JSO celebrates 80th birthday
JSO celebrates 80th birthday with Festival Concerto performance
Proud sponsors GTC unveil new brand identity at the auspicious event
The Johannesburg Symphony Orchestra (JSO) celebrated its 80th Birthday as the 33-person orchestra performed alongside the Johannesburg Philharmonic Orchestra at the Linder Auditorium this afternoon.
In the JSO’s ongoing commitment to developing musical talent in South Africa eight young soloists performed classic concertos with the JSO. In addition, the JSO performed with the Wits trio at the celebration. The trio includes Zanta Hofmeyr and Malcolm Nay both of whom played with the JSO when they were young soloists themselves.
“We are proud and very excited to celebrate the 80th birthday of the JSO. For 80 years we have touched and changed lives through music,” says Gerard de Villiers, Chairman of the JSO. “The JSO has been instrumental in the development of over 500 South African musicians, sometimes showcasing talent from soloists as young as six years old, many of whom have achieved international standing.”
Internationally renowned soloists who started with the JSO include Betty Pack, Jack de Wet, Vincent Fritelli, Gerrit Bon, Marian Lewin, Anton Nel and Deon van der Walt.
At the same festival concerto, GTC, proud sponsors of the JSO and one of the country’s leading financial advisory businesses, unveiled a new integrated corporate brand identity to key clients and distinguished guests, at the 80th Birthday celebrations today.
The new brand unites the group’s various divisions and companies with one consolidated look and feel, while continuing to recognise GTC’s 23 year heritage and historical milestones.
“As sponsors of the JSO, GTC is privileged to share in the orchestra’s 80th birthday celebrations today, while we simultaneously reveal our own distinct identity,” says Gary Mockler, Group CEO at GTC. “We specifically chose to share our launch with the JSO, because our organisation takes inspiration from the orchestra today as all the GTC teams and divisions unite into a single complementary performance, one that has been more than two decades in the making.”
GTC specialises in the areas of retirement fund administration and consulting, healthcare consulting, private client wealth management, short term risk solutions, investment management, stock-broking, derivatives trading, fiduciary services and other areas of financial advice.
GTC’s new logo is portrayed in a vignette of purple hues, reminiscent of the organisation’s history and parent company, Grant Thornton Johannesburg, from which the business was created in 1991. Effective late 2012 GTC was obliged to separate itself from the audit practice as a result of various international regulations separating the asset management and financial advisory capability of any business from that of Grant Thornton. This resulted in the business changing its name from Grant Thornton Capital to GTC. Today GTC continues to have Grant Thornton as a shareholder. The association between GTC and Grant Thornton continues within the parameters permitted by international regulation.
The JSO is one of the oldest orchestras in South Africa, with its first concert held in the Wanderers Hall in Johannesburg on the 30 September 1934 under the baton of Viennese born conductor, Joseph Trauneck. The orchestra steadily grew in size and popularity, and the first concert in the Johannesburg City Hall was attended by the Governor General and Lady Duncan. These Concerto Festivals are an ongoing initiative which serves as a platform for young and developing musical talent in South Africa to play a concerto with an orchestra.
“Sponsoring the JSO is a sound platform for our business,” continues Mockler. “Supporting the arts in general and the JSO in particular, is the right thing to do. GTC easily identifies with the importance of this social responsibility, particularly when youngsters are involved and are empowered to be in a position to improve themselves and the orchestra overall.”
Kutlwano Masote, the conductor of the JSO, presented to GTC’s honoured guests as he introduced the audience to the intricacies of an orchestral performance. After the performance, guests and musicians celebrated the JSO’s 80th birthday.
“We appreciate the generosity of GTC, our sponsors, and we also welcome their willingness to ensure that the Orchestra will continue to share good music. We have an exciting business plan with a number of initiatives to grow the Orchestra in the months and years ahead and we look forward to celebrating our centenary,” de Villiers concludes.
