His recordings feature works by Black composers, including Nobody is Somebody and spirituals, as well as operatic roles such as Pizarro in Fidelio and Tarquinio in Respighi’s Lucretia.
A sought-after mentor and clinician, Washington’s students achieve success with major opera companies, competitions, and festivals worldwide. He is an active leader in the National Association of Negro Musicians and the founder of the Lucy Washington Annual Vocal Competition in his hometown of Summerville, South Carolina.
MORE ABOUT… KAREN SLACK (Soprano)
Karen Slack, praised for her “sizeable voice that captured all of the vacillating emotions” (The New York Times), is one of the nation’s most celebrated sopranos and a leading advocate for diversity in classical music (Trilloquy).
A recipient of the 2022 Sphinx Medal of Excellence, Slack’s dynamic career spans performance, curation, and advocacy. Her debut album, Beyond the Years: Unpublished Songs of Florence Price (Azica Records), earned a 2025 GRAMMY® award for Best Classical Solo Vocal Album.
In 2024-2025, Slack premieres African Queens, a groundbreaking recital of new art songs celebrating the legacy of African queens, with performances at major festivals including Ravinia, Aspen, Tanglewood, and 92NY.
Recent highlights include her New York Philharmonic debut and collaborations with the Dallas Symphony, Chamber Music Detroit, and multiple world premieres by composers like Shawn Okpebholo and Damien Geter. Notable past performances include starring in Terence Blanchard’s Fire Shut Up in My Bones and Tyler Perry’s For Colored Girls.
Dedicated to new works by living composers, Slack serves as Artistic Advisor for Portland Opera and Artist-in-Residence at Lyric Opera of Chicago (2024-2025). She is also a faculty member at the Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity and a graduate of the Curtis Institute of Music.
MORE ABOUT… GOITSEMANG LEHOBYE (Soprano)
Goitsemang Lehobye, a native of Ga-Rankuwa, South Africa, is an accomplished soprano recognized for her versatility and artistry. Inspired by the South African Black Tie Opera Ensemble, she began her musical journey through their “Incubator” Scheme, progressing from chorus member to soloist.
Lehobye’s formal training includes studies at the University of Cape Town under Hanna van Niekerk and Prof. Kamal Khan, where she delivered acclaimed performances in roles such as Violetta in La Traviata and Mimi in La Bohème. In 2017, she furthered her studies at the University of Michigan with Professor Daniel Washington, where she earned the prestigious Friends of Opera Anna Chapekis Award.
Her operatic and concert career has taken her to stages around the world. Highlights include her portrayal of Serena in Cape Town Opera’s Porgy and Bess during a tour to Argentina, and her soloist performances with the Cape Town Philharmonic Orchestra. She has premiered works by South African composer Bongani Ndodana-Breen, including Harmonia Ubuntu with the Minnesota Orchestra during their historic first tour to South Africa, and participated in the reopening of Cape Town City Hall with Mahler’s Symphony No. 2.
Lehobye’s international engagements include performances with the Minnesota Orchestra, featuring Bachianas Brasileiras No. 5 by Villa-Lobos and Osvaldo Golijov’s Three Songs for Soprano and Orchestra. She also premiered Bongani Ndodana-Breen’s song cycles and performed in gala concerts alongside opera luminaries such as Johan Botha and Neil Schicoff.
Recent achievements include her critically acclaimed portrayal of Mimi in La Bohème at the University of Michigan and her 2023 role as the cover for Aida with Finger Lakes Opera. In 2021, she brought the role of Miranda Parker to life in Adolphus Hailstork’s Rise for Freedom.
Goitsemang Lehobye continues to captivate audiences with her performances, embodying a rich blend of South African roots and classical artistry.
MORE ABOUT…CLASSICAL MOVEMENTS
An industry leader for 30 years, Classical Movements organizes more than 60 tours every year, producing some 200 concerts every season. Producer of two international choral festivals—Ihlombe! in South Africa and Serenade! in Washington, D.C.—and the Prague Summer Nights: Young Artists Music Festival. In addition, Classical Movements’ Eric Daniel Helms New Music Program has commissioned over 70 works from Grammy, Oscar and Pulitzer Prize-winning composers. Winner of Americans for the Arts’ BCA10: Best Businesses Partnering with the Arts Award, since its founding in 1992, Classical Movements, is a truly global company, committed to facilitating cultural diplomacy across the world—promoting peace through the medium of music.
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More Info on SOLOISTS SET TO SHINE IN THE COMPANY OF ACCLAIMED UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA here: http://www.classicalmovements.com/umso-sa-tour/
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