Pieter Bezuidenhout(I)

Recognizable as truly unique and innovative (The Sunday Times). Constantly striving to bridge the gap between the younger and older generations of musicians across the cultural spectrum, he creates without the baggage of the past (Die Beeld). Invested in the world of choral, chamber and theatre music, published internationally by Helbling Verlag Publishers in Germany his works have been performed on five continents. He has received awards in composition from the European Academy of Choral Music as well as the Stefans Grove Composition Award. He was selected as one of the University of Johannesburg's 2023 Artists in Residence and produced a large-scale isiZulu theatre work based on the poetry of Benedict Wallet Vilakazi for this programme; the first work of this nature to be produced on Vilakazi's poetry. In August 2023 he also released his first solo Afrikaans Electro Pop album, SOEKER, an exploration of the Jungian Archetypes. Further, as conductor of seven choral ensembles, he is committed to developing the South African choral genre. Most notably his adult chamber choir, The Horizons Project Choir, has premiered more than seventy new works by South African composers.