Emeritus Professor Hans Roosenschoon (b. 1952)
The composer Hans Roosenschoon is well known for his poly-stylistic music, including his contribution to cultural life and academia in South Africa. Roosenschoon was Chair of the Music Department and Director of the Conservatory at Stellenbosch University from 1998-2006. From 2007 until his retirement in 2017 he established a vibrant course in composition and orchestration, producing a number of innovative young composers who have established themselves in South Africa and abroad.
Trans-cultural awareness – a belief in the intrinsic value of all music – emerged as a philosophy early in Roosenschoon’s career and many of his works are testimony to that. In addition to ongoing performances in South Africa, seven works for symphony orchestra, two for string orchestra, chamber music and several choral pieces have featured at events in the USA, Europe, Australia and the UK.
Discourse on Roosenschoon’s music can be found in accredited journals published in South Africa and in international references such as Contemporary Composers by Brian Morton and Pamela Collins, online publications such as Grove Music Online and Die Musik in Geschichte und Gegenwart (MGG) Online, as well as Sounding the Cape – Music, Identity and Politics in South Africa, an eBook publication. Further reading can be found online and examples of his music are available on YouTube.