MOTSWAKO STRING QUARTET

Based in Johannesubrg

The Motswako String Quartet – often booked as an alternative to the world-renowned Soweto String Quartet – was formed in 2000, and comprises of violinists Bernard Madumo and Tshepo Mngoma, violist Tshepo Komane and cellist Kutlwano Masote. The talented four are all Classically trained string players, and work as freelance musicians for the JMI Orchestra, the Johannesburg Philharmonic, the Johannesburg Festival Orchestra, as well as the Chamber Orchestra of South Africa.
Madumo and Komane were members of the National Chamber Orchestra in Mafikeng until its closure in 2000. The two are also founder members o the Kwaito group Metswako, which was nominated for the 2003 Kora All-Africa Awards in the category “New Group”. In addition, Komane is a music tutor in Soshanguve at a project run by the UNISA Music Foundation.
Mngoma comes from one of South Africa ’s premiere musical families and is a University of Cape Town graduate in Jazz studies. He has been a part of “Joyous Celebration” for several years now, and performs regularly with his world-famous mother Sibongile Khumalo.
Masote studied at the Menuhin Academy in Switzerland and became the first black member of the National Symphony Orchestra. He is a trustee of the Arts and Culture Trust, and has been an on-air presenter at Classic FM since 1999.

Motswako’s strength lies in their varied repertoire. They play a wide selection of Classical Music, African Folk, contemporary popular music as well as original music. The quartet has played at numerous high-profile corporate and government functions and was invited by the South African Embassy to the People’s Republic of China to play in Beijing in August 2002. They also played in the UK and Zambia in July 2003. In November 2003, they performed at the new South African Embassy building in Berlin, Germany . They also performed at 2004’s Kora All-African Awards ceremony.