The orchestra was officially launched on Thursday.
JOHANNESBURG – The chief executive of the newly established Mzansi National Philharmonic Orchestra (MNPO) said that it would be used to “brand South Africa positively on the international stage”.
News of the establishment of the orchestra, which comes at a reported cost of R30 million, has been met with controversy, particularly on the back of the proposed R22 million flag project, which prompted public outrage in May and was ultimately canned.
The orchestra was officially launched on Thursday.
In a statement issued on behalf of the orchestra, board member Muxe Nkondo said that it was now fully constituted and that it “embraces our responsibility to play a significant role in the cultural life of South Africa’s vibrant and diverse communities, thus contributing to a socially cohesive society with a common national identity”.
The statement said the orchestra seeks to “create an impact through the use of music as a facilitator for building inclusivity, social cohesion, and social dialogue” – and that this will be achieved by, among others, “finding, mentoring, training and supporting young and talented musicians” and “promoting the teaching, knowledge and appreciation of music”.
Chief executive Bongani Tembe said that the orchestra appreciates that they’ll be working with other orchestras and partners to achieve their objectives and “will be utilised as an effective tool to brand South Africa positively on the international stage”.
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