The 2025 National Youth Music Competition (NYMC) awaits the return of rising pianist star Hermanus Schmidt from Somerset West.

In his debut at the NYMC last year, the 17-year-old Grade 11 learner of the Paul Roos Gimnasium in Stellenbosch stunned the adjudicators and audience with his proficiency, playing himself into the final round’s gala concert where he performed Felix Mendelsohn’s Piano Concerto No. 1 in G Minor, Op. 25.

This was only four years after he started playing the piano. He jokingly calls himself the Covid pianist. Currently under the tutelage of Prof Mario Nell, Hermanus’ first music teacher was Marisa van Wyk. Last year, Dr Ronella Brink guided him into NYMC.

The humble pianist role model is Jesus, and he describes himself as passionate. Apart from the piano, he also plays the tuba for the school and the Stellenbosch Youth Orchestra, but the piano is his favourite instrument.

He is the only one of the three Schmidt children who is playing classical music. His older brother plays the guitar and is part of the Stellenbosch University Wilgenhof residence’s serenade group, known as the Kraaie. Both his uncle and grandfather are keen guitar players.

He believes German composer Johann Sebastian Bach is the greatest composer of all time. “The scale of his great masterpieces is awe-inspiring. His cleverness and evident genius are miraculous, and the spiritual undertones in much of his music are moving,” he says.

Hermanus says he tries to practice as much as he can. A typical day caps around three hours. In his free time, he tries to get to the gym consistently. Apart from choir and orchestra, he is not doing any other school activities.

He honestly admits that he is uncertain about his plans, but if circumstances allow, he wants to pursue music.