Strings Theory in the Townships : Rosemary Nalden at TEDxGateway

Buskaid's founder, viola player Rosemary Nalden freelanced in London for over twenty-five years as a leading member of most of the "early instrument" ensembles and orchestras, before establishing the Buskaid Soweto String Project in South Africa in 1997. She has played and recorded extensively under such conductors as Sir John Eliot Gardiner, Sir Roger Norrington, Sir Simon Rattle, Christopher Hogwood, Franz Brüggen and Gustav Leonhardt. Until recently she still played regularly with Sir John Eliot Gardiner's English Baroque Soloists and Orchestre Révolutionnaire et Romantique.

Her close association with the distinguished British string teacher Sheila Nelson, combined with her extensive knowledge of "performance practice" have placed her in a unique position to develop the innate musicianship and stylistic flair of the Buskaid students.

As Buskaid's chief fundraiser, Rosemary has been responsible for generating several million rands for the Project over the last fifteen years. In addition to the extensive administration this involves, she also teaches up to thirty hours a week in Soweto.

In 2002 she was awarded the MBE in recognition of her achievements with the Buskaid Project and a Distinguished Alumni Award from the University of Auckland.

Her website: http://www.buskaid.org.za/
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