Wouter Kellerman
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Wouter Kellerman (born 20 September 1961) is a three-time Grammy Award-winning South African
flautist The flute is a member of a family of musical instruments in the woodwind group. Like all woodwinds, flutes are aerophones, producing sound with a vibrating column of air. Flutes produce sound when the player's air flows across an opening. In th ...
, producer and
composer A composer is a person who writes music. The term is especially used to indicate composers of Western classical music, or those who are composers by occupation. Many composers are, or were, also skilled performers of music. Etymology and def ...
who has won nine
South African Music Awards The South African Music Awards (often simply the SAMAs) are the Recording Industry of South Africa's music industry awards, established in 1995. The ceremony is held annually, usually in late April or May, with the judging process starting in ...
. Classically trained, Kellerman performs primarily
World The world is the totality of entities, the whole of reality, or everything that Existence, exists. The nature of the world has been conceptualized differently in different fields. Some conceptions see the world as unique, while others talk ...
,
Roots A root is the part of a plant, generally underground, that anchors the plant body, and absorbs and stores water and nutrients. Root or roots may also refer to: Art, entertainment, and media * ''The Root'' (magazine), an online magazine focusin ...
and
New Age New Age is a range of Spirituality, spiritual or Religion, religious practices and beliefs that rapidly grew in Western world, Western society during the early 1970s. Its highly eclecticism, eclectic and unsystematic structure makes a precise d ...
music. Kellerman received a Grammy Award at the
57th Annual Grammy Awards The 57th Annual Grammy Awards were held on February 8, 2015, at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California. The show was broadcast live by CBS at 5:00 p.m. PST ( UTC−8). Rapper LL Cool J hosted the show for the fourth consecutive ti ...
for his 2014 album ''Winds of Samsara'', a collaboration with Indian composer and producer
Ricky Kej Ram Gyan "Ricky" Kej (born 5 August 1981) is an Indian music composer, environmentalist, a three-time Grammy Awards, Grammy Award winner and a four-time Grammy Awards, Grammy nominee. Kej was conferred with a Padma Shri, Padma Shri award in 20 ...
. ''Winds of Samsara'' reached No. 1 on the US New Age Album
Billboard Charts The ''Billboard'' charts tabulate the relative weekly popularity of songs and albums in the United States and elsewhere. The results are published in ''Billboard (magazine), Billboard'' magazine. ''Billboard'' biz, the online extension of the ' ...
and also peaked at No. 1 on the ZMR ( Zone Music Reporter) Top 100 Radio Airplay Chart in the month of July 2014. Kellerman's ''Love Language'' (2015) received a Grammy nomination for '
Best Contemporary Instrumental Album The Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Instrumental Album (previously: Best Pop Instrumental Album) is an award presented at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards, to recording arti ...
', and won a SAMA for 'Best Instrumental and/or Classical Album'. It debuted at No. 1 on the World Music
Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertis ...
charts in July 2015. This album also featured at No. 1 on the ZMR Top 100 International Radio Airplay Chart in August 2015, and spent 11 weeks in the CMJ New World Top 40 Chart, peaking at No. 12. His next project was a collaboration with the
Soweto Gospel Choir The Soweto Gospel Choir is a South African gospel group. History The Soweto Gospel Choir was formed in Soweto, South Africa, by David Mulovhedzi and Beverly Bryer, and producers Andrew Kay, David Vigo and Cliff Hocking in 2002. The more than 30- ...
, ''Symphonic Soweto – A Tribute to Nelson Mandela''. The album re-conceptualised traditional music, freedom songs (including Mandela favourite, "''Lizalis’idinga''") and popular songs by South African legends (including
Brenda Fassie Brenda Nokuzola Fassie (3 November 1964 – 9 May 2004) was a South African singer, songwriter, dancer and activist. Affectionately called MaBrrr by her fans, she is also known as the "Queen of African Pop" or the "Madonna of The Townships." Fas ...
