Bongani Ndodana-Breen

Who is Bongani Ndodana-Breen?

Bongani Ndodana-Breen is a South African-born composer, musician and cultural activist. He was born in 1975 in Queenstown, South Africa and is a member of the Xhosa clan. He is often referred to by his Xhosa paternal ancestral name or isiduko, Rhadebe. He was educated at St. Andrew's College and Rhodes University in Grahamstown and studied composition in Stellenbosch under Roelof Temmingh. In 1998 Ndodana-Breen was the first Black classical composer to be awarded the prestigious Standard Bank Young Artist Award for Music, by the National Arts Festival and sponsored by Standard Bank of South Africa.

His music is a blend of African and classical styles. Some of his music reflects on various scenes from his native Xhosa culture.

He has received commissions from across the globe from the Hong Kong Chinese Orchestra the Miller Theatre of New York, Vancouver Recital Society, Madame Walker Theatre, Indianapolis Chamber Orchestra, Ensemble Noir/MusicaNoir, Southern African Music Rights Organisation, National Arts Council, Haydn Festival Eisenstadt, Johannesburg International Mozart Festival, The Emancipation Festival of Trinidad & Tobago and Wigmore Hall, London.