Mimi Coertse wins ACT Lifetime Achievement Award
Mimi Coertse’s contribution to music in South Africa was recognised when she was awarded a Lifetime Achievement Award for Music.
ACT Trustee, Trish Downing, announced Mimi Coertse as the 2011 Lifetime Achievement Award winner for Music at the ACT Awards Luncheon hosted at Monte Casino’s La Toscana in Johannesburg on 4 November.
The ACT Lifetime Achievement Award for Music is sponsored by the Southern African Music Rights Organisation (SAMRO). The ACT Lifetime Achievement Awards acknowledge excellent and extended service to particular disciplines and to South African culture as a whole. Mimi was one of three South African arts luminaries to be awarded for Lifetime Achievement. Also celebrated were Mannie Manim for Theatre and Mmakgabo Mapula Helen Sebidi for Visual Art.
Trish Downing comments: “Today we honour not only Mimi’s exceptional talent and the contribution she has made to music in South Africa, but also her ambassadorship in flying the flag for South African music abroad. In her years of achievement, she has not only stood out as an artist but has also ensured that her standing allowed for many younger artists to grow and nurture their talents through her mentorship and other efforts.”
Following her matriculation in Johannesburg, Mimi Coertse studied in Vienna at the Academy of Art and Science. After her triumphant performance in 1956 as "Queen of the Night" in Die Zauberflöte (Mozart), she became the youngest member of the permanent
company of the Vienna State Opera, where she remained for twenty years.
During this time she also sang at Covent Garden in London, and in 1966 she received the honorary title of Kammersaengerin from the Austrian President.
To enable young South African singers to study abroad, Mimi started the Mimi Coertse Bursary in 1958, benefitting many singers.Mimi returned to South Africa in 1973, and she performed regularly in opera in both Cape Town and Pretoria.
Mimi launched her bi-annual Debut with Mimi in 1983. This project enabled young aspiring opera singers from all over South Africa to be introduced to the audience at a gala concert with orchestra, and many of South Africa's well-known artists made their debuts at this gala: Virginia Davids, Jannie Moolman, Sibongile Mngoma, Kaiser Nkosi, to name but a few.
One of her
In 1998, following the closure of PACT, Mimi was determined to not allow opera in South Africa die. Along with stage designer and director Neels Hansen she started the Black Tie Ensemble, ensuring that many talented performers with the desire to perform opera, had the opportunity to do so. What started out as a group of eight performers has now grown to be arguably one of the most respected operatic outfits in the country. In celebration of Mimi’s Lifetime Achievement Award the Black Tie Ensemble performed at the Awards ceremony.
Throughout the years, Mimi has received many awards from countless institutions and companies, one of the most prestigious ones being the gold Austrian Cross of Honour (Arts and Science) for her contribution to the arts, which she received in 1996. This is the highest honour one can receive in Austria.
In September 1998 she received a D Phil (h.c.) From the University of Pretoria.
