John Ntsepe
Critics have labeled John Ntsepe as one of South Africa’s
most outstanding young pianists and without a doubt the
leading Black classical pianist in South Africa. He made
history by being the first Black pianist to receive a B. Mus
Degree (Performing Arts) from the University of Pretoria
and also a Performers Licentiate from UNISA (both with
distinction). In 2006, he became the first Black soloist
(instrumentalist) to perform with the Cape Philharmonic
Orchestra. Ntsepe is known as the last protégé of the late
South African pianist, Lionel Bowman. In 2014, Ntsepe was
visited as one of the international artists at the Chamber
Music Festival of Castro-Chiloe (Chile) for chamber music
and giving masterclasses. This year, Ntsepe will give the
world premiere of the Piano Concerto by the celebrated
Viennese composer, Gabriele Proy which she is composing
especially for him.
Ntsepe’s artistry is consolidated by his natural sense of style, individuality, sensitivity, energy,
drama, technical command of the keyboard, high quality of musicality and emotional maturity
which are admired by all who listen to his performances. In 2011, Dame Trudi Koeleman
from the Netherlands labeled him “…a born interpreter”. He enjoys a multifaceted career that
has led him to perform throughout South Africa, Europe and South America. He has received
master-classes from international pianists such as Laura Mikkola, Adam Wodnizcki, Carlo
Guaitoli, Marek Drevanowski, Konstantin Scherbakov, Homero Francesch, Angela Hewitt,
Vadim Monastyrski, Lori Sims, Alejandro Geberovich and Markus Schirmer.
After completing his studies with his mentor, Francois du Toit at the South African College of
Music (University of Cape Town), Ntsepe moved to Austria (Vienna) to further his piano
studies with Ralph Heiber. He is currently doing his Doctoral studies at the Universität für
Musik und darstellende Kunst in Graz (Austria), specialising in the music of the Russian
composer Nikolai Medtner.
Mr. Ntsepe was born in Sebokeng. He started playing piano at the age of 14 under Vanessa
Burger’s tutelage. His talent in music became apparent immediately after starting piano
lessons. Six months later, he gave his first public concert and later he took part in the
Vereeniging Eisteddfod and was the top participant for two consecutive years. Shortly after
that, Ntsepe was accepted into The National School of the Arts in Johannesburg. While still in
Johannesburg, he gave performances at the Sandton Art Gallery and numerous soiree clubs.
His exposure led him to be a regular guest on many television and radio shows.
Mr. Ntsepe regularly gets invitations to perform at prestigious events, festivals, music soiree
clubs and societies in South Africa, Europe and South America. He has shared the stage with
renowned musicians such as; Olga Kern, Pinchas Zukerman and Amanda Forsyth. In 2005, he
did a recital at the Polish Embassy in Pretoria to celebrate Poland’s National Day and its
accession to the European Union and in 2010, the year of Chopin´s bicentennial, Ntsepe
performed at the ceremony of the "Polish Opening" of the Visegrad House held in Cape
Town. The concert with the Polish Society in Cape Town was organized specially on the
occasion of the visit in South Africa of the Director General of Foreign Services Mr. Rafał
Wiśniewski and Director of Africa and Middle East Department of Ministry of Foreign
Affairs in Warsaw. The concert was recognized as a “high class” and an important event in the
"Chopin's Year" of 2010. He performed at the First Cape Town International Summer Music
Festival in 2006 and performed in two concerts for DIE BURGER Suidoosterfees 2008
namely; the Nelson Mandela 90th Birthday Celebration Concert and also gave the South
African première of the Ruins of Athens for Piano and Orchestra by Liszt. In 2007, Ntsepe
was the only student out of the ten leading South African pianists who were invited to perform
at the Steinway and Sons Inauguration Concert in Cape Town. He regularly performs with
some of South Africa’s top orchestras, working with critically acclaimed conductors. He has
performed for several heads of States including former South African President FW De Klerk,
President Jacob Zuma and President Xi Jingping of the Republic of China.
Over the years, Mr. Ntsepe has been awarded numerous awards and prizes such as; being one
of the 10 semi-finalists in the Hennie Joubert Piano Competition, a special prize in the Lionel
Bowman Beethoven Piano Competition, overall winner in the instrumental category of the
first annual UNISA Music Festival (awarded prizes for the best Classical, Romantic, and
Modern Performances as well as a Vodacom Scholarship), received the Marc Raubenheimer
Scholarship (2005 and 2007), a Coca-Cola Bursary, the North-South-South Scholarship
(which enabled him to do Specialisation Studies in piano under Katariina Limatainen at the
Jyväskylän ammattikorkeakoulu in Finland, for which he was awarded the top grade) and also
intensive studies in Music Education at the University of Jyväskylä. In 2006, Ntsepe was
featured in the October edition of the Classic Feel Magazine as the “Sasol Young Musician of
the Month”. In the same year, the University of Stellenbosch had their first International Piano
Symposium where the world-renowned pianist Konstantin Scherbakov was the international
guest professor. After hearing Ntsepe play the Liszt Sonata in B minor, Scherbakov invited
him to have further master-classes with him at the Hochschule für Musik FRANZ LISZT in
Weimar (Germany) with the help of a DAAD scholarship.Whilst in Weimar, Ntsepe did an
interview for a German national television program. The following year, he was once again
awarded a DAAD scholarship to attend master-classes with Homero Francesch at the
Hochschule für Musik FRANZ LISZT. Ntsepe was one of the six finalists for the SAMRO
Overseas Scholarship for Keyboard players 2009. In 2010 he was awarded the James de
Villiers Prize for the best performance of a large scale Romantic. In 2013, Ntsepe was
awarded a bursary by the National Arts Council of South Africa to help him further his piano
studies in Vienna. He was a prize winner in the 20th Internationalen Johnannes Brahms
Wettbewerbes in Pörtschach/Wörthersee (2013). Ntsepe has also been awarded countless
bursaries by the Ackerman Family Education Trust, Oppenheimer Memorial Trust, Ben and
Shirley Rabinowitz Trust and National Arts Council. He was invited to give a performance at
the closing ceremony of the historic 2015 FOCAC (Forum on China-Africa Cooperation),
which was held at the Sandton Convention Center in Johannesburg.
Mr. Ntsepe has recently (2017) done television interviews for ORF´s 3Sat and Kulturzeit
which will be aired in Austria and Kultur am Montag which will be aired in Austria, Germany
and Switzerland.