Kirsten Skippers

Kirsten Skippers is a 27 year old performing pianist, composer and arranger based in Retreat, Cape Town, which is also the home of South Africa's great Winston Mankunku Ngozi. Her talent was discovered at a young age by her parents who had assigned her to classical training under the great Reginald Dreyer, and later ventured into jazz under the mentorship of Lenrick Boesack and Dianne Gordon at one of the prestigious art-focused schools in the Western Cape, South Peninsula High.

Furthermore, Kirsten has obtained a BMus degree in Jazz Studies as well as BMus Honors in Jazz Performance. Along with her academic performance, she has also performed and shared the stage with many acknowledged musicians at numerous festivals like the Standard Bank’s Joy of Jazz, the Makhanda Jazz Festival, The Artscape Jazz Series and Youth Jazz Festival.

Highlights of her career was her debut in 2022 on the jazz scene as a bandleader. In 2023, she released a single entitled ‘Mindflight’, recorded at Milestones Studio. Furthermore, Kirsten went onto composing for cultural projects such as the documentary film ‘Bergsig’ created by Abrasive Media and the Institution of Justice and Reconciliation. She also made debut performances at highlight events such as the heritage month documentary screening at the Tutu House and a Pieter Van Der Westhuizen tribute performance at The Castle of Good Hope for Dr Jacob Cloete’s book launch ‘Erasure of the Khoisan’.

Kirsten Skippers is a current Masters candidate at The Manhattan School of Music in New York. Her new project “Briewe Aan No 3 Drury Court”, is a tribute to family and heritage and launches this August 2025.