GEORGE NEWS - At just 19, violinist Maja Snyman has already performed on international stages, built a TikTok following of more than 370 000 and twice claimed a world title in performing arts.
Now she is bringing her music to a live audience in George for the first time.
Snyman will present Music of the Night, a tribute to The Phantom of the Opera and other timeless masterpieces, at the DR Mother Church in George on Friday 4 September. She performs under the stage name Maja Rey. 'Rey' is taken from her middle name, Delarey, which she chose because Americans often have difficulty pronouncing "Snyman".
A night of music
The candlelit production will feature the South Cape Children's Choir, a ballerina and an organist, with Snyman performing and arranging the music herself. The programme will include well-known pieces from The Phantom of the Opera, Schindler's List and Beauty and the Beast.
For Snyman, the concert represents an important step from performing behind a screen to connecting with audiences in person.
"With my big following on social media, I feel it is time to do it live and not just over a phone screen," she says. "I want to show that I don't only have an online presence, but that I am also part of our community."
Snyman, who now lives in George, has built her career largely independently. She completed her Cambridge matric last November and is studying online through Ireland's UEx Design Institute, where she has already obtained a diploma in user experience design.
She deliberately chose a career that could eventually allow her to work remotely while leaving time for what she describes as her number-one passion: the violin.
"I want a job that will give me a lot of time for my violin," she says. "I also want to be able to invest the money I make into my violin."
Twice world champion
Her achievements include winning the South African Championships of Performing Arts in 2023, followed by a trip to Los Angeles where she won the overall instrumentalist title in the World Championships of Performing Arts. She returned to Los Angeles in 2024 and won the same title again.
She is preparing to compete once more at the championships in Rustenburg in September. If she wins, her prize will be a trip to Las Vegas next year.
Earlier this year, Snyman performed solo at the STRAB music festival in Mozambique, playing violin and singing. She was also recently invited to perform violin at TEDx George's Women's Day event at Fancourt.
Now she is putting her own production together from the ground up, and funding the concert herself.
"It is my first show ever," she says. "I love performing."
Music of the Night starts at 19:30 on 4 September, with doors opening at 19:00. Tickets cost R150 for adults and R100 for children under 12 and are available through Quicket.
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