(b. 9 July 1948, Pretoria).
South African composer of mostly orchestral, chamber, choral, vocal, and piano works that have been performed in Africa, Europe and North America.
Prof. Zaidel-Rudolph studied piano privately with Adolph Hallis, Philip Levy and Goldie Zaidel as a child and studied with John Lill at the Royal College of Music in London, where she earned four performance degrees with distinction. She later studied composition with György Ligeti in Hamburg in 1974 and with Stefans Grové at the Universiteit van Pretoria, where she earned her doctorate in 1979.
Among her honours are First Prize in the competition of Total S. A. (1986, for Tempus Fugit), a commission for the Olympic Games in Atlanta (1996, Oratorio for Human Rights) and a commission for the doctoral ceremony of Nelson Mandela (1997, He Walked to Freedom).
She has taught at the Universiteit van die Witwatersrand in Johannesburg since 1975, initially as Senior Lecturer and later as Professor of Composition and chair of the department of music. She has lectured on indigenous music from Africa in Europe and the USA.
COMPLETE LIST OF WORKS
STAGE:
A Rage in a Cage (rock opera), soloists, mixed chorus, rock band, 1983
Abantubomlambo – The River People (ballet), orchestra, 1987
ORCHESTRAL:
Concert Overture, 1979
Five Hasidic Melodies, youth orchestra, 1981
Construction Symphony, youth orchestra, 1985
Fanfare Festival Overture, 1985
Tempus Fugit, 1986
At the End of the Rainbow (symphonic poem), youth orchestra, 1988
Sefirot Symphony, 1991
CHAMBER MUSIC:
Kaleidoscope, flute (+ alto flute, piccolo), oboe (+ English horn), clarinet (+ bass clarinet), alto saxophone, bassoon, French horn, trumpet, trombone, 2 percussion, 1971
Canonetta for Four, trumpet, viola, cello, vibraphone, 1973
Reaction, cello, piano, percussion, 1973
Tango for Tim, guitar, 1973
Chamber Concerto, 11 players, 1979
The Fugue that Flew Away, flute, piano, 1979
Three Hasidic Pieces, flute, violin, piano, 1982
Four Minim, cello, piano, 1982, revised 1992
And All that Jazz, French horn, 2 trumpets, trombone, tuba, 1983
Margana, flute, violin, cello, 2 percussion, 1985
Masada, bassoon, string quartet, 1989
Five African Sketches, guitar, 1991
Suite Afrique, cello, piano, 1993 (also version for viola, piano, 1995)
CHORAL:
Dialogue of Self and Soul (text by William Butler Yeats), 8 soloists, speaking chorus, 1971
Swaziland National Anthem, mixed chorus, piano, 1974
Boy on a Swing (text by Oswald Mtshali), female chorus, piano, percussion, 1983 (also version for soprano, piano)
It's a Woman's World, mixed chorus, piano, 1984
Peace (text by the composer), mixed chorus, guitar, 1991 (also version as Ukuthula, soprano, mezzo-soprano, orchestra [also version for soprano, mezzo-soprano, piano])
Oratorio for Human Rights, soprano, baritone, mixed chorus, 3 percussion from Africa, orchestra, 1996
Lifecycle, female chorus of Ngqoko people, ensemble from Africa (calabash bows, mouth bows, friction bow, friction drum, double-sided drum), Western ensemble (flute, oboe, clarinet, bassoon, French horn, 2 violins, cello, double bass, marimba, percussion), 2003
VOCAL:
Setting Afrikaans Poems to Music (text by W. E. G. Louw), soprano, piano, 1968
Five Pieces, soprano, 2 flutes, 2 clarinets, 1971
Song-Cycle, baritone, piano, 1976
Back to Basics, speaker, piano, prepared piano, 1983
Boy on a Swing, soprano, piano, 1992 (version of choral work)
Hell Well Heaven (text by Wally Serote), soprano, piano, 1992
Ukuthula, soprano, mezzo-soprano, orchestra, 1993 (version of Peace; also version for soprano, mezzo-soprano, piano, 1993)
He Walked to Freedom, voice, piano, 1997
PIANO:
Sonata No. 1, 1969
Seven Variations on an Original Theme, 1971
Three Dimensions, 1974
Virtuoso I, 1987
Mixed Feelings for Sara, 1988
Mosaic, 1989
Awaiting Game, 1993
The Juggler and the King, 2 pianos, 1998
'5 6 7 8', 2001
HARPSICHORD:
Ebony and Ivory, 2001
FILM SCORE (DIRECTOR):
An African Dream, 1988 (Nody Murphy)
ARRANGEMENT:
South African National Anthem, voice, orchestra, 1995 (also version for voice, piano, 1995)
DISCOGRAPHY
Abantubomlambo – The River People. (EMI Classics: L4 BCP 1832, 1987)
Jeanne Zaidel-Rudolph. (EMI Classics: EMCJ [A] 4061831, 1988) (cassette)
Sefirot Symphony; At the End of the Rainbow; Four Minim; Virtuoso I. (SABC, 1990)
Fanfare Festival Overture; Tempus Fugit; Kaleidoscope; Masada; Five African Sketches; Sonata No. 1. (SABC, 1990)
Tempus Fugit. (Claremont, 1991)
Four Minim. (SABC, 1992)
Songs of Hallel. (EMI Classics, 1993)
Three Dimensions. (Obelisklive, 1993) (cassette)
Fanfare Festival Overture; Sefirot Symphony; Virtuoso I; At the End of the Rainbow; Masada; Tempus Fugit. (Claremont: GSE 1532, 1994)
Celebration – Triumph of a Nation. (EMI Classics, 1994)
Suite Afrique (second version). (Obelisklive, 1995) (cassette)
Sonata No. 1. (Obelisklive, 1998) (cassette)
Celebration 2. (EMI Classics, 2002)