An acclaimed composer from Somerset West is among five finalists in the Cape Town Philharmonic Orchestra’s (CPO) inaugural South African Composers’ Competition, the musical compositions of which will be staged in a concert in March.

Local tunesmith Kristi Boonzaaier is honoured to have his short piece, “Sonopkoms in die Woestyn”, performed by one of the country’s leading orchestras. The composition was shortlisted in the nationwide competition, which seeks to develop skills and recognise talent in the local creative music industry by calling for short works (of between five and 15 minutes for symphony orchestra) and providing sought-after performance opportunities to composers.

Boonzaaier’s masterpiece will contend for title honours against the musical works of four others – Conrad Asman (“Beyond the Atom”), Owen Dalton (“An Animal Suite”), Anthonie Jansen van Rensburg (“Lagging in the Shallow Water”) and Franco Prinsloo (“The Imbulu Suite”). They are all in the running to win and score a one-year residency with the CPO, a new commission and cash prize.

The five works will be performed by the CPO at a concert at the Hugo Lambrechts Music Centre in Parow on Saturday 4 March. It will be recorded and a decision on the winner and possible runners-up announced after the musical delight.

“I can’t wait to hear their interpretation of my composition!” Boonzaier said. “And, I’m excited to share the stage with the other finalists and participate in a concert that purely showcases freshly composed new music, which does not happen all too often, especially within the orchestral scene.”

The musical talent has previously been afforded opportunities to work with the CPO, which he brands as pleasant and fulfilling experiences.

Asked for insight into his shortlisted piece, Boonzaaier shared “Sonopkoms in die Woestyn” celebrates the fine sensitivities and vibrancies of life within the desert. Last year he had quite a few encounters with the very arid Tankwa Karoo National Park and grew to appreciate the beauty of that part of the world. The piece is considered an assimilation of these experiences, which the audience can hopefully relate to or even relive some of the glorious insights the landscape provides.

using music as language

“As a composer a large portion of my inspiration is based on the natural beauty that the South African landscape has to offer,” he added. “I find that with a growing urge to reconnect with the environment I’d like to share these experiences with my audience, and I could inspire them to find refuge in the majesties that this country has to offer. I enjoy connecting with my audience using music as the language of choice, and every composition serves as a learning experience to further my understanding of my audience’s needs. This piece is no different.”

Boonzaaier described his music as very motivic (motif-rich) and programmatic (evocative long works) in nature. He likes using a central idea (motif) and pitching it within different orchestral or textural landscapes to provide context and meaning. In “Sonopkoms in die Woestyn”, he uses a six-note motif, initially presented by solo violin shortly after the introduction.

This motif formed the basis for most of the composition’s components, including harmony and rhythm.

“The motif presented in these different forms and voices is what, ultimately, contributes to the composition’s meaning as described,” he said. “I look forward to hearing the audience’s thoughts regarding this.”

Boonzaaier’s entry into the competition is attributed to his subscription to the CPO’s newsletter in hopes of staying abreasy with all its exciting projects. He saw the initial press release for the competition and thought it would be a great opportunity to submit something.

“I was informed of the shortlisting via email by Louis Heyneman, the convenor of the competition, a day before the five finalists of 29 entries were officially announced. Needless to say, I was ecstatic.”

For Boonzaaier, clinching the title honour would serve as a great deal to further the establishment of his career as a composer, especially since the winner would be writing another piece for performance by the CPO, as well as a wonderful affirmation of his hard work up until this point.

Creating different narratives

Boonzaaier has always enjoyed expressing himself in creative ways, and his fascination with music composition started as being the most satisfying, fulfilling, and diverse platform to do this. His dedication is owed to the relationship with the audience, his students, and many talented musicians with whom he has had the privilege to work. “Creating different narratives for my audience’s enjoyment became a vocation and I am very happy and privileged to be able to work as a composer,” he added.

“My passion as a composer is to grow a sense of community with my audience, learning what is important to them, why and how they engage with music, and learning how I can better cater to those needs while contributing to a growing body of rich South African music.” Boonzaaier is classically trained, holding a BMus (2015) and MMus (2018) in Music Composition from Stellenbosch University, where he studied under the tutelage of Professor Hans Roosenschoon, Dr Antoni Schonken and Arthur Feder. He also completed his PGCE in Higher Education (2021). He shared hopes for specialising in orchestration and motivic development, explaining: “I like playing with orchestral textures, an approach that has yielded great results many times, including in my film and media music.”

Boonzaaier boasts a list of achievements, but regards all his endeavours with the CPO a career highlight. Herecently scored his first feature film, Sculpting this Earth by Victor von Aswegen, and expressed being very proud of the soundtrack, which is available on all major streaming services. He also recently started a media company, PolyForge Media, with award-winning composer Deon van Heerden and participated in “truly fascinating” projects from most spheres of media across the world. “We already have a jam-packed 2023 and I’m very excited for all the projects ahead!”

Boonzaaier’s big composition dream, or few, is to score music to a nature documentary series or feature film, and to write a full-concert programme for symphony orchestra and choir, which together with the Winelands Philharmonic Orchestra and Vivox Voice will realise this year.

As for the competition, he shared hopes to establish new relationships with the talented composers in the concert and to provide a captivating experience for the audience.