Mzansi Philharmonic marks fifth anniversary with Vengerov tour

The Mzansi National Philharmonic Orchestra will tour Johannesburg, Cape Town and Gqeberha in December, bringing celebrated violinist Maxim Vengerov to South African stages as part of its fifth anniversary season.

Billed as “Mzansi Meets the World”, the tour pairs the orchestra with Vengerov and American conductor Joseph Young for a programme built around Brahms's Violin Concerto and Saint-Saëns's Symphony No. 3, the “Organ Symphony”, alongside a newly commissioned South African work written for the occasion.

Vengerov will also run a masterclass for young South African string players during the visit.

Bongani Tembe, the orchestra's chief executive and artistic director, said the tour reflected five years of work towards building an orchestra that belonged to all South Africans and demonstrated music's power to bring people together.

Vengerov said he was honoured to take part in the milestone tour, pointing to the depth of musical talent in the country and describing the chance to perform the Brahms concerto alongside the orchestra – and to work directly with young local musicians – as a rare and meaningful opportunity.

Young, returning to conduct the full programme, said leading the orchestra was a privilege, and that the tour had been designed to showcase both the new South African commission and the scale of the Saint-Saëns symphony as a celebration of the country's musical heritage and its standing on the international stage.

Since its establishment, the orchestra has positioned itself around using music to unite audiences, promote artistic excellence and create international opportunities for South African musicians – a mission it says this tour embodies through the pairing of global names with homegrown talent and the youth masterclass component.

Tour dates

• Johannesburg – Linder Auditorium, Thursday 3 December 2026, 19:30
• Cape Town – Cape Town City Hall, Sunday 6 December 2026, 18:00
• Gqeberha – Feather Market Centre, Tuesday 8 December 2026, 18:30

Tickets, priced from R200 to R1,000, are available exclusively through Quicket.