Jan-Erik Swart is a conductor, music educator and motivator par excellence, with a passion for developing his choristers to enjoy performing music at national and international levels.

He has collaborated with artists and personalities such as Dana Winner, Richard Cock, Cutt Glas, Danie Niehaus, Fanie Smit, Jannie Moolman, Annake de Villiers and Michael Lindt, and performed with world-renowned choirs such as the World Youth Choir (2007), the Glynn Ellen Children’s Choir, the Halle Children’s Choir (2008), the Estonian TV Children’s Choir, the YIP Children’s Choir, (Taiwan) the Ruamjai Finnish Youth Choir, (2009), the St Andrew’s Cathedral Choir (Sydney, Australia), the Washington Children’s Chorus, the Aachen Cathedral Choir, the Texas State Chorale (2010), the Tygerberg Children’s Choir, the Colorado Children’s Chorus, and the Coro Calicantus (Locarno, Switzerland).

He was appointed conductor of the South Cape Children’s Choir in 2006, and attained a national victory at the ATKV ANIMATO Choral Competition’s Finals of 2010. He attended the 2008 IFCM World Symposium on Choral Music, in Copenhagen, Denmark, and the “Voices of South Africa” Choral Symposium at the University of Stellenbosch and is completing his M.Mus degree (choral conducting) at Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University.

Jan-Erik was a co-founder of the South Cape Symphony Orchestra (2006), is a choral adjudicator of note, and was recently awarded the George Music Society’s George 200 Award for outstanding participation in, and development of, the music culture of the city of George. He is the newly-appointed conductor of the George Male Voice Choir, one of the oldest and best-known male voice choirs in South Africa.

As a citizen-force officer of the South African Navy, and qualified bandmaster, he was awarded the Chief of the Navy’s Commendation for good service to the Navy, in the field of military music development, working with various South African Navy bands.

He attended the 2008 IFCM World Symposium on Choral Music, in Copenhagen, Denmark, and the “Voices of South Africa” Choral Symposium at the University of Stellenbosch. He composed and music and wrote the lyrics of “The Glenwood House School Anthem” for an IEB independent school in George. He also received an invitation for the SCCC to participate in the prominent Ihlombe International Choral Festival 2010, in Cape Town, as well as to participate in the Central European Choral Festival, in Slovakia, during 2011. 

Jan-Erik directed “Music Montage 2010”, in which he put together, presented and conducted a massed choir of 400 children’s voices with guest artist Danie Niehaus, accompanied by the South Cape Symphony Orchestra, which was broadcast on SABC 2 TV News, RSG and KidsNews SABC 1.

Updated 12 April 2012