Role

:

Composer  

Country

:

South Africa

Birth

:

April 26, 1916 in Calvinia

Death

:

May 27, 1983 in Cape Town, South Africa

Period

:

Modern

Genre

:

Symphony

 

 

Vocal

 

Arnold van Wyk was a South African composer and pianist who was born on 28 June 1916 in Pretoria, South Africa. He was the youngest of four children and grew up in a musical family. His father was a church organist and his mother was a pianist. Arnold showed an early interest in music and began playing the piano at the age of six. Arnold van Wyk received his early education at the Pretoria Boys High School, where he was a member of the school choir and orchestra. He went on to study music at the University of Pretoria, where he received a Bachelor of Music degree in 1937. He then went to study in London at the Royal Academy of Music, where he studied composition with William Alwyn and piano with Harold Craxton. Arnold van Wyk returned to South Africa in 1940 and began his career as a composer and pianist. He taught at the University of Pretoria and the South African College of Music in Cape Town. He also worked as a music critic for various newspapers and magazines. Arnold van Wyk's music is characterized by its lyrical melodies, rich harmonies, and use of African rhythms and melodies. He was influenced by the music of Claude Debussy, Maurice Ravel, and Igor Stravinsky, as well as by the traditional music of South Africa. Arnold van Wyk composed music for a variety of ensembles, including orchestras, chamber groups, and solo instruments. Some of his most famous works include his Piano Concerto, his String Quartet No. 1, and his Sonata for Flute and Piano. He also composed music for film and television, including the score for the 1951 film "The Magic Garden." Arnold van Wyk was a prolific composer, and his music was widely performed and recorded in South Africa and abroad. He received numerous awards and honors for his work, including the Order of Ikhamanga in Silver from the South African government in 2004. Arnold van Wyk died on 16 March 1983 in Pretoria, South Africa. He is remembered as one of South Africa's most important composers, and his music continues to be performed and enjoyed by audiences around the world.

More....