Hans Roosenschoon

Hans Roosenschoon was born in the Netherlands in 1952, and immigrated with his family to South Africa in 1953. He started piano with Fred Poetzch in Pretoria, and studied at the Conservatoire of Music from 1969-1971 and 1974-1975 respectively.

He was taught the cello by Betty Pack, studied harmony and counterpoint with Klaas van Oostveen for a number of years, and received composition master classes from Jeanne Zaidel-Rudolph.

A vital source of inspiration early in his career was Anton Hartman who, as conductor of the National Symphony Orchestra of the SABC, undertook the premières of a number of his works in Johannesburg.

In 1976 he won an Overseas Scholarship for Composers from the Southern African Music Rights Organisation (SAMRO), the equivalent to the PRS in the UK, which enabled him to study at the Royal Academy of Music in London under Paul Patterson. There he passed the highest examination, Division V (Composition), within one year, and was the recipient of both the Arthur Hinton Prize and the Harvey Lohr Scholarship. His composition Palette was chosen to represent the composition class of the RAM when students from Paris, Graz and Antwerp visited the Academy during an International Visitors Week.

For his full profile, please visit http://www.roosenschoon.co.za/aboutme.html