Gaylen Rose Sales was born in Pretoria and started piano lessons at the age of six and harp lessons at the age of ten with Moya Wright and later with Rosalind Dunbar. She matriculated at the Pro Arte High School and later obtained a B Mus degree in Performing Arts at the University of the Witwatersrand. Her main instruments were harp and organ which she studied under Kathleen Alistair and Prof. Henk Temmingh respectively.She has performed as soloist with the National Symphony Orchestra, Pro-Musica Orchestra, Transvaal Philharmonic Orchestra and more recently with the Johannesburg Festival Orchestra, the Chamber Orchestra of South Africa and the Cape Philharmonic Orchestra. As an orchestral player, has made appearances with NAPAC, PACOFS, NSO, CPO and toured South America with the Junior SABC orchestra. In 1983 she joined a Greek choir at the Athens Music Festival as the harpist.
Gaylen has been the recipient of many awards and bursaries, including the Unisa Buy-Aid Bursary (1981), the SAMRO Undergraduate Music Bursary (1982-1984), the Olga Lipman Bursary (1982,1984, 1985). From 1986-1988 she worked as repetiteur and Principal Harpist for PACOFS. In 1993 she joined the Transvaal Philharmonic Orchestra (later known as The New Arts Philharmonic Orchestra of Pretoria) as Principal Harpist until its closure.
She is married with three sons and currently serves as Principal Harpist for the Johannesburg Festival Orchestra and the Chamber Orchestra of South Africa. In 2010, she performed in Mauritius with the CPO for a production of the Opera Carmen as well as with various fellow musicians in Concerts at Classic FM and Northwards.
Gaylen is actively involved in Background music for functions such as Weddings, Corporate Events and Funerals. Together with the JFO, she has been fortunate to accompany various prominent overseas Artists including : Pavarotti, Josh Groban, St’ Petersburg Ballet, Khanye West and more recently Amaury Vasssili, Katherine Jenkins and Il Divo.
Her last performance with #FSSO was in March 2017 as soloist for #SymphonyConcert alongside #BridgetRennie-Salonen (flute) conducted by #TimMurray.
She is not to be missed this coming Saturday for the #ChoralConcert, playing the #Harp in the #Rutter #FeelTheSpirit and #Faure #Requiem!
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