,
Lucky Dube Lucky Philip Dube (pronounced ''duu-beh'';
luckydubemusic.com, Retrieved 19 October 2007
3 August 1964 – 18 October 2 ...
and
Miriam Makeba Zenzile Miriam Makeba ( , ; 4 March 1932 – 9 November 2008), nicknamed Mama Africa, was a South African singer, songwriter, actress, and civil rights activist. Associated with musical genres including African popular music, Afropop, ja ...
), from a symphonic and choral perspective – as part of honouring
Nelson Mandela Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela ( , ; born Rolihlahla Mandela; 18 July 1918 – 5 December 2013) was a South African Internal resistance to apartheid, anti-apartheid activist and politician who served as the first president of South Africa f ...
in the year he would have celebrated his 100th birthday. ''Symphonic Soweto'' won the 2018 SAMA for ''Best Adult Contemporary Album'' – Kellerman's seventh SAMA recognition. From ''Symphonic Soweto'', Kellerman's collaborative composition ''Soweto Travels'' won the ''USA Songwriting Competition'' for Best Instrumental Composition in 2017. As part of his mission to work with and uplift children, Kellerman collaborated with the Ndlovu Youth Choir (a rural choir based in Moutse in the
Limpopo Limpopo () is the northernmost Provinces of South Africa, province of South Africa. It is named after the Limpopo River, which forms the province's western and northern borders. The term Limpopo is derived from Rivombo (Livombo/Lebombo), a ...
province of South Africa) in 2018. Their African version of
Ed Sheeran Edward Christopher Sheeran ( ; born 17 February 1991) is an English singer-songwriter. Born in Halifax, West Yorkshire, and raised in Framlingham, Suffolk, he began writing songs around the age of eleven. In early 2011, Sheeran independently r ...
's ''
Shape of You "Shape of You" is a song by English singer Ed Sheeran. It was released on 6 January 2017 as one of the lead single, double lead singles from his third studio album ''÷ (album), ÷'' (2017), along with "Castle on the Hill". The Dancehall pop, ...
'' became an internet sensation, going viral with tens of millions of views on social media, and winning awards like the HMMA (
Hollywood Music in Media Awards The Hollywood Music in Media Awards (HMMA) is an award organization honoring original music (Song and Score) in all forms visual media including film, TV, video games, trailers, commercial advertisements, documentaries, music videos and special p ...
) for 'Best Independent Music Video' – pushing the Ndlovu Youth Choir firmly into the international limelight. This resulted in
America's Got Talent ''America's Got Talent'' (often abbreviated as ''AGT'') is an American talent show competition, and is part of the global ''Got Talent'' franchise created by Simon Cowell. The program is produced by Fremantle (as well as distributed by) and ...
scouting the choir to enter the 2019 competition. Ndlovu went ahead and delivered a sensational first few rounds, going all the way through to the finals of the competition, showcasing South African music and spirit in the process. Their collaboration is part of Kellerman's 2019 album ''In A Different Light','' in which he re-imagines and re-shapes some of his favourite melodies by approaching them from a fresh angle. Kellerman received his third Grammy nomination for ''Pangaea,'' his collaborative album with
David Arkenstone David Arkenstone (born July 1, 1952) is an American composer and performer. His music is primarily instrumental, with occasional vocalizations. Most of Arkenstone's music falls into new age category; however, he also worked in other genres, inclu ...
in 2021 and his fourth Grammy nomination and his second win in 2023 for his song ''Bayethe,'' with South African artists Nomcebo Zikode and Zakes Bantwini in the Best Global Music Performance category. In 2025, he won his third Grammy Award for ''Triveni'', his collaborative album with Chandrika Tandon and Eru Matsumoto, in the Best New Age, Ambient, or Chant Album category. Kellerman was awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Art and Design from Tshwane University of Technology in October 2024.


