News
COMMISSION FOR THE SIGNUM QUARTET, SUPPORTED BY THE ERNST VON SIEMENS MUSIC FOUNDATION
June 2024
The Ernst von Siemens Music Foundation has provided support for commissions for new works for the Signum Quartet’s “bridge the chasms that divide” project, which celebrates the 30th anniversary of the end of Apartheid in South Africa. Works by Lise Morrison, Denise Onen, Monthati Zenzile Masebe, and Njabulo Phungula will receive their premieres in Berlin on the 18th of September 2024.
ARTICLE: SONIC LABYRINTHS: FORM AND CREATIVE PROCESS IN “LIKE KNOTTED STRINGS” (2020) FOR STRING QUARTET
22 December 2023
My article “Sonic labyrinths: form and creative process in like knotted strings (2022) for string quartet” has been published in the latest volume of the Journal of Musical Arts in Africa (Vol. 20, Issue 1, 2023). It is available here.
HENRI LAZAROF INTERNATIONAL COMMISSION PRIZE 2023
15 June 2023
I am honoured to be this year’s recipient of the Henri Lazarof International Commission Prize from Brandeis University. This year’s commission is awarded for the creation of work for horn trio (violin, horn, and piano), which will premiere at the Slosberg Recital Hall at Brandeis University on May 5, 2024. Read more.
ISCM World Music Days 2023: South Africa
14 June 2023
like knotted strings for string quartet, which was commissioned by JACK Studio and premiered by the JACK Quartet in New York City earlier this year, has been selected to be performed at this year’s ISCM World New Music Days festival, which takes place in South Africa (in Cape Town and Johannesburg) from 24 November to 3 December. This will be the South African premiere of like knotted strings. Read more here.
impuls COMPOSITION COMPETITION
9 June 2023
I’m pleased to announced that I have been selected as a laureate of the impuls Composition Competition. I have received a commission from impuls for a new work for Klangforum Wien which will premiere at the impuls Festival in Graz, Austria in early 2025. More info.
BOW PROJECT 2: BOWSCAPES
24 January 2023
The Africa Open Institute has issued a new album Bow Project 2: Bowscapes, in memory of Jürgen Bräuninger. I’m grateful to be in the company of so many terrific composers and works on this album, with my piece Montage. A digital release of the album is currently in the works.
Update: 23 March 2023. Here is a review of the album, by Gwen Ansell, in The Conversation.
POSTCOLONIAL RECHERCHE FELLOWSHIP
14 December 2022
I recently completed a year-long residency program with Ensemble Recherche and the Goethe-Institut called Postcolonial Recherche, along with an amazing cohort of composers. As part of this residency I produced a newly-commissioned work called a tap releases the new harmony, which was given its world premiere by Ensemble Recherche at the Goethe-Insitut in Boston, MA during their USA Tour in October. The German premiere will be given by the ensemble in Freiburg on March 8th, where the work will be recorded for radio broadcast and other media.
JACK Studio Artist Residency
2 October 2020
I'm pleased to announce that I have been selected to be a JACK Studio Artist for 2020-2022. This residency includes a commission for a new work for the JACK Quartet to premiere in 2022.
"Amy Brandon, Michele Cheng, Joy Guidry X. Lee, and Njabulo Phungula have been commissioned to create new works for JACK through two-year residencies. Each composer will receive $5,000, workshop time, mentorship from leaders in the music world, professional documentation, performances, travel costs, and professional connections. Their residencies will culminate in a public premiere of their work in New York City in 2022."
GRACEDION, NYABUTO, AND PHUNGULA: CONVERSATIONS WITH THREE AFRICAN COMPOSERS OF BASSOON MUSIC
28 July 2020
I was interviewed by bassoonist Midori Samson for the International Double Reed Society, where I discuss my piece Circles.
The interview may be found here, and will be available until the 17th of August. Also interviewed were composers Grace Graciedion Bernard Oforka and Peter Nyabuto, who discuss their respective compositions for bassoon.