Malcolm Forsyth

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Malcolm Forsyth (born 1936) is a Canadian trombonist, composer and father to National Arts Centre Orchestra cellist Amanda Forsyth.

Born in Pietermaritzburg, South Africa, he studied trombone, conducting and composition at the University of Cape Town and received a Bachelor of Music in 1963. He played trombone for with the Cape Town Symphony Orchestra while studying and receiving his Master of Music in 1966 and Doctorate of Music in 1969.

In 1968, he emigrated to Edmonton, Alberta and joined the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra. He played bass trombone with them for 11 years. He also teaches at the University of Alberta and in 1996 was appointed Composer-in-Residence. He retired in 2002.

In 1970, he wrote Sketches from Natal for the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. Some of his other works include Concerto for Piano and Orchestra (1979), Sagittarius (1975), Quinquefid (1976), African Ode (Symphony No. 3) (1981), and Atayoskewin (Suite for Orchestra) (1984), which won the Juno Award for Classical Composition of the Year in 1987.

In 1989, he was named Canadian Composer of the Year.

In 2003, he was made a Member of the Order of Canada.