Your Music Poem by Black Consciousness Poetry BCP

Mandisi Dyantyis


Born and raised in Port Elizabeth, Mandisi began playing the trumpet at the age of 8. He Studied Classical music throughout his schooling career (Pearson High School)and emerged from the University of Cape Town with a BMus Honors Degree in Jazz Studies in 2005 where he played in the UCT Big Band for most of his studies. He is a versatile musician who is also a composer, arranger and producer not only in Jazz but Western Classical and African Indigenous Music as well. He has played with some of the country's top musicians over the years. These include Jimmy Dludlu, The Abdullah Ibrahim Big Band, Robbie Jansen, Max Vidima, Moreira Chonguica just to name a few. He has produced, played and co-written on Nomfundo Xaluva's multi-award winning albums KUSILE and From.Now.On. He currently holds the position ofMusic Director for theatre company Isango Ensemble (site.isangoensemble.org.za) , previously known as Portobello. He has held this position since 2008 and has travelled around the globe as its musical director with the following productions:
The Magic Flute (Impempe Yomlingo [won Laurence Olivier Award]) : Young Vic Theatre, West End (London) , Ireland, Singapore and Japan
A Christmas Carol (Charles Dickens) : Baxter Theatre (Cape Town) ,
Young Vic London
Aesop's Fable: The Fugard Theatre Cape Town, Hackney Umpire London
La Boheme (Puccini) : Hackney Umpire London, Japan
Ragged Trousered Philanthropist: Cape Town and London
Venus and Adonis(Shakespeare) : Cape Town, The Globe Theatre, USA
A Midsummer Nights' Dream (Britten) : Cape Town, America
Carmen: Cape Town, USA
A Man of Goodhope (Steinberg) : Cape Town, UK, USA (composed ALL the music on this production)
Nominated: NAACP Award for Best Musical Director. (National Association for the Advancement of Coloured People, Los Angeles)
Artist in Residence at the New York University Drama School 2010