SA pianist sings Israel’s praises after winning award

A young South African pianist, Sulayman Human from Oudtshoorn, won the coveted Pnina Salzman Memorial Prize 2024 in Israel this year, after having been ‘discovered’ by an Israeli concert pianist and teacher during anti-Israel protests back in 2013.

Human, 31, was a joint winner of the award last week with Israeli pianist Yali Zaken.

Human, who studied a Bachelor of Music at Stellenbosch University, may never have heard of the Tel-Hai International Piano Master Classes festival, where the competition for the award was held, had it not been for world renowned concert pianist and teacher, Israeli-born Yossi Reshef, having come to South Africa 11 years ago.

Reshef first heard Human when he was in South Africa on a performing and masterclass visit back then. On that tour, Reshef was scheduled to play to at the University of the Witwatersrand (Wits), but his show was disrupted by anti-Israel activists on campus. Eleven students were charged for the disruption of his concert during Israeli Apartheid Week that year.

The protesters, drawn from the ranks of the Wits Student Representative Council, Muslim Students Association, Wits Palestinian Solidarity, and the Progressive Youth Alliance, intimidated concert goers, damaged university property, and disrupted the recital to the point that it had to be abandoned.

The university arranged to re-host the concert, but another artist appeared instead of Reshef.

His concerts at Rhodes University, Stellenbosch University, and the University of Cape Town (UCT) were all cancelled, but he was able to hold master classes at a few universities including UCT and Stellenbosch University.

However, it was at his Stellenbosch University masterclasses in March 2013 that Reshef met the young Human. He remembered Human fondly, and how talented he believed him to be, and invited him to participate in this year’s Tel-Hai event, which was enabled through sponsorship by the Israeli embassy in Pretoria.

Said Reshef, “Sulayman is an exceptional pianist, one whom I had the privilege to tutor on his way to winning this prestigious award, named after my teacher and mentor, Pnina Salzman. His achievement as well as our connection fills me with great pride and a sense of fulfilment.”

Reshef recalled meeting Human when his tour was targeted by demonstrators. “While Israel continues to be accused of apartheid at this time,” he said, “Sulayman’s participation demonstrates how music truly unites people and has no borders.

“Sulayman, who was the best candidate for the prize, won it justly. Seeing the audience’s enthusiastic reaction to his performance in Tel Aviv was a crystalline moment of pleasure.”

Human started playing piano at the age of 12. In 2010, at the age of 17, he was the first high school pupil to win the Lionel Beethoven Bursary for the playing of a Beethoven sonata. This was the first of many prizes and competitions he has won for piano.

He has performed piano concerti with many of South Africa’s orchestras, and is an active chamber musician, performing regularly with fellow students and professionals.

For two and a half weeks in August every year, dozens of young pianists from all over the world gather at Midreshet Sde Boker, an educational centre in the Negev desert in southern Israel, to practice their craft with the world’s most celebrated piano teachers.

This year was Tel-Hai’s 32nd anniversary. Organisers expected at least 78 participants from 17 countries to attend the event, which opened on 30 July and ended on 17 August. Students who excel get the chance to perform at respected piano concerts and win prizes.

The festival took place in Tel Aviv this year due to the volatile situation in the north of Israel. Human was among the few brave foreign pianists who were unafraid of the war and came to Israel.

Human is a devoted Christian, and is proud to talk about his first visit to Israel, which he said was a wonderful experience. “The people I interacted with daily are so genuinely kind and warm. Sometimes I felt a bit reluctant to say that I’m from South Africa, but I did every time” he said.

He said he was always treated with respect, “in fact it seemed like no-one really bothered about these things, they just saw me as a person and wanted to talk to me, regardless of politics”.

In regard to fear of escalating war in the country, Human said it was revitalising to be among people just living their everyday life, having coffee, ice-cream, and eating out.

As a dog lover, one of his favourite memories was how so many Israelis walk their dogs every day. He said Israel is a beautiful country and people with amazing architecture, which made him wonder how it did it. “In general, I’m impressed with Israel, and wouldn’t think twice about returning.”

Human said he was surprised to be chosen to win the Pnina Salzman award “since there are such amazing young pianists here, and they can easily do things I’m still struggling with after so many years, but I’m honoured to know that my playing is appreciated”.