Notable achievements


composed his first pieces for piano at the age of five;

received his first post as a church organist at age 10

first appearance as solo cellist was with the Johannesburg Symphony Orchestra at age 11
along with fellow pianist Charl de Wet, performing the Poulenc Double Piano Concerto, he was a winner at the Youth Concerto Festival at age 14

during 2001 and again 2002, he was appointed musical director for the Woman of the Year national awards ceremony, televised live from the Artscape Opera House, Cape Town

in 2004 he was appointed music director for the Ukkasie Festival Concert in the Royal Albert Hall, London, which also featured some of his choral compositions, folk song arrangements and improvisations on the organ

appeared in a fully improvised recital with jazz pianist Paul Hanmer at the National Arts Festival's main programme in 2007

the HA!Man Show was invited as a main feature at the Kolligfees in Durban during 2007 as well as 2008, when a choral work for post Apartheid Afrikaners was premiered

his compositions for choir, "Her Time Has Come" and "Beautiful Land," have been performed by award winning choirs locally and abroad;

shared the stage with various South African artists of note, including Sibongile Khumalo, Stef Bos, Laurika Rauch and Steve Hofmeyer, and produced soundtracks for numerous plays, dance pieces and film work;

was voted one of 100 new leading Afrikaans personalities in SA by De Kat Magazine

was appointed artist in residence for the 5th The Prince of Wales Business & Environment SA Seminar, held for business and government leaders in 2008, where he was noted for his improvisations that captured the emotions surrounding climate change and other critical issues

created the soundtrack for a globally released Animal Planet ETV documentary on the Knysna elephants (2008)

in 2009 he composed, convened and directed an array of performers and choirs for a concert celebrating the 60th anniversary of the notorious Voortrekker Monument outside Pretoria, taking Afrikaner culture into the 21st century

his compositions and recordings have also been featured at Italy's Teramo Festival (July 2008)

school district residencies with the HA!Man have been held in the South Africa, the Netherlands as well as New York state, typically ending with mass choir and orchestra concerts

Proctor's Theatre in Schenectady, New York, hosted him as part of their “Dangerous Music” school programme as well as a mass choir concert celebrating the life of Nelson Mandela.

in 2025, he created a soundtrack for an award winning video that combines dance and music with the sounds of loom machines

in 2026, he created a soundtrack for a physical theatre production at the National Arts Festival in South Africa (“Ontneem”) which went on to win an award

also in 2026, he also composed a new choral work, “three without words”, based on his life philosophy, for the Ensemble Cantalon in Basel, Switzerland, which was premiered to standing ovations


 


hamanworld.com