Jeanne Zaidel-Rudolph
Jeanne Zaidel-Rudolph (1948-). Composer, pianist and teacher.
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Biography
Born in Pretoria, 1948.
She is married to Michael Rudolph, who holds the position of Chair of Public Oral Health in the School of Public Health at the University of the Witwatersrand.
Training
She studied at the University of Pretoria under Stefans Grové and others. Furthering her studies at the Royal College of Music in London, she received tuition in composition from John Lambert and Tristram Carey. Zaidel-Rudolph also specialised in piano performance; her teachers included Goldie Zaidel, Philip Levy and Adolph Hallis in South Africa, and John Lill in London. Zaidel-Rudolph returned to South Africa and became the first woman in the country to obtain a Doctorate in Composition, in 1979 at the University of Pretoria under Stefans Grové.
Career
Zaidel-Rudolph has been working at the School of Music of the University of the Witwatersrand since 1975, where she is currently Professor of Composition. She is frequently invited to lecture on indigenous African music at international music festivals.
Contribution to SA theatre, film, media and/or performance
Zaidel-Rudolph's compositional output is considerable, covering most musical genres, ranging from the large scale symphony to chamber, choral, ballet, rock opera, film and solo instrumental music. Her works are regularly performed in Africa, Europe and America.
As composer
She wrote the rock opera, A Rage in a Cage (1983) and composed the ballet Abantubomlambo – The River People (1987). In 2000, 2002, 2003) she participated in the show Celebration in Canada, the USA and the UK for which she composed, conducted and orchestrated the music.
She wrote the music for the film An African Dream (1988, Nodi Murphy).
She was also commissioned to write a work ("Oratorio for Human Rights") for the Atlanta Olympics in 1996.
She has also composed a number of orchestral works, chamber music, choral works, vocal works and works for piano and for harpsichord.
New National Anthem
In 1995 she arranged a composite version of South Africa’s erstwhile and new National Anthems at the request of President Nelson Mandela. She also composed a song ("He walked to Freedom") for his honorary doctorate ceremony in 1997.
Awrads
Zaidel-Rudolph has been the recipient of many awards. In 1974, she was the first South African composer to be awarded the prestigious Cobbett Prize for composition at the Royal College of Music. In 1986 she won the first prize in the first-ever Total Oil (SA) Competition in South Africa. In 1988 the first complete commercial recording of the works of a South African art music composer featured her music on an EMI album.
Sources
https://www.up.ac.za/sacomposers/article/2757932/zaidel-rudolph-jeanne
