Bongani Ndodana-Breen


Bongani Ndodana-Breen, is a South African-born composer, musician, academic and cultural activist. He is a member of the Xhosa clan. He was educated at St. Andrew's College and Rhodes University in Grahamstown and also 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. He was one of Mail & Guardian 200 Young South Africans and was profiled on CNN African Voices for his work Harmonia Ubuntu commissioned for the centenary of Nelson Mandela and based on his writings and speeches. He is a fellow at the Radcliffe Institute at Harvard University for the 2019/2020 academic year.
Dr. Ndodana-Breen's 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, Minnesota Orchestra, Madame Walker Theatre, Indianapolis Chamber Orchestra, Ensemble Noir/MusicaNoir, Southern African Music Rights Organisation, National Arts Council of South Africa, Haydn Festival Eisenstadt, Johannesburg International Mozart Festival, The Emancipation Festival of Trinidad & Tobago and Wigmore Hall, London.
He has written operas, orchestral and chamber works, including the opera Winnie The Opera based on anti-apartheid activist Winnie Mandela. South Africa's liberation struggle seems to be a major theme in his orchestral works such as his piano concerto Emhlabeni, the short opera Hani on the anti-apartheid activist Chris Hani and more recently the oratorio Credo, a musical testament to the Freedom Charter.
Dr. Ndodana-Breen is also an advocate for cultural diversity, supporting various African efforts including LGBT causes.

Notable works