JANA VAN DER WALT is an accomplished musician and harpist based in Cape Town, South Africa. Her current involvement in the music community of the Mother City includes being an ad hoc member of the Cape Town Philharmonic Orchestra, forming part of various ensembles with a number of acclaimed musicians, and performing on a regular basis as soloist at a range of different concerts, events and festivals. In 2013 Jana founded harpNOTED – a successful vehicle through which she pursues solo and ensemble performances.

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Jana commenced with her musical tuition at the age of six. From an early age her unmistakable talent was confirmed in her receiving numerous awards at various Eisteddfods. At age 11 she was introduced to the harp, and has since then pursued her love for the instrument with dedication and passion. Jana was awarded permanent placement on Unisa’s Roll of Honour for both harp and piano. She received a number of trophies for her harp playing, as well as the UNISA Hennie Joubert award. She has attended numerous International Master Classes for both harp and piano. Jana completed both her UNISA exams with distinction and received a third position in the Western Cape for piano.

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Since playing with the South African National Youth Wind Orchestra at age 14, Jana has been involved with various orchestras for the next 16 years. These include the South African National Symphony Orchestra, Free State Symphony Orchestra, Stellenbosch University Symphony Orchestra, Stellenbosch Camarata, the Stuttgart Academic Orchestra (Germany), as well as the MIAGI Orchestra for whom she is the prinicipal harpist. Her orchestral experience has given her the opportunity to perform in some of the most recognisable concert halls in Europe, including the Berliner Philharmonie, Amsterdam’s Concertgebouw, Hamburg Elbphilharmonie and the Royal Palace in Stockholm; she has also performed at festivals such as the Young Euro Classic and Schleswigholstein Festival.

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Jana’s love for and involvement with music is not limited to harp and piano – she has also throughout her life been involved with a number of choirs and singing groups, most notably the Tygerberg Children’s Choir and ProCantu Youth Choir with tours and competitions abroad. Apart from her involvement with the arts Jana is also an accomplished architect, having received her M.Arch Prof. cum laude in 2011 from the University of the Free State. She is currently a practicing architect at an award-winning firm in Cape Town.