A special tribute event in honour of Prof. Jeanne Zaidel-Rudolph – a towering figure in South African music as a composer, educator, visionary, and pioneer – will take place in Bloemfontein this week.
The event will feature the world première of Jeanne Zaidel-Rudolph’s latest work, Unications for String Quartet, performed live at 13:00 at the Odeion Concert Hall on Wednesday, 20 August.
Zaidel-Rudolpho’s exceptional artistic and academic legacy will be celebrated with a tribute concert and the ceremonial handover of her complete archive of original compositions to the Odeion School of Music. This generous donation will serve as a lasting scholarly and creative resource for generations to come.
Zaidel-Rudolph holds the historic distinction of being the first woman in South Africa to receive a doctorate in music composition – awarded in 1979 by the University of Pretoria under the mentorship of Prof Stefans Grové. Her international studies took her to the Royal College of Music in London and later to Hamburg, where she studied with the legendary György Ligeti – whose influence continues to resonate in her music.
With over 80 compositions spanning a wide range of genres, Zaidel-Rudolph’s voice is at once daring and refined, deeply rooted in South African musical identity while engaging in global dialogue.
In Unications, melodic, harmonic, and rhythmic ideas evolve from a central musical gesture that undergoes continuous transformation. Ligeti’s influence is subtly woven into a sound world that is rich and intricate.
