Michael Blake Collection

Housed at University of Stellenbosch’s Music Library, the Michael Blake Collection is a collection of music by Michael Blake. The collection features important CD recordings of his music, his complete solo piano music recorded from 1994 to 2004 (recorded by Jill Richards) and the String Quartet No. 3 by the Nightingale String Quartet on the Bow Project CD (2010).

Since his return to South Africa in 1997 after a prolonged stay in the U.K., he became the most important single organizational figure in shaping the future of new music in South Africa. He has been commissioned by prominent international ensembles and his music has received significant international premiers. Most notably, the Fitzwilliam String Quartet recently commissioned his String Quartet No 4, extending a long creative relationship between this highly regarded quartet and the composer.

He has published important academic writing in reputable journals. This includes publications in accredited journals like SAMUS (South African Music Studies) and the international journals Fontes Artis Musicae and Neue Zeitschrift für Musik.