South Africa’s best
Five leading composers
Neo Muyanga, as a composer and librettist, is an important voice in South African opera. His operetta The Flower of Shembe illustrates a Pan-african musical idiom, merging his own roots with influences from greater Africa.
Clare Loveday is a composer at the forefront of advocacy for women in South African music. Particularly known for her saxophone works, her music is often performed in the UK. Her latest chamber work is to be premiered in Johannesburg late in 2019. Andile Khumalo, a student of George Lewis and Tristan Murail, is predominantly a spectral composer. He has been featured in South African and international festivals, including the Festival d’automne.
Amy Crankshaw, a Londonbased composer, pianist and French horn player, was composer-in-residence for the London City Orchestra’s 2016 Summer term, during which the LCO premiered her work Paper Bird.
Cara Stacey, a composer with a strong presence in the UK ethno-experimental scene, merges her Western piano background with African instruments, which she studied with Dizo Plaatjies (a relative of Lungiswa Plaatjies).