Jeanne is one of the most celebrated of South Africa’s composers. Known both nationally and internationally for her work both as a pianist, artist and lecturer, she is perhaps best known in a South African context for her arrangement of the composite National Anthem. She began her teaching/lecturing career at Wits in 1976, and has become something of an institution in the Music Division at the University. She saw MUSIC move from Senate House in 1976 to University Corner to South West Engineering to the JCE Education Campus and finally to its current home in the Wits School of Arts.

Jeanne Zaidel-Rudolph

The Tribute Concert on the 16^th September will feature 16 of South Africa’s top performers playing works by Zaidel-Rudolph in her honour, including our own Malcolm Nay and Pauline Nossel, pianists Wessel van Wyk and Inette Swart, guitarist Conrad Calitz, viola virtuoso Valéry Andreev, bassoonist Paul Rodgers, flautist Helen Vosloo, violinist Zanta Homeyr and her String Quartet, soprano Mandie de Villiers-Schutte and percussion virtuoso, Magda de Vries. Rexleigh Bunyard will conduct Margana for Chamber Ensemble.

Amongst the works performed will be Five African Sketches for guitar, this year’s UNISA International Piano Competition set piece, Partials and Pedals, Suite Afrique for viola and piano, 2 songs set to poems by black poets, Mtshali and Serote, Masada for String Quartet and Bassoon, and other chamber works like Margana for flute violin cello and 2 percussionists.

The concert takes place on Tuesday 16 September at 19h00 in the Atrium Concert Hall on Wits University’s East Campus. Tickets cost R 60,00 (full price) and R 40,00 (discount price for Wits staff, pensioners and students) and are available at the door.

The concert is generously sponsored by the Rupert Foundation, SAMRO and Distell.