Kenneth Kiesler, conductor
Johannesburg | Pretoria | Soweto | Cape Town
Bernstein – Gershwin – Dawson – Nyamezele
CONCERT REPERTOIRE
On the Waterfront Suite Leonard Bernstein (1918 – 1990)
Porgy and Bess George Gershwin (1898 – 1937)
Summertime Goitsemang Lehobye, soprano
I Got Plenty o’ Nuttin’ Daniel Washington, bass-baritone
My Man’s Gone Now Karen Slack, soprano
Bess, You Is My Woman Now Karen Slack, soprano | Daniel Washington, bass-baritone
— Intermission —
Negro Folk Symphony William Dawson (1899 – 1990)
Deep River Carl Davis (1936 – 2023)
Daniel Washington, bass-baritone
Witness Hale Smith (1925 – 2009)
Karen Slack, soprano | Goitsemang Lehobye, soprano
Bawo Thixo Somandla arr. Sidumo Nyamezele
Plea for Africa TBA
Karen Slack, soprano | Goitsemang Lehobye, soprano | Daniel Washington, bass-baritone
PERFORMANCES
PRETORIA | Wednesday, 21 May | 19h00
At the Aula, University of Pretoria
SOWETO | Friday, 23 May | 19h00
Regina Mundi RC Church
JOHANNESBURG | Saturday, 24 May | 15h00
Linder Auditorium
CAPE TOWN | Monday, 26 May | 19h00
Hugo Lambrechts Music Centre
CAPE TOWN | Tuesday, 27 May | 19h30
Cape Town City Hall
ABOUT THE ENSEMBLE
UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA –
The University Symphony Orchestra (USO), considered one of the world’s finest student orchestras, has been conducted by its music director, Kenneth Kiesler, since 1995. Its reputation was affirmed in 2005 when it received the Grammy award for “Best Classical Album” for the premiere recording of William Bolcom’s Songs of Innocence and of Experience; in 2011 when named the recipient of The American Prize for Orchestral Performance; as two-time recipient of the Adventurous Programming Award from the American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers (ASCAP); and in 2014 when its premiere recording of Darius Milhaud’s L’Orestie d’Eschyle was nominated for a Grammy award in the category of “Best Opera Recording.” Under the auspices of the School of Music, Theatre & Dance, the USO serves as a training ground for gifted young musicians, many of whom go on to significant careers in major symphony orchestras, opera houses, and chamber music ensembles, and as leading educators. The USO has also been at the core of U-M’s highly competitive and sought-after graduate program in orchestral conducting, ranked number one in the US by U.S. News and World Report since 1997. USO tours have included performances in Carnegie Hall and at the festivals of Salzburg and Evian. The USO has premiered dozens of new works by contemporary composers and has played the American premiere of James P. Johnson’s The Dreamy Kid, as well as the first performance since 1940 of the same composer’s De Organizer. The USO also played the American premieres of Mendelssohn’s Piano Concerto No. 3 and music by the Czech composer Viteslava Kapralova. The USO has several recordings currently available, including first-ever recordings of music by U-M composers Leslie Bassett, Michael Daugherty, Evan Chambers, Kristin Kuster, Stephen Rush, and William Bolcom on the Equilibrium label. Audiences are invited to watch and listen to USO performances, conducted by Kenneth Kiesler, on YouTube.
KENNETH KIESLER – Professor of Music and Director of University Orchestras
Director of orchestras and professor of conducting since 1995, Kenneth Kiesler is a GRAMMY nominee (2014), recipient of the American Prize in Conducting (2011), and Conductor Laureate of the Illinois Symphony Orchestra, where – as its music director from 1980 to 2000 and music advisor from 2010 to 2012 – he led debuts at Lincoln Center and Carnegie Hall, founded the Illinois Symphony Chorus and Illinois Chamber Orchestra, and won several state and national awards. He was selected as a 2024 winner of The American Prize National Arts Award “honoring a very few artists whose philosophy and exceptional professional accomplishments are evidence of sustained artistic excellence over an extended period of time.” He is the founder of SMTD’s Michigan Orchestra Repertoire for Equity initiative (MORE), and has led the premieres and recordings of its first four commissions, by James Lee III, Vincent Gardner, Carlos Simon, and Nkeiru Okoye.
ABOUT THE GUEST ARTISTS
Karen Slack
soprano, USA
Karen Slack, praised for her “sizeable voice that captured all of the vacillating emotions” (The New York Times), is one of the nation’s most celebrated sopranos and a leading advocate for diversity in classical music (Trilloquy).
A recipient of the 2022 Sphinx Medal of Excellence, Slack’s dynamic career spans performance, curation, and advocacy. Her debut album, Beyond the Years: Unpublished Songs of Florence Price (Azica Records), earned a 2025 GRAMMY® nomination for Best Classical Solo Vocal Album.
