Uganda has many talented musicians, but classical music training is limited and unco-ordinated, and progress to an advanced level in organ playing is rare. Samuel Kimuli FRCO grew up in Uganda and is now a UK-based organist, composer and educator. He has set up an Academy in his home country to help young musicians who didn’t have the same opportunities as he had, and improve the provision of skilled organists across Uganda.
His project began just as the pandemic shut down schools across Uganda, and the Academy had to transfer online, running classes via a students’ WhatsApp group. But now Covid restrictions are lifting, and he’s now setting up a physical teaching centre, with the digital organs he has shipped over now being available for students.
‘Having these youngsters achieve the Royal College of Organists’ qualifications of ARCO and FRCO would be marvellous,’ he says. ‘However we have yet to own a 3-manual organ which is very much needed for FRCO level tuition, performance and examinations – to acquire this kind of organ would be fantastic for the students and the Academy.’
‘I would like my Academy to be both a local resource for Uganda as well as an international hub for other countries across Africa. I want to develop the talent of young, new musicians as well as improve the skills of older musicians who haven’t been able to take their passion forward due to lack of resources.’
More on The Organ Academy, Uganda : www.theorganacademy.com
Samuel’s own story of how he went from choirboy at Namirembe Cathedral to professional organist is included in an article for the RCO’s StopPress blog: An Organ Academy for Uganda (free to read, registration required)
feature image: Samuel Kimuli
