Prof Albi Odendaal has extensive experience both as a practitioner and researcher of music education. He holds a doctoral degree from the Sibelius Academy of the University of the Arts Helsinki, one of the leading music universities in Europe. He has been a member of several large international research projects, including Global Visions for Mobilising Networks, ArtsEqual: The arts as public service, and, most recently, Music Education, Professionalism, and Eco-Politics.

Antoinette Olivier studied piano and singing at the University of the Witwatersrand. As an active performer she was engaged in professional performances and productions for Pact Opera, Salon Music, Brooklyn Theatre, Roodepoort Theatre and the Black Tie Ensemble. She appears on three of Salon Music’s CD’s and DVD, “Celebration”. Antoinette performed the world premiere of Hendrik Hofmeyr’s Song Cycle for Soprano and Orchestra (1999).

Catrien Wentink completed her DMus degree in piano performance at the North-West University in 2017 under the guidance of Dr Truida van der Walt. Her focus was on ensemble music and piano accompaniment. In 2009, after postgraduate studies in Youngstown, USA, with Caroline Oltmanns, she received the ABRSM performance licentiate (solo piano) (LRSM) and the Unisa performance licentiate (two pianos) with distinction and was invited to participate in the Unisa bursary winner’s competition.

Prof Conroy Cupido completed a music degree at Stellenbosch University, a Master in Music degree and Artist Certificate at Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Texas, and he was the first South African to complete a Doctorate degree in Vocal Performance which was conferred at the University of North Texas. While a member of Cape Town Opera’s Vocal Ensemble, Prof Cupido was recruited by American soprano and Professor of Voice, Barbara Hill Moore, to further his studies at Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Texas.

Jaco Kruger has been studying the musical culture of the Venda people of the Vhembe district of South Africa’s Limpopo Province since 1983. He completed a M.Mus dissertation under the supervision of Deirdre Hansen (UCT) in 1985 on Venda musical bows and the xylophone, and a doctoral thesis on Venda guitar music in 1993 under the guidance of Andrew Tracey (Rhodes).