(b. 27 August 1973, Johannesburg).
South African composer of mostly chamber, choral and piano works that have been performed in Africa.
Mr. Cruickshank studied piano privately with Phyllis Hunt in Durban as a child. He later studied actuarial sciences and mathematics at the Universiteit van Pretoria from 1992–97 and had private studies in composition with Stefans Grové in Tshwane from 1993–97. In addition, he attended a masterclass with George Crumb in Potchefstroom in 1997.
Among his honours are First Prize in the competition for art song of the Roodepoort International Eisteddfod of South Africa in Johannesburg (1995, for Bushman Woman Eats a Tsama Melon), First Prize in the competition of the Stichting Oude Meester in Stellenbosch (1995, for Trio No. 1 for Violin, Cello and Piano) and First Prize in the competition of the Universiteit van Suid-Afrika in Tshwane (1995, for Toccata from Four Pieces for Piano). He later received the PUK Chancellor's Trust Prize for Afrikaans Composition from Noordwes-Universiteit in Potchefstroom (2005, a commission to write Wit berk het in die bos gestaan).
He is also active in other positions. As a pianist, he has primarily performed works by composers from South Africa, including Stefans Grové, and served as resident accompanist at the Universiteit van KwaZulu-Natal at Westville in 1997. He worked as the music critic of the newspaper Daily News in Durban in 1999–2000 and founded the ensemble for early music Mass Appeal in Gauteng in 2001 and has served as its artistic director and principal conductor since 2001.
COMPLETE LIST OF WORKS
ORCHESTRAL:
Exploring Green Hills and Blue Skies, large orchestra, 1994
Brown Landscape Changing Green, string quartet, string orchestra, 1995
Rain Gods Dancing with Birds, large orchestra, 1998
CHAMBER MUSIC:
Sonata No. 1 for Violin and Piano, 1993
Crossover (North x South x East x West), flute, bassoon, violin, cello, 1994
Trio No. 1 for Violin, Cello and Piano, 1995
Red Clouds Breaking Bird Song, flute (+ piccolo), piano, 1997
Black Man Makes Blue Gods, violin, piano, 1998
Praises of the Lunar Months, string quartet, 2004
CHORAL:
Mass Anno 1990, mixed chorus, 1990
Six Sonnets of William Shakespeare, 4 mixed voices, 1992
Anthem (text by Stephen Gray), mixed African traditional chorus, mixed chorus, 1992
My Mistress' eyes are nothing like the sun (text by William Shakespeare), mixed chorus, 1992
Canto (text from the Carmina Burana), children's chorus/female chorus/male chorus, African percussion, 1994
Triptych of Mixed Wood (text from Latin liturgy), mixed chorus, piano, percussion, 1994
Te lucis ante terminum/O nata crux (texts from Latin liturgy), countertenor, male chorus, 1994
Skulpe, Krappe en Oesters (text by Neil van Tonder), 12 or more mixed voices, 2003
Earth Song (text from a praise poem from Malawi [translated by Judith Gleason]), 5 mixed voices, 2004
The Bori Called Baturen Gwari (text from a praise poem from Nigeria [translated by Judith Gleason]), 4 mixed voices, 2004
VOCAL:
Epithalamion Teratos (text by George Chapman), high voice, guitar, 1993
Bushman Woman Eats a Tsama Melon (text by Peter Strauss), high voice, clarinet, piano, 1995
Calling the Waterspirits (text from a praise poem from Nigeria [translated by Judith Gleason]), high voice, piano, percussion, 2004
Wit berk het in die bos gestaan (text by Barend J. Toerien), soprano/tenor, violin, cello, piano, 2005
PIANO:
Four Pieces for Piano, 1993
Prayer on the Bones, piano 4 hands, 1999
Kwela of Rhythm, 2004
Late Night Piano Music, 2004
Sonata No. 1, 2004
DISCOGRAPHY (as composer)
Trio No. 1 for Violin, Cello and Piano. Lizelle le Roux, violin; Simon Raubenheimer, cello; Andrew Cruickshank, piano (Obelisk Music: OBR3001, 1999)
Red Clouds Breaking Bird Song. Bridget Stroebel, flute, piccolo; Andrew Cruickshank, piano (Obelisk Music: OBR3002, 1999)
Four Pieces for Piano. Andrew Cruickshank, piano (Obelisk Music: OBR3003, 1999)
DISCOGRAPHY (as performer)
Sewe Liedere op Boesmanverse (Stefans Grové). Alma Oosthuizen, soprano; Etienne van Rensburg/Andrew Cruickshank, piano; André Swanepoel, Leonie Viljoen, violins; Dawid Botha, viola; Kendall Reid, cello (Obelisk Music: OBR3004, 2000)