Emile Hoogenhout (behr) is a South African composer, multi-instrumentalist, music educator and session musician. His work bridges traditional music composition, performance and modern production, with a focus on collaboration, technology, and inclusive education.
For over 20 years, Emile has composed and performed with leading African artists including Lira, R.J. Benjamin, and Tasha Baxter. He has appeared at major festivals and events such as the Cape Town Jazz Festival, Oppikoppi, Makufe, Woodstock, and the Grahamstown Arts Festival.
Emile began his music education career in 2002 at St Stithians College in Johannesburg, where he taught for 12 years. During this time, he guided numerous students to achieve Royal Schools distinctions in performance and theory.
In 2011, Emile was selected for the Red Bull Music Academy in Madrid, a global platform
for forward-thinking music creators. In 2013, he became an Ableton Certified Trainer, recognised internationally for his expertise. Emile founded the Academy of Music Technology in 2014, Johannesburg’s first Ableton Certified Training Center, offering accessible and hands-on music production education.
Through the Santuri Safari project in East Africa in 2015, he collaborated with traditional musicians in Kenya and Tanzania, producing recordings that led to his creation of virtual instruments available on the Ableton website. In 2018 Emile’s work in Kisumu, Kenya was featured on CNN Inside Africa, showcasing his role in connecting musical heritage with modern tools like Ableton Live and Push.
From 2019 to 2023, Emile lectured in composition and music production at Wits University, where he designed course content focused on modern
production techniques, sound design, and electronic music theory. Through his teaching, he helped bridge the gap between traditional music education and contemporary digital practices, equipping students with the skills needed to thrive in today’s music industry.
Emile’s approach combines music synthesis, sampling, and improvisation, grounded in a belief that music is a space for expression, exchange, and innovation.
