Peter Klatzow
Peter Klatzow was born in Springs, South Africa, in 1945. In 1964 he attended the Royal College of Music in London, where he studied composition with Bernard Stevens, piano with Kathleen Long, and orchestration with Gordon Jacob. In that year he won several of the College composition prizes as well as the Royal Philharmonic prize for composition, which was open to any Commonwealth composer under 30. He spent the following years in Italy and Paris, where he studied with Nadia Boulanger.
Since returning to South Africa in 1966, he has worked at the SABC in Johannesburg as a music producer, and in 1973 was appointed to the University of Cape Town, where he is presently Professor in Composition. In 1986 he was elected to the rank of Fellow of the University of Cape Town for ?having performed original distinguished academic work of such quality as to merit special recognition.?
He was awarded his DMus for published work in Composition in 1999, and the Cape Tercentenary Foundation?s Molteno Gold medal for lifetime achievement in music in 2002.
His book on Composers in South Africa Today was published by Oxford University Press in 1987.
One of the few South African composers to achieve international recognition, Peter Klatzow has won prizes in Spain, the United Kingdom and Toronto, and his works have been performed in various European centres and in the United States. In South Africa he was awarded the prestigious Helgard Steyn prize for his piano suite From the Poets.
His major works include a full length ballet on Hamlet for which he was given a special Nederburg award for the music, scores for ballets on Drie Diere andVier Gebede, and Concertos for various solo instruments; piano, clarinet, organ, marimba, and a double Concerto for flute and marimba which was performed at Yale University, USA. His Prayers and Dances of Praise from Africa was introduced at the Three Choirs Festival, Worcester, UK. on 24 August 1996
Recent commissions include The World of Paul Klee (III), composed for the opening of the new Paul Klee Centre in Berne, Switzerland, a celebratory Te Deum for choir, organ and orchestra, commissioned for a special service celebrating the 100th anniversary of St George’s Cathedral, Cape Town andTowards the Light, a work for double choir, marimba and organ commissioned for the opening of the new Peabody concert hall (USA) in April 2004.
His discography includes recordings of his piano music, the Mass for Choir, Horn, Marimba and Strings, String Quartet, Chamber Concerto for 7, Piano Concerto, From the Poets, an RCA issue of Return of the Moon with the King?s Singers and Evelyn Glennie, and a CD of his choral music made by the international Herald company entitled Towards the Light ? the choral music of Peter Klatzow. His latest CD entitled Myths, Magic and Marimbas ? the music of Peter Klatzow was issued in July 2006 and includes a performance ofTintinyane.
