Two Stellenbosch locals are among the five finalists of the Alexander SA Composers’ Award.
Lize Briel (23) and Owen Dalton (25) will join the other three finalists in a concert hosted by the Cape Town Philharmonic Orchestra (CPO) at the Hugo Lambrechts Auditorium in Parow on Saturday 9 March at 19:00. The other finalists are Micaela Loubser (24, Gansbaai), Chesney Palmer (27, Johannesburg) and Kerwin Petrus (23, Kuils River).
All the works were submitted by the end of August last year and were judged anonymously, explained convenor of the award, Dr Antoni Schonken. Of the 32 entries submitted, only the works of the five young composers were selected. The works are “Echoes: A Minimalist Dialogue” (Briel), “Century Machines” (Dalton), “Unravelling” (Loubser), “Colour Sketches” (Palmer) and “Suite for Orchestra” (Petrus).
The winner will win R50 000 and enjoy a one-year appointment as resident composer of the CPO, which comprises a performance of the winning composition in a CPO concert, one new commission, and an all-expenses paid trip to Hamburg in Germany, where the winning work will be performed by the Junge Norddeutsche Philharmonie (jnp).
The second prize is R10 000 with at least one public performance of the composition and third prize is R5 000 with at least one public performance of the composition.
For non-voting chairperson of the panel, Hendrik Hofmeyr, the number and diversity of the entries is an indication of the country’s compositional talent and the success of the CPO’s initiative, generously sponsored by German philanthropist Alexander Valentin, to stimulate interest in orchestral compositions.
Schonken agreed: “It is at the same time exciting and heartening to see the landscape of composition in South Africa grow in diversity, quality, and originality, and no doubt CPO’s support for emerging artists has played a vital role in making orchestral composition accessible to young composers.”
Valentin is delighted to see that the five selected works are by young composers aged between 23 and 28, who represent the diversity of SA.
Louis Heyneman, CPO artistic director and CEO, said they are grateful to Valentin for his support of youth development. “Youth development from practical and theory training to career development in arts administration and honing the next generation of conductors and composers is central to our mandate,” he pointed out.
“Classical music is a very important pillar in the cultural life of any civilised community. While alive and well in SA, it needs all the support it can muster in order to ensure its continued success and growth and the CPO is grateful to Valentin for his commitment and financial support.”
Valentin will join the panel, which comprises composers Amy Crankshaw, Arthur Feder, Lise Morrison, Clare Loveday, and CPO principal guest conductor Bernhard Gueller.
The pieces, with input by the composers, will be workshopped by conductor Jeremy Silver in rehearsals before the concert. “Load and Shed”, a new work commissioned of last year’s winner Conrad Asman, will be performed in the concert while the judges are deliberating. Another new work by German-based Chinese composer Yixie Shen will also be performed as part of the collaboration that Valentin has forged between the CPO and the Junge Norddeutsche Philharmonie, which has sent four students to play in the CPO during this period.
Tickets for the concert can be bought online through Webtickets at R150 each.
