SA: NEA announces 2019 Young Performer Awards semi-finalists

The list of competitors is made up of about 80 young artists who are competing for top honours in classical and crossover music (vocal and instrumental), contemporary music (vocal and instrumental), speech and drama, and dance.

The NEA semi-finals will be adjudicated by a panel of local artists and personalities at the Roodepoort Theatre in Johannesburg on 15 and 16 May. The finals will be held at the same venue on 29 May where the finalists will compete for gold, silver and bronze medals, and R50 000 in prize money.

Below are the semi-finalists:

Classical and crossover music

• Zine Mostert, Alexa Burger (trained By Engela Tomlinson)
• Willie Naudé (Monument High School Music Magnet)
• Christiaan Naudé (Monument High School Music Magnet)
• Lesego Diphoko
• Siyabonga Dube
• Leanne Khumalo
• Masego Manoog
• Tshepang Matabane
• Thobekile Mathobela
• Itumeleng Ngubane
• Rifiloe Ntshabele
• Masego Tele & Tamia Tshili (Dominican Convent School)
• Linden Koor Grade 8-12 (Hoërskool Linden)
• BPMS Senior Choir (Bryanston Parallel Medium School)
• Daniël Spies (trained by Helen Vosloo)
• Anesta Du Plessis (Music At Your Fingertips Exclusive School)
• Karlin Kock
• Willie Naudé & Carina Naudé (Monument High School Music Magnet)

Contemporary music

• Dodo Nyoka
• Cameron Craig Peter
• Gabriela Marques (Graca Teixeira Drumming Academy)
• Tumelo Matona (Crawford Lonehill Preparatory)
• Duncan Struthers
• Aryan Patel (Graca Teixeira Drumming Academy)
• Dainfern College Senior Marimba Band
• Prestige College Marimba Group
• DCS Indumo Yolutsha (Dominican Convent School)
• Wiané Joubert
• Tanaka Muguto (Dainfern College)
• Yiyang Helen Liu (June Kraus Academy)
• Shani Mclea (Nicolie Smuts Music)
• Tristin Mans
• Ariana Behr-Greeff
• Xiao-Chi Juan
• Vincent Anderes
• Erin Fynes-Clinton & Zandra Zogby (Johannesburg School of Music)
• Parktown Girls' Marimbas (Parktown High School for Girls)
• Janél Du Toit (Respiro Studios)
• Gareth Ryan
• Janina Rexrodt
• Anika De Beer
• Anastasia Schroder (June Kraus Academy)
• Vaughan Mclea & Roxanne Van Oudtshoorn (Nicolie Smuts Music)

Dance

• Siana Eleftheriou
• Mojalefa Mello (Cornerstone College)
• Kyle Deysel (Greenside High School)
• Jade Brummer
• Tamia Stanczyk (Leftfoot Productions)
• Dikakapa (Tebogo Kgobokoe Arts Academy)
• Bagaka Ba Tkaa (Tebogo Kgobokoe Arts Academy)
• Jimmy Roos Gumboot Dancers (Jimmie Roos School for Boys with Special Needs)
• Beate Lindes (Hoërskool Monument - Dance Department)
• Chanell Botha
• Emma Strydom
• Chenique Bouwer & Elana De Wet (Phoenix School of Performing Arts)
• Labyrinth (Parktown High School for Girls)
• Karthika Ajith Kumar
• Hazel Cherian
• Aadith Kurup
• Naina Thomas & Diya Zaman (Tarang School of Dance)
• Jacqueline Benadie
• Jessica Desmond
• Carla Du Toit
• Mene Hough
• Nqobile Kgoete
• Joleen Letsholo
• Marene Muller & Siphiwe Thwala (Maryna Hough Ballet Skool)

Speech and drama

• Elné Labuschagne (Piet Retief High School)
• Asande Cecilia Mzizi(Orban Primary School)
• Dawian Van Der Westhuizen
• Karabo Tiba (Dixon Academy Of Education)
• Kristian Van Gaalen (Jack In A Box Speech & Drama)
• Milla Nel (Finesse Drama Studio)
• Minke Marais (Hoërskool Noordheuwel)
• Ivana Beattie (Jack In A Box Speech & Drama)
• Maita Mandivenyi
• Charlize Duys (Hoërskool Noordheuwel)
• Jordan Good (Maragon Private School [High])
• Ndivho Hlungwani
• Mzingisi Brian Jokozela
• Boitumelo Maake
• Damela Mojapelo
• Lwandle Sisonke Ngcobo
• Ngwanatheko Nkopodi
• Kuhlekonke Nzimande & Onam Sithole (Midrand English Medium Primary School)
• Dirk Jacobs (Laerskool Unika)
• Janco De Lange (Sonja Myburg Dramaskool)
• Hendre Calitz (Dramatix Roodepoort)
• Christiaan Theron
• Thabiso Sauhatsi (The King's School Linbro Park)
• Sir Pierre Van Ryneveld High School Speech and Drama Group
• Karli Marais (Hoërskool Noordheuwel)
• Chantelle Van Heerden (Upstage Concepts)
• Layla Flockhart
• Danielle Evans (Hoërskool Noordheuwel) and The King's School West Rand Grade R Choral Verse group