Four Films by William Kentridge with Live Score by Kyle Shepherd

As the programming becomes bolder and more experimental, Journey to Jazz 2026 presents a special programme featuring four short films by William Kentridge, accompanied by a live score performed by pianist and composer Kyle Shepherd. This performance forms part of an ongoing creative collaboration between Kentridge and Shepherd, extending a body of work developed over several years across film, music, and stage. In this context, Shepherd performs an original live score to four iconic films by Kentridge. Renowned for his charcoal animations and incisive reflections on memory, history, and the human condition, Kentridge’s films are re-encountered here through a responsive and evolving musical interpretation.

Shepherd’s score — drawing on jazz improvisation, indigenous musical elements, contemporary compositional techniques, and minimal electronic textures — functions as both accompaniment and counterpoint. Music and image engage in real time, creating a dynamic dialogue that expands the emotional and temporal dimensions of the films while preserving their autonomy as screen works. This programme builds on the artists’ previous collaborations, notably the chamber opera Waiting for the Sibyl, created with Nhlanhla Mahlangu, which received the Olivier Award in the United Kingdom. Together, these works reflect a sustained artistic dialogue between visual and musical practices.

The performance invites audiences into an immersive encounter with South Africa’s layered histories, contemporary realities, and evolving cultural narratives. – A landmark presentation for Journey to Jazz 2026.