Background

The Bloemfontein City Orchestra (BCO) was launched in April of 2012 as the first of
many local City Orchestras throughout South Africa. Currently there is another one
functioning in the greater Stellenbosch region (SCO) with the third one planned for
launch in Johannesburg for April of 2017.

The City Orchestra concept basically brings together amateur and professional
musicians in a full symphony orchestra that then performs accessible repertoire for
the community in which it operates. Truly music by the community for the
community.

Since its inception the BCO has performed a wide variety of programmes including
Queen, Andrew Lloyd Webber, Jazz, Classical, Disney, Symphonic Pops, Movies,
Broadway, Philharmonic Rock and even Karl Jenkins. As such it has been able to not
only inspire a new audience to attend concerts but have given a much wider appeal
to symphonic orchestral music in general.

The orchestra consists of about 50 odd players whose numbers vary from concert to
concert and of these roughly about 15 are professional musicians

Conductor and Artistic Director

Paul Loeb van Zuilenburg studied at Stellenbosch, UNISA and the Rotterdam
Conservatoire and holds a BAMus, BMus (hons), MMus, DMus, UM, LRSM, UVLM and
MBA. While studying with Theo Mertens in Holland he also had the opportunity to
attend and play at master classes presented by Adolph Herseth, Maurice Andre,
Timofei Dokshitzer, Edward Tarr and Peter Maceuse. He competed nationally and
internationally and was awarded first prizes in amongst other the ATKV Forte, Oude
Meester, Bottineau, Twents Conservatorium Prijs, Natal 75 th Anniversary Prize and
Mable Quick and was awarded special scholarships by the SABC, NZAV, Van Ewijk
Stichting and the CSIR. He played for the KZNPO from 1990-1997 and joined the
Hilton College music department in 1997 where he was appointed Director of Music
in 2000. Paul was senior lecturer in Brass and Arts Entrepreneurship in the School of
Music of the University of the Free State from 2007 to 2013 but works since June
2013 as freelance musician concentrating on his solo and conducting career. He has
performed as soloist with all the major South African Orchestras, has made
numerous recordings for the SABC and has toured as Organ and Trumpet duo
playing at all the major national arts festivals with his second CD soon to be
released. He is currently artistic director and conductor of the Bloemfontein and
Stellenbosch City Orchestras and preforms as guest principle trumpet with the
Johannesburg Philharmonic Orchestra.