Gloria in Excelsis

The Zimbelstern Foundation is delighted to present an organ concert on ANZAC Day concert ‘Gloria in Excelsis - Beauty in the midst of Chaos’. The concert features South African organist Eon Malan, who is Assistant Organist at St Peters Cathedral in Hamilton.

The programme will include music by Buxtehude, Merkel Franck and more.

Eon Malan enjoys a successful career as a church organist, collaborative pianist and choral conductor. Being raised in an Afrikaans musical family, he was exposed to church music, and in particular the church organ, at a very young age. Born in Johannesburg, South Africa, Eon started with piano tuition at the age of 6. Although he originally studied photography, his passion for church music and the pipe organ continued to grow until he eventually chose to follow his calling.

He holds Diplomas in Hymnology, Church Music and Organ Performance (cum laude) from Stellenbosch University and the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. Eon has studied organ with Drs Mario Nell, Jacqueline Moffitt-Yost, Gerrit Jordaan and choral conducting with Mr Martin Berger.

Eon gives regular solo recitals and is a favourite collaborative pianist for vocalists and chamber musicians. He has also performed extensively in South Africa, as well as in the United Kingdom and the United States. Although he enjoys solo performance, his first love is to make music in the church where he has held positions at various congregations as organist and music director. He has also successfully developed a regular concert series called Music in Sacred Spaces where he is the Artistic Director.

Eon has won numerous organ bursary competitions and has been awarded acclaimed study bursaries from various institutions such as the Nederduits Gereformeerde Kerk van Suid-Afrika, the Southern African Church & Concert Organists’ Society (SAKOV) and the UNC Charlotte. In 2019 he received the Long Service Award from SAKOV for 25 years of dedicated service as an organist.

Having recently relocated to New Zealand, Eon is presently completing a Graduate Diploma in Organ Performance remotely through Stellenbosch University. He serves as Digital Communications Director and Assistant Organist at The Waikato Cathedral Church of St Peter in Hamilton, and Assistant Organist at St Andrew’s Anglican Church in Cambridge. He also teaches organ and piano at St Peter’s School in Cambridge. Eon is an active committee member at the Auckland Organ Association.