Reporters/Cultural Artistic Ambassadors

Sibongile Buda, known as Ms Buda Bass, is a Mamelodi born, South African performing artist. She is a bassist, composer, music teacher, band conductor, founder and programme Director. Her passion for music is traced back to her grandmother who plays an African drum in church; her love for music emanates from growing up in a musical background following on her grandmother’s footsteps. This lead to a discovery of a music programme known as Committed Artist for Cultural Advancement (CAFCA).

At the age of 12, she moved to Tegucigalpa, the capital of Honduras, and received courses at the Music School, where she became interested and fascinated by the Double Bass. Later, she entered to the "Francisco Ramón Díaz Zelaya" National Conservatory of Music where she did her formal music and double bass studies with Maestro Ramón Orozco, graduating with excellence in 2017. She currently performs as a double bass player in symphony orchestras, chamber orchestras and quintets in her country.

I started double bass at 14 and studied at the Royal Northern College of Music. While working orchestrally, in chamber music, jazz and other genres, I set up Classical Evolution in the UK 11 years ago. Our ethos is to present classical music to new places and audiences in an informal way, collaborating with different genres and art forms. I now live in Porto, Portugal where it continues.

Emma Sullivan (Australia) Melbourne musician Dr Emma Sullivan is the principal double bassist of Melbourne Chamber Orchestra and a regular casual musician with Melbourne Symphony Orchestra. As a chamber musician, Emma has had the privilege of performing with such ensembles as the Australian Octet, Melbourne Chamber Players and Inventi Ensemble and at festivals including Music by the Springs, Port Fairy Spring Music Festival and Bendigo Chamber Music Festival. A passionate educator, Emma relishes