In 2024-2025, Slack premieres African Queens, a groundbreaking recital of new art songs celebrating the legacy of African queens, with performances at major festivals including Ravinia, Aspen, Tanglewood, and 92NY.
Recent highlights include her New York Philharmonic debut and collaborations with the Dallas Symphony, Chamber Music Detroit, and multiple world premieres by composers like Shawn Okpebholo and Damien Geter. Notable past performances include starring in Terence Blanchard’s Fire Shut Up in My Bones and Tyler Perry’s For Colored Girls.
Dedicated to new works by living composers, Slack serves as Artistic Advisor for Portland Opera and Artist-in-Residence at Lyric Opera of Chicago (2024-2025). She is also a faculty member at the Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity and a graduate of the Curtis Institute of Music.
Goitsemang Lehobye
soprano, South Africa
Goitsemang Lehobye, a native of Ga-Rankuwa, South Africa, is an accomplished soprano recognized for her versatility and artistry. Inspired by the South African Black Tie Opera Ensemble, she began her musical journey through their “Incubator” Scheme, progressing from chorus member to soloist.
Lehobye’s formal training includes studies at the University of Cape Town under Hanna van Niekerk and Prof. Kamal Khan, where she delivered acclaimed performances in roles such as Violetta in La Traviata and Mimi in La Bohème. In 2017, she furthered her studies at the University of Michigan with Professor Daniel Washington, where she earned the prestigious Friends of Opera Anna Chapekis Award.
Her operatic and concert career has taken her to stages around the world. Highlights include her portrayal of Serena in Cape Town Opera’s Porgy and Bess during a tour to Argentina, and her soloist performances with the Cape Town Philharmonic Orchestra. She has premiered works by South African composer Bongani Ndodana-Breen, including Harmonia Ubuntu with the Minnesota Orchestra during their historic first tour to South Africa, and participated in the reopening of Cape Town City Hall with Mahler’s Symphony No. 2.
Lehobye’s international engagements include performances with the Minnesota Orchestra, featuring Bachianas Brasileiras No. 5 by Villa-Lobos and Osvaldo Golijov’s Three Songs for Soprano and Orchestra. She also premiered Bongani Ndodana-Breen’s song cycles and performed in gala concerts alongside opera luminaries such as Johan Botha and Neil Schicoff.
Recent achievements include her critically acclaimed portrayal of Mimi in La Bohème at the University of Michigan and her 2023 role as the cover for Aida with Finger Lakes Opera. In 2021, she brought the role of Miranda Parker to life in Adolphus Hailstork’s Rise for Freedom.
Goitsemang Lehobye continues to captivate audiences with her performances, embodying a rich blend of South African roots and classical artistry.
Daniel Washington
bass-baritone, USA
Daniel A. Washington is a renowned bass-baritone and tenured Professor of Music at the University of Michigan School of Music, Theatre, & Dance, as well as an Honorary Professor at the University of Cape Town. An expert in African American classical music, spirituals, and Porgy and Bess, he is an award-winning artist, teacher, and mentor with an illustrious career spanning major opera houses and concert stages worldwide.
Washington’s operatic highlights include debuts at the Royal Opera Covent Garden, Teatro Massimo in Sicily, and Theater des Westens in Berlin, as well as creating the role of Steven Biko in the Royal Opera’s Biko. Concert appearances include performances with the Berlin Philharmonic under Sir Simon Rattle and the London Symphony Orchestra. His recordings feature works by Black composers, including Nobody is Somebody and spirituals, as well as operatic roles such as Pizarro in Fidelio and Tarquinio in Respighi’s Lucretia.
A sought-after mentor and clinician, Washington’s students achieve success with major opera companies, competitions, and festivals worldwide. He is an active leader in the National Association of Negro Musicians and the founder of the Lucy Washington Annual Vocal Competition in his hometown of Summerville, South Carolina.
About Classical Movements
The premier concert tour company for the world’s great orchestras and choirs, Classical Movements creates meaningful cultural experiences through music in 147 countries. An industry leader for Three Decades, Classical Movements organizes more than 60 tours every year, producing some 200 concerts every season. Producer of the Prague Summer Nights: Young Artists Music Festival. In addition Classical Movements’ Eric Daniel Helms New Music Program has commissioned over 104 works from Grammy, Oscar and Pulitzer Prize-winning composers. Winner of Americans for the Arts’ BCA10: Best Businesses Partnering with the Arts Award, since its founding in 1992, as a truly global company, Classical Movements remains committed to facilitating cultural diplomacy across the world—promoting peace through the medium of music.