After four decades of keeping Nelson Mandela Bay in tune with classical music, Albert Troskie has proved that playing and creating music is essential for the cultural development of society and the revival of an art form he has dedicated his life to.
Troskie has been on a mission to show the world the beauty of classical music, and, more specifically, that the organ is more than just a church instrument.
The dedication towards the upliftment of his craft has seen him claim the title of The Herald NMU Citizen of the Year winner in the arts, culture and heritage category.
He said it was an honour to be nominated, and he would use the opportunity to help promote and educate people about more than just the organ.
“It is a wonderful feeling to be recognised for something I have been advocating for the past 40 years.
“The recognition of the cultural importance of the organ and the impact of classical music is motivating for me to continue,” Troskie said.
Not only does the now retired professor of music play the instrument but, after advocating for 13 years, it was largely thanks to his effort that the famed concert pipe organ was installed at the Feather Market Centre.
Troskie said despite his accomplishments there was still a lot to be done in terms of uplifting the cultural life of Gqeberha. .
“Music spans all cultures and is a unifying thing.
“I am still going to continue to encourage and motivate as many people to get involved as I possibly can,” he said.
Born and bred in Somerset East, Troskie said his love and passion for music and all instruments developed further when he went to study musicology at the University of Cape Town (UCT).
It was there that he was inspired to learn more about the organ.
“I have always been fascinated by the design of the organ and the sound that it makes,” he said.
Troskie, 80, has been instrumental in numerous campaigns to bring the organ into various institutions since the 1970s.
“ The then University of Port Elizabeth [now Nelson Mandela University] immediately started campaigning for an organ to be installed there and for the refurbishment of the one at the Feather Market,” he said.
By 1995, Troskie motivated for the donation and installation of the pipe organ at NMU to be moved to the Weis Memorial church in Schauderville, where regular concerts are still being held to benefit the community.
Founder of the Feather Market Organ Society and the Southern African Church and Concert Organist Society, Troskie is also an honorary member of the Music Society of Port Elizabeth.
He is also largely responsible for organising outreach programmes, including the “Open Day for Schools” at the Feather Market Centre, where children from across the Bay can learn more about the instrument.
“My aim is to coach someone to follow in my footsteps and tell them they can also just do it,” he said.
Annually, Troskie assists in hosting a Christmas Concert where the funds raised are donated to charity; since 1999 almost 200 concerts have been hosted with the Feather Market organ taking centre stage.
Troskie has also been closely involved in getting internationally recognised musicians to Gqeberha.
“Gqeberha is considered the organ capital of SA and I am very proud of that,” he said.
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