Jury

Thomas Pooley is Professor of Music at the University of South Africa (UNISA) where he directs the Music Directorate, managing both the Unisa Music Examinations Board (est. 1894) and the UNISA Music Foundation. He has served as Artistic Director of the Unisa Music Competitions since 2024 and chairs juries of the Unisa National and International Competitions. Thomas was trained first as a pianist with Isabella Stengel, Ruth Goveia, Mary Dullea, Malcolm Nay, and Pauline Nossel, winning the piano scholarship competition at his alma mater, the University of KwaZulu-Natal. He was a Benjamin Franklin and Booth Ferris Fellow at the University of Pennsylvania where he earned his PhD with specialization in music cognition and nineteenth century piano music. Since joining UNISA he served as head of music and then as Chair of the Department of Art and Music. Thomas has published books and articles on African music, including on opera, choral music, and song, and is an expert on South African pianism. He also takes a keen interest in the piano music of Beethoven and Chopin, and scholarly work on these two composers.