Performance highlights

:* Kellerman performed at the closing ceremony of the
2010 Soccer World Cup The 2010 FIFA World Cup was the 19th FIFA World Cup, the world championship for men's national football teams. It took place in South Africa from 11 June to 11 July 2010. The bidding process for hosting the tournament finals was open only to ...
for 700 million people. :* Performed at the Joy of Jazz Festival in Johannesburg in 2010, 2016 and 2022. :* Performed at the 2017
Byron Bay Bluesfest The Byron Bay Bluesfest, formerly the East Coast International Blues & Roots Music Festival, is an annual Australian music festival that has been held over the Easter long weekend in the Byron Bay, New South Wales, area since 1990. The festiva ...
in Australia. :* Performed at the South African/Russia Cultural Season in St Petersburg in Russia in November 2017 :* Performed at the 2010 Expo in Shanghai, China :* Performed at the 2010 opening of Midem in
Cannes Cannes (, ; , ; ) is a city located on the French Riviera. It is a communes of France, commune located in the Alpes-Maritimes departments of France, department, and host city of the annual Cannes Film Festival, Midem, and Cannes Lions Internatio ...
, France. Midem is the world's biggest music conference. :* Performed at the
Kennedy Center The John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts, commonly known as the Kennedy Center, is the national cultural center of the United States, located on the eastern bank of the Potomac River in Washington, D.C. Opened on September 8, ...
in Washington DC in 2012 and 2015 :* Performed at
Carnegie Hall Carnegie Hall ( ) is a concert venue in Midtown Manhattan, New York City. It is at 881 Seventh Avenue (Manhattan), Seventh Avenue, occupying the east side of Seventh Avenue between 56th Street (Manhattan), 56th and 57th Street (Manhattan), 57t ...
in NYC in October 2014, October 2015 and November 2019 :* Performed at the Woodford Folk Festival in Australia in 2013/2014 :* Performed at the Rajasthan International Folk Festival in Jodhpur, India in October 2015 and 2018 :* Performed for the President of India in December 2015 :* Performed in Johannesburg for the visiting Prime Minister of India,
Narendra Modi Narendra Damodardas Modi (born 17 September 1950) is an Indian politician who has served as the Prime Minister of India, prime minister of India since 2014. Modi was the chief minister of Gujarat from 2001 to 2014 and is the Member of Par ...
and a television audience of more than 200 million people in June 2016. :* Performed in Kuwait at the Al Yarmouk Theater on 17 April 2019, at a show coordinated by the South African Embassy. :* Performed at the Dubai Expo in Dubai in October 2021, opening Heritage Week for South Africa. :* Performed as soloist with the South African Mzansi National Philharmonic Orchestra and conductor Marin Alsop in Johannesburg, Durban and Cape Town in December 2022 :* Performed an intimate hour-long concert for 9 people only, which included the President of South Africa Cyril Ramaphosa, the President of China Xi Jinping, the Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi and President of Brazil Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva in August 2023. :* Performed at the BRICS Gala Dinner for 55 heads of state in August 2023. Kellerman's flute-playing can be heard on the soundtrack of the
Emmy Award The Emmy Awards, or Emmys, are an extensive range of awards for artistic and technical merit for the television industry. A number of annual Emmy Award ceremonies are held throughout the year, each with their own set of rules and award categor ...
-winning film '' Eye of the Leopard''.


Philanthropy

Kellerman has sponsored the living expenses of 10 children in the
SOS Children's Village SOS Children's Villages is an independent, non-governmental, nonprofit international development organization headquartered in Innsbruck, Austria. The organization provides humanitarian and developmental assistance to families facing difficultie ...
in Ennerdale, South Africa for the past 20 years and has also financed the building of a house in the
SOS Children's Village SOS Children's Villages is an independent, non-governmental, nonprofit international development organization headquartered in Innsbruck, Austria. The organization provides humanitarian and developmental assistance to families facing difficultie ...
in
Rustenburg Rustenburg (; , Afrikaans and Dutch language, Dutch: ''City of Rest'') is a town at the foot of the Magaliesberg mountain range. Rustenburg is the most populous city in North West (South African province), North West province, South Africa (549 ...
. For his continued efforts in helping give these children a better life, Kellerman was nominated by the
SOS Children's Villages SOS Children's Villages is an independent, non-governmental, nonprofit international development organization headquartered in Innsbruck, Austria. The organization provides humanitarian and developmental assistance to families facing difficultie ...
for the 2007 Inyathelo Special Recognition Award for Philanthropy. He continues to facilitate the teaching of young dance and music students. Kellerman provided the seed funding for the Keiskamma Music Academy in the Eastern Cape, founded by fellow flautist, Helen Vosloo. Wouter has worked closely and performs regularly with the charity ''67 Blankets For Nelson Mandela.'' Kellerman recorded a song called 'Homeland' for Refugees awareness in March 2022 and performed on 10 December 2020 for the NPO Turquoise Harmony Institute to raise awareness of the plight of refugees


Awards and nominations


Albums

* Colour (2007) * Two Voices (2010) * Half Moon (2012) * Mzansi (2013) * Winds of Samsara (2014) * Love Language (2015) * Symphonic Soweto, a Tribute to Nelson Mandela (2017) *In A Different Light (2019) *We've Known All Times (2020) *Pangaea (2021) *Triveni (2024)


References


External links


Official Website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Kellerman, Wouter 20th-century South African musicians 1961 births Living people 21st-century South African musicians Musicians from Johannesburg Grammy Award winners 20th-century South African male musicians 21st-century South African male musicians