Building bridges through music education
Like in many other developing countries, children and young people from South African’s Townships lack opportunities to develop their full potential. Music can make a difference. By making music collectively young people develop competencies and key life skills that can open the way to a self-determined future.
The Hilti Foundation supports social music programs like the Mangaung String Program in South Africa. It offers young people from the townships of Bloemfontein the opportunity to learn a string instrument and become part of a community where they can develop far beyond their purely musical skills.
Making music together not only enables them to discover their talent, but it also strengthens the personal and social development and nurtures transferable abilities such as collaboration, resilience, and leadership skills. The program's social and musical learning environment is a great opportunity for the young musicians to find their way in life.
“The potential of the music is great. It really can give young people a perspective by developing their self-confidence and self-esteem through music and allowing them to learn to trust themselves and their abilities”.
Christine Rhomberg, Director of Community Arts & Culture, Hilti Foundation
When Mozart meets South African funeral hymns
2023 has once again shown the potential of international cultural encounter with the tour of the Bochabela String Orchestra from South Africa. Born in 1998 out of the Mangaung String Program, the orchestra has not only achieved a national reputation, but also performed regularly at renowned music festivals in Europe. This year, they enthused the audience of the Bregenz Festival and the Rheingau Musikfestival with a musical collage of Mozart's Requiem and South African funeral hymns in collaboration with the Austrian youth choir “Voices” and musicians from the Iberacademy program in Colombia.
“This project is wonderful, it’s unique and the combination is great. We are used to play African music and music from Europe and there is so much connection”.
Hloni Mokoena, Konzertmeister Bochabela String Orchestra
Mangaung String Program and its Bochabela String Orchestra
The Mangaung String Program (MSP) is a social music program launched in July 1997 by the Free State Musicon in Bloemfontein under the direction of Peter Guy, a professional American Pdouble bass player. The program targets children from disadvantaged backgrounds in various districts of the Free State.
In 1998, Peter Guy started the Bochabela String Project with 18 children, which now includes over 550 children. As the public face of the program, the Bochabela String Orchestra is made up of MSP's best high school and university students, with a repertoire that covers a wide range of music, from baroque to traditional and popular African music. The orchestra has made numerous appearances on South African television and at international music festivals, including regular performances in Austria and Belgium.
Music for Social Change Programs
Since 2002, the Hilti Foundation has supported "Music for Social Change" programs, using music education as a catalyst for positive change in societies and individuals. The initiatives offer young people the opportunity to pursue their passion for music and lead a self-determined life. Our programs not only provide music education to those who would not normally have access to it; they do much more than just teach music: filling a gap when children do not receive an adequate education, providing meals, supporting families, or even offering psychological support for students who have experienced trauma. They are often vital places of community pride and solidarity, where music is the glue that brings people together.