The Cape Town Philharmonic Orchestra (CPO)

Established in 1904, the Cape Town Philharmonic Orchestra (CPO) is the oldest continuous symphony Orchesta in Africa. The current orchestra was established and registered in 2000 as a not-for-profit organization, 050-787-NPO, whose mission is to excel as a world-class symphony orchestra committed to making orchestral music accessible to all South Africans, artists and audiences.

The CPO's diverse performances create career opportunities as well as a platform for local and international musicians of the highest calibre. Its vast youth education and development programmes include two training institutions, the Masidlale grassroots training project and the Cape Town Philharmonic Music Academy (CPOMA) for intermediate music students; CPOMA incorporates 2 training bands and the Cape Town Philharmonic Youth Wind Ensemble, and the Cape Town Philharmonic Youth Orchestra, for advanced music students pursuing a professional career in music.