Jeanne Zaidel-Rudolph

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Jeanne Zaidel-Rudolph (OIB) (born Pretoria, 1948) is a South African composer, pianist and teacher. 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. A meeting with György Ligeti led to an invitation to join his class in Hamburg. His use of contrapuntal devices and tone colour proved a major influence. 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.

Zaidel-Rudolph's compositional output is covers 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.

Zaidel-Rudolph has been the recipient of many awards. In 1974, she was the first South African composer to be awarded the 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. She was also commissioned to write a work (Oratorio for Human Rights) for the Atlanta Olympics in 1996. 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. More recently (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.

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.

Zaidel-Rudolph has also made a tremendous contribution to Jewish music in Johanesburg. She is closely associated with the Sydenham-Highlands North Hebrew Congregation whose male choir has release many compositions written by Zaidel-Rudolph.