Tiaan Uys - Head of Strings

Tiaan began formal musical study at the age of 13, starting on the clarinet, despite growing up in a deeply musical household. His mother is a pianist, organist, and piano teacher, and while instruments were always present at home, he did not follow an early or conventional entry into music. Beginning later than most peers shaped his approach from the outset: progress was intentional, accelerated, and driven by necessity rather than habit.

After starting clarinet at 13, he was quickly thrown into the deep end, joining his high school band with limited prior experience. Despite the late start, his progress was rapid. By the age of 15, he was playing first clarinet in the regional youth wind band and went on to serve as lead clarinettist in the youth orchestra for the remainder of his time in the programme. This early acceleration set the tone for his broader development—rapid skill acquisition under pressure, followed by sustained responsibility in demanding ensemble environments.

Following his initial exposure at national level, he was appointed lead clarinettist of the South African National Youth Wind Band, a role he retained throughout his tenure with the South African National Youth Orchestra (SANYO). During this period, he also appeared as a soloist, performing Blue Shades with the national youth wind band and the Mozart Clarinet Concerto with the SANYO Symphony Orchestra. Alongside ensemble work, he participated in national competitions including the Artscape National Youth Music Competition and the UNISA 150th Anniversary Directorate Competition, gaining early exposure to high-level adjudication and national performance benchmarks.

In order to meet the full demands of these ensembles, he continued expanding his clarinet work by learning E-flat clarinet and bass clarinet, filling these roles as required within SANYO. He also toured as E-flat clarinettist with the MIAGI Youth Orchestra on its 2012 European tour, further consolidating his experience in high-pressure international orchestral contexts at an early stage. This reinforced a consistent pattern in his development: role-based skill expansion driven by ensemble needs rather than isolated specialisation.

Church and worship bands played a formative role in parallel with this formal development. At 15, he learned drums over a single summer to join a worship band, followed by bass guitar at 18 to continue serving in that space at NG Kerk PE Hoogland. His first exposure to bass came even earlier, learning the instrument to perform in an ABBA musical revue at his primary school. That experience opened the door to musical theatre, leading to participation in more than 30 productions, including the 2025 Sunset Boulevard China tour. Throughout this period, bass guitar functioned as a practical, disciplined instrument—valued for reliability and musical responsibility rather than prestige.

A similar need-driven trajectory unfolded with saxophone. When a role opened in his high school jazz band, he taught himself tenor saxophone over a summer in order to join at 17. While studying at Nelson Mandela University, he became a core member of the University Big Band under John Edwards, developing strong improvisational fluency alongside high-level reading skills. He received his only formal saxophone tuition from Paul Richard, whom he greatly admired, though his broader development on the instrument was largely shaped through ensemble work and professional context rather than extended formal instruction. His performance work includes collaborations with Khaya Mahlangu, Gloria Bosman, and Feya Faku, as well as institutional and national jazz projects.

This performance activity translated naturally into education and scene-building. He taught saxophone and clarinet at Summerwood Primary School and Pearson High School, and up to university level at Rhodes University. Beyond formal teaching, he built and led jazz ensembles, performed as a frontman in a jazz quartet, co-founded what became Port Elizabeth’s leading saxophone quartet, and established recurring jazz jam sessions—designed not as ad hoc events, but as stable platforms connecting performers, emerging musicians, and audiences.

His transition into double bass followed the same gap-driven arc. Taken up almost accidentally in his first year of university, the instrument quickly became central to his orchestral work. He progressed through Eastern Cape Youth Orchestra, South African National Youth Orchestra, and into professional roles with the Eastern Cape Philharmonic Orchestra. His development followed a clear progression from local youth ensembles to national and professional contexts, with each stage carrying increased responsibility rather than simply increased visibility. Alongside orchestral performance, he remained active as a jazz and contemporary bassist, including work with the Simon Shaw Trio.

In parallel, he became deeply involved in addressing a regional gap in lower-strings education. He lectured double bass at university level and taught across multiple institutions, including St Andrew’s College, DSG, Kingswood College, Summerwood Primary School, Pearson High School, and Grey High School. His own development was supported through study with leading specialists including Dr Mariechen Meyer, Roxane Steffen, and Ruan Baartman. As the local string ecosystem matured, his principal orchestral role was later taken over by Dr Meyer, reflecting a natural professional lineage and a strengthening of regional expertise.

This work expanded further into cello out of structural necessity. Following the departure of the region’s primary cello specialist—and having already initiated cello tuition pipelines at Summerwood and Pearson—he stepped in to sustain and develop lower-strings provision. He became a functional cello player, performing in chamber and quartet contexts, while teaching cello across schools in Gqeberha and Makhanda. He continues to teach cello actively and is engaged in further study to deepen his technical and pedagogical capacity.

His chamber music work mirrors this broader pattern. As a performer, he took part in chamber and orchestral projects at the Stellenbosch International Chamber Music Festival, including appearances as a guest ensemble member with the Aulos Trio, as well as concerts with national youth orchestras. Over time, this evolved into organisational leadership through the establishment of bespoke monthly chamber music concerts in Port Elizabeth, designed to build continuity, repertoire depth, and sustained audience engagement rather than one-off performances.

Alongside school and institutional teaching, he also taught at the Access Music Project (AMP) in Joza, a structured after-school music education programme operating with clear pedagogical aims. While not a school, AMP functions as a formal educational initiative, and his involvement reflected a consistent commitment to standards-driven music education across diverse educational environments.

Running parallel to his performance and educational work is a targeted focus on strengthening the supporting infrastructure of the music ecosystem. This includes hands-on work as a repair technician, refurbishing instruments and drum kits, supporting local luthiers and repair specialists, and contributing to skills retention within the region. His interests extend to the design and construction of instrument cases, sourcing locally viable cork for woodwind instruments, and developing end-of-life recycling pathways for reeds and consumables—addressing sustainability, cost, and access in a sector heavily dependent on imports.

At a scene-building level, his work has focused on bridging the gap between performers and audiences. Through the establishment of recurring chamber music concerts and structured jazz jam sessions, he has prioritised continuity, mentorship, and public engagement, strengthening professional pathways for musicians while cultivating informed, invested audiences.

Underpinning this trajectory is an ability to learn instruments quickly, grounded in a practical understanding of mechanics, practice methodology, and a discerning eye for when and where to seek expert guidance. Collectively, his work points toward the development of scalable music education models and the long-term building of regional-to-national musical ecosystems.