Mzansi Viola: South African Viola Music

July 2025 sees the release of South African violist Louise Lansdown’s first solo album Mzansi Viola with pianist Charles Matthews. The album is packed with all world premieres of viola music by South African composers and brings much important music into the commercially recorded domain for the first time. This disc is the first of several Louise is planning to record. A bigger project that aims to promote and awaken interest in South African classical music in general, through the lense of Louise’s instrument the viola.

Very little of the classical music that has been more recently and currently composed is not published or recorded and therefore remains unknown. This makes it almost impossible for musicians within South Africa to access their own music, but completely impossible for international musicians and broadcasters to understand the importance and quality of the output of South African classical music. With the regeneration of neglected composers across the globe it is a real opportunity for South Africa to ensure that its classical music is part of this global surge and renewal.

There is an enormous reservoir of South African orchestral and chamber music that has simply not been recorded. Broadcasters across the world are wanting to promote and play South African music, but there are precious few commercially available recordings. This situation is prohibitive for the broadcasting and promotion of South African music both nationally and internationally.