Louis Fouché, founder of www.classicsa.co.za explained the move to create an Internet platform for classical music in South Africa as follows: “In South Africa, each and every day, an increasing number of aspiring youngsters from all community backgrounds enrich their lives by receiving music tuition based on fundamental classical music principles. Thousands of choristers look forward to their weekly choir practice, and gifted South African musicians and dynamic organisations are concertising somewhere in the country. On top of that, now more than ever, up-and-coming South African musicians are making impressive inroads in the international classical music arena. This makes it one of the most vibrant and unique classical music scenes in the world and it deserves a global platform.
“Classicsa.co.za was created for this reason: to showcase this extraordinary environment and to enable all South Africans, and the world, to access it at the click of a button.”
Daily media offer limited coverage of classical music events or none at all. Classicsa.co.za offers classical music lovers and practitioners unlimited information on an ongoing basis. It can be used as a home page, where users will be updated regularly about the classical music business with details and features they will not find elsewhere.
Basic listings of individuals, groups or organisations are provided free of charge and display their names, professions and where they are located. For a minimal fee per month they can upgrade to a full listing, which consists of a “mini-website” providing full contact details, a photograph and CV, as well as related links.
A full listing also offers a valuable solution to persons or organisations without the technical capacity or financial means to have their own websites. It offers them immediate visibility on the Web and can be of particular use to smaller organisations or schools.
A major draw card and already highly frequented feature on the site is the What's On events calendar. At the click of a button, users have the option to see which concerts and events are on, either in a chosen month, a chosen day or a chosen genre. Added to that, you can refine your search to look for concerts in your specific region. This feature provides musicians, concert presenters and publicists an opportunity to promote their activities at no cost.
Some of the permanent features displayed on the home page are News & Reviews, CD/DVD of the Month and Focus On. These allow for reporting on the latest happenings and developments on the classical music front, interviews with music personalities and local CD releases.
A monthly electronic newsletter will also keep subscribers up to date with Classicsa.co.za news. By subscribing to the free newsletter you stand a chance to win tickets to concerts or music related events. Apart from a regular blog, Classicsa.co.za is present on social Internet networks such as Facebook and Twitter.
