University of Johannesburg Choir to hold farewell concert ahead of world symposium

The UJ Choir Farewell Concert will take place at 3pm at the UJ Arts Centre’s Keorapetse William Kgositsile Theatre. The ensemble will perform the programme it is scheduled to present at the international symposium.

The choir was selected from hundreds of ensembles worldwide as one of 13 invited to perform at the 2026 symposium. It is the only choir representing Africa and has also been invited to open the symposium programme.

The event brings together conductors, composers, scholars, educators and choral ensembles from around the world. The UJ Choir's participation will provide an opportunity to showcase South African composers and African choral traditions to an international audience.

The 2026 symposium is being held under the theme Reimagining the Future, which organisers say aligns with UJ's focus on innovation, creativity and African excellence.

The farewell concert will give Johannesburg audiences an opportunity to hear the full programme before the choir travels to Macau. The repertoire draws largely on music composed and arranged by South African musicians and incorporates the languages, stories, rhythms and experiences that form part of the country's musical heritage.

Sizwe Mondlane, senior choirmaster of the UJ Choir, said the concert was intended to acknowledge the support the ensemble had received ahead of its international appearance.

“This concert is for everyone that has supported, encouraged and carried us to this point,” Mondlane said. “Before we take South African choral music to Macau, we want to share this programme with them. We want people to experience it and then send it off into the world with the utmost confidence of authentic representation.”

The concert is open to members of the public, alumni and the wider choral community.