TUT celebrates Kellerman’s national honour

The Tshwane University of Technology (TUT) celebrates the remarkable achievement of South African flautist and TUT Honorary Doctor Wouter Kellerman with heartfelt pride, following his receipt of a National Order from His Excellency, President Matamela Cyril Ramaphosa, today,19 May.

Wouter Kellerman Multi Grammy Award winning Kellerman received the Order of Ikhamanga (Gold), which recognises South African citizens who have excelled in the fields of the arts, culture, literature, music, journalism and sport.

According to the Presidency, he has received this accolade, in particular, for his outstanding achievements as a flautist, composer and arranger and for his contribution to community development, leveraging music to motivate young people to flourish through musical expression.

“He has demonstrated the power of music as a universal language that unifies South Africans and brings people together across geographical and cultural borders in appreciation of heartfelt art.”

National Orders are the highest awards that our country, through the President, bestows upon its citizens and distinguished foreign nationals who have contributed to the advancement of democracy and improved the lives of South Africans.

They also recognise individuals who have contributed, or continue to contribute, to building a non-racial, non-sexist, democratic and prosperous South Africa, as set out in our Constitution.

TUT warmly congratulates Kellerman on this well-deserved recognition and celebrates his ability to inspire and connect us through the beautiful, universal language of music.

In congratulating Kellerman, Prof Tinyiko Maluleke, Vice-Chancellor and Principal of TUT, said: “After 11 albums, an honorary doctorate, multiple Grammy and SAMA awards and performances on every continent, including the closing ceremony of the 2010 FIFA World Cup, Wouter Kellerman has secured his place among the great musical voices of Africa and the world. May the sounds of Kellerman’s flute help rid us of the plague of nihilistic despair that often threatens to swallow up our world without a trace. May Kellerman’s music become a fountain from which we shall continue to find hope and healing in a world torn apart by greed, bigotry, violence and environmental degradation.”

• In 2024, TUT conferred on Kellerman the degree of Doctor of Performing Arts (Honoris Causa) in the Faculty of Arts and Design for his contributions to our nation’s musical heritage, exceptional talent and achievements, profound impact on the global stage and the inspiration he provides to established and aspiring artists through the universal language of music.