The talented composer Anthonie Jansen van Rensburg is one of five young South African composers who have been shortlisted for the finals of the Cape Town Philharmonic Orchestra’s (CPO) third SA Composers’ Competition.
The Somerset West local’s “People, Space, Time” secured him a place in the final round of the prestigious competition. The other finalists are Owen Dalton (“Ramblings of the Mind”), Chesney Palmer (“Spectrums of Hues and Obscure Shapes”), Caryn Jessica Pretorius (“The Watcher of the South”) and Hein Roelofse (“Sunset Hues”).
The final-round concert will be performed under the direction of Jeremy Silver at the Hugo Lambrechts Music Centre in Parow on Sunday 15 March at 19:00; it will be streamed live.
The judges are composers Pieter Bezuidenhout, Amy Crankshaw, Arthur Feder, Clare Loveday and Lise Morrison, with non-voting chairperson Hendrik Hofmeyr and panel convenor Antoni Schonken.
“This year’s competition highlights a particularly exciting trend,” Schonken pointed out, “young composers are showing a growing interest in writing for orchestra.
“What stands out even more is the stronger focus on exploring local South African styles and techniques in their work. This is a promising sign for the future of composition in South Africa, as it reflects both innovation and a deep engagement with our unique musical heritage.”
The competition is aimed at young composers to develop skills and recognise talent in the local creative music industry and will provide sought-after performance opportunities to composers. The two previous winners are Conrad Asman and Lise Briel.
The first prize is R20 000, a one-year appointment as resident composer of the CPO, which comprises a performance of the winning composition in a CPO concert and one new commission to be performed at a later date. 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.
