Tracey (Appolis) Johannes earned her Bachelor of Music degree in Jazz Studies from the University of Cape Town, followed by a Postgraduate Certificate in Education from the University of South Africa. She is currently pursuing a Bachelor of Applied Social Sciences with a focus on Psychology and Counselling. Tracey is passionately dedicated to her three greatest loves: music, education, and people.
Throughout her career, Tracey has played both piano and electric bass guitar in various bands, including The UCT Big Band, Heels Over Head, Woman’s Work, Sistahood, The Language of Being, and The One Who Sings And The Feminine Force. She also leads her own corporate bands, QuinTessential and Souled Out. While Tracey finds joy in performing with her own ensembles, her role as the bassist for The Lady Day Big Band—South Africa’s first all-female big band—stands out as one of her most fulfilling and unique musical experiences. She has had the privilege of collaborating with prominent musicians such as Zolani Mahola, Vicky Sampson, Anna Davel, Gloria Bosman, Karen Zoid, Frank Paco, Amanda Tiffin, Lana Crowster, Kevin Gibson, Muriel Marco, Natalie Rungan, Darryl Andrews, Nicky Schrire, Celeste Williams, and Shannon Mowday, among others.
She has performed at numerous international and local music festivals, including The Cape Town International Jazz Festival, The Joy of Jazz International Music Festival, The Standard Bank National Youth Jazz Festival, The South African College of Music Jazz Festival, The Cape Town Jazzathon, The Cape Town Big Band Jazz Festival, The Artscape National Heritage Music Festival, The Klein Karoo Nasionale Kunste Fees, Jazz On The Lawn, and Jazz On The Rocks. Other notable performances include appearances at the annual RMB Starlight Classics Concert and The Klein Karoo Nasionale Kunstefees.
In addition, Tracey has showcased her talent in musical cabarets and tribute shows, including “Queen at The Stone,” The Beatles tribute show “All You Need Is Love,” the 80’s tribute show “Video Killed The Radio Star,” and the Queen tribute show “The Show Must Go On” at Sun International’s Grand West Casino.
In 2009, Tracey was selected as the pianist for The North Sea Big Band, performing at The Standard Bank National Youth Jazz Festival. In 2011, she was chosen for The Standard Bank National Youth Jazz Band, performing at both The National Youth Jazz Festival in Makhanda (formerly Grahamstown) and The Joy of Jazz International Music Festival in Johannesburg, where she also performed one of her original compositions.
Tracey considers herself a lifelong learner with a deep passion for music education. She teaches music at the high school level, guiding many students who have gone on to further their studies at the University of Cape Town and the University of Stellenbosch. These graduates have become successful musicians and dedicated music educators. Tracey has directed several jazz bands, including The Dynamix Jazz Band, which has performed at the 19th Annual Cape Town International Jazz Festival in 2018, The Jazz on The Lawn Music Festival annually since its inception, and The Cape Town International Jazz Festival’s Sustainable Training and Development Gala Concert, among others. She has made numerous television appearances as both a performer and musical director and has been featured in various newspaper and digital media publications.
