Owen Dalton wins third SA Composers’ Competition

The final round of the competition took place on 15 March, at the Hugo Lambrechts Music Centre, under the direction of Jeremy Silver. As the winner, Dalton has been awarded a cash prize of R20 000 and the title of Composer in Residence with the CPO.

The competition’s second-place award went to Chesney Palmer, 29, from Sandton, who received R10 000 for his piece ‘Spectrums of Hues and Obscure Shapes’. Third place was awarded to Anthonie Jansen van Rensburg from Somerset West for ‘People, Space, Time’. Jansen van Rensburg, who was also a runner-up in the inaugural competition, won R5 000. The other finalists included Caryn Jessica Pretorius, 28, from Gqeberha (The Watcher of the South), and Hein Roelofse, 23, from Durbanville (Sunset Hues).

Dalton, who had previously been a runner-up in the past two competitions, described his victory as an “immense privilege” and said that it had provided him with a valuable opportunity for growth as a young composer.

“Winning this competition is an immense privilege, and it has provided me with an invaluable opportunity for growth as a young composer,” he said. “I am incredibly grateful to Maestro Silver for his efforts digesting our scores, to the CPO for their time and tremendous playing, as well as everyone else involved in putting the competition together. I look very much forward to next year’s commission and hearing a brand-new set of South African compositions.”

The jury was unanimous in its decision, according to competition convenor Antoni Schonken. Speaking about the winning piece, Hendrik Hofmeyr stated that all the works had been performed with great conviction but that Dalton’s composition stood out for its unique use of timbres and gestures.

“Owen’s piece is remarkable for its original exploration of rich timbres and gestures,” Hofmeyr said. “It is difficult to use so many gestures and make it convincing, and he succeeded. The panel all agreed on that score.”

Dalton follows in the footsteps of previous winners Conrad Asman and Lize Briel. During the judges’ deliberations, Briel’s commissioned work Tessellation was performed. The judging panel included composers Pieter Bezuidenhout, Amy Crankshaw, Arthur Feder, Clare Loveday, and Lise Morrison, with Hofmeyr serving as the non-voting chairman.

The competition attracted over 20 entries from across the country, which, according to CPO CEO Louis Heyneman, is a testament to the continued growth of classical music in South Africa.

“All contestants wrote pieces of up to 15 minutes for orchestra, with the use of indigenous instruments as an option,” Heyneman said. “It was interesting to hear how Lize Briel continued developing last year’s piece Echoes and its use of the uhadi, incorporating in Tessellation the kiganda, a marimba-like instrument.”