Proving once again that our young South African voices are truly world-class, the phenomenal Tygerberg Children’s Choir took top honours at the Summa Cum Laude competition held recently in Sun City.
Sun City, South Africa (21 August 2026) – South Africa is a nation of champions, and our young vocalists just proved it once again on the global stage.
At the prestigious Summa Cum Laude competition held at Sun City from 7 to 10 August, the Tygerberg Children’s Choir delivered a breathtaking performance, taking first place in the Children’s Choir category with a magnificent Gold Level 3 Master rating.
Originating in Vienna, Austria, as a premier international festival for youth choirs and orchestras, the Summa Cum Laude competition made its historic South African debut in collaboration with the Choral Celebration Network Foundation.
Tygerberg’s talented singers seized the moment, captivating an international jury panel that featured renowned choral figures Saul Zaks (Denmark), Kenneth Griffith (USA), Pearl Shangkuan (USA), Renette Bouwer (South Africa), and Bernard Krüger (South Africa).
Sharing the stage with elite choirs and orchestras from Zimbabwe, Germany, Austria, and across South Africa, the choir’s triumphant win adds another brilliant chapter to its rich 54-year legacy.
According to INTERKULTUR’s current 2026 Top 1000 ranking, the Tygerberg Children’s Choir is ranked number 3 among the best choirs in the world, with only two choirs currently placed above them. The choir is also ranked number 2 in the world in the Children’s and Youth Choir category. The Tygerberg Children’s Choir is the only children’s choir currently ranked among the world’s top five choirs.
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From DIY Beginnings to African Powerhouse: Golden City Rollers Turn 16Conducted by Karina Erasmus, with Elizca Mulder as accompanist, the choir presented a diverse competition programme showcasing music from a variety of musical traditions and styles.
The programme included Cantate Domino by Charlotte Botha, the Ave Maria canon by W.A. Mozart, Ave Maris Stella by Franco Prinsloo, A Puppet’s Dream by Darius Lim, and Mangisondele Nkosi Yam, a traditional Zulu song arranged by Michael Barrett.
The choir consists of singers between the ages of 10 and 15, drawn from different schools in the Cape Town area. This year marks the choir’s 54th year.
For conductor Karina, the achievement is also a significant personal milestone. She has been involved with the Tygerberg Children’s Choir for 26 years, working with generations of young singers during that time.
“It is wonderful to see children from different schools come together through music and become a team. The children worked incredibly hard for this competition, and I am extremely proud of them. To have the opportunity to represent South Africa at this level is a great privilege,” says Erasmus.
The choir’s next major event is its Prestige Concert on 20 September at the Endler Hall. They will also perform at the Woordfees on 11 October, followed by two Christmas concerts: on 5 December at the Hugo Lambrechts Auditorium in Parow and on 6 December at the Endler Hall.
Tickets for the choir’s concerts are available through Webtickets, while tickets for the Woordfees performance are available through Quicket.
With a 54-year history, a new international competition title and a current position among the top three choirs in the world, the Tygerberg Children’s Choir continues to proudly represent South Africa’s young choral singers on stages both locally and internationally!
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