Michael Blake is a South Africa

South Africa

The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...

n contemporary classical music

Classical music

Classical music is the art music produced in, or rooted in, the traditions of Western liturgical and secular music, encompassing a broad period from roughly the 11th century to present times...

 composer

Composer

A composer is a person who creates music, either by musical notation or oral tradition, for interpretation and performance, or through direct manipulation of sonic material through electronic media...

.

The composer studied at the University of the Witwatersrand

University of the Witwatersrand

The University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg is a South African university situated in the northern areas of central Johannesburg. It is more commonly known as Wits University...

 in Johannesburg

Johannesburg

Johannesburg also known as Jozi, Jo'burg or Egoli, is the largest city in South Africa, by population. Johannesburg is the provincial capital of Gauteng, the wealthiest province in South Africa, having the largest economy of any metropolitan region in Sub-Saharan Africa...

 and lectured at Goldsmiths College

Goldsmiths College

Goldsmiths, University of London is a public research university located in London, United Kingdom which specialises in the arts, humanities and social sciences, and a constituent college of the federal University of London. It was founded in 1891 as Goldsmiths' Technical and Recreative Institute...

, University of London. He returned to South Africa in 1998 and settled in Grahamstown

Grahamstown

Grahamstown is a city in the Eastern Cape Province of the Republic of South Africa and is the seat of the Makana municipality. The population of greater Grahamstown, as of 2003, was 124,758. The population of the surrounding areas, including the actual city was 41,799 of which 77.4% were black,...

 where he teaches composition and is director of the annual contemporary music festival, New Music Indaba.

At the 1999 meeting of the International Society for Contemporary Music

International Society for Contemporary Music

The International Society for Contemporary Music is a music organization that promotes contemporary classical music.ISCM was established in 1922, in Salzburg. Its core activity is the World Music Days Festival, held every year at a different location. The festival includes cutting edge productions...

 held in Bucharest, Blake made a successful bid for South Africa’s re-entry into the ISCM after an absence of nearly four decades. He was the founding President of the ISCM South African Section, NewMusicSA

NewMusicSA

NewMusicSA is the South African section of the International Society for Contemporary Music . Its formation on 10 May 1999 heralded the return of South African representation at the ISCM after many decades....

 and continues to serve as a board member.NewMusicSA: The International Society for Contemporary Music, South African Section

His music is influenced by African music.

Orchestral works

• Kwela (1992) First version: string orchestra, Second version: elastic scoring
  Elastic Scoring
  Elastic scoring is a style of orchestration or music arrangement that was first used by the Australian composer Percy Grainger.-Purpose:This technique of orchestration is used to provide composers with the option of allowing a diverse group of voices or instrumentalists the ability to perform their...
  
  
• Out of the Darkness (1993-94) for piano and small orchestra
• Remix (1998) for two solo violins and string orchestra

Chamber music

• Self Delectative Songs (1986)
• Cum martelli incrudena (1987)
• The Seasons (1987-88)
• Quartet for Flute and Strings (1989; rev.1999)
• Quintet for Basset Clarinet and String Quartet (1990) for classical or modern instruments
• Let us run out of the rain (1991)for string quartet
• Mysteries (in memoriam J C) (1993) for four percussionists
• Carpet of Memory (1994/1996/1998) for voice-flute, bass viol and harpsichord or flute/violin, cello and piano
• Offering for seven baroque instruments and electric guitar

Instrumental works

• Spirit (1985) for flute solo
• Honey Gathering Song (1989) for flute and piano or harpsichord
• Hindewhu (1989-90) for two classical or modern clarinets in Bb or soprano saxophones
• Leaf Carrying Song (1991-93) for oboe d'amore (or alto flute) and ten-string guitar
• Three Venda Children’s Songs (1996) for guitar
• Birthday Fanfare (1998) for four tubas or tuba and tape
• Untitled (2000) for clarinet in A and piano
• Isicamngco (2001) for saxophone quartet (soprano, alto, tenor, baritone)

Keyboard music

• Gang o'Notes for prepared piano
• Let us run out of the rain (1986; rev.1993) for two to play at one piano or harpsichord
• Thirteen Inventions (1988) for two pianos
• Hommage à MDCLXXXV (1985; rev.1994) for harpsichord (in meantone tuning ad lib)
• Cadenzas for Mozart's Piano Concerto in D minor K466 (1994)
• French Suite (1994) for piano
• A Toy (1995) for piano
• Reverie (1995-96; rev. 1999) for two pianos
• San Polyphony (1998; rev. 1999/2001) for organ
• More Toys (Nos. 1 & 2) (1997) for piano
• 38a Hill Street Blues (2000) for piano
• BWV Fragments (1999) for keyboard (piano, harpsichord, clavichord or organ)
• Nightsongs (1997/99) for piano

Choral music

• Beamish Grace (1988; rev.1989) SAB a cappella
• Five Traditional Animal Poems of the Khoikhoi (1992) SATB a cappella
• Carol of the Three Outas (1993) Soprano solo and SSA a cappella
• The Ballad of Poui (1994) Cantata for soloists, SSAA and two percussionists

Film music

• Film Music: *The Furiosus (1998) for string quartet
• Erotikon (2000) Score for the 1929 silent film by Gustav Machaty for flute, bass clarinet, viola and piano

External links

• Michael Blake's webpage News - Michael Blake - South African New Music Composer And Performer
• Grahamstown Festival http://www.nafest.co.za/about_history.htm
• African Composers http://sacomposers.up.ac.za/index.html#a
• Electronic Music Gallery - Grahamstown Festival Indaba 2003http://www.newmusicsa.org.za/indaba2003/ElectronicMusicGallery.pdf
• New Music South Africa NewMusicSA: The International Society for Contemporary Music, South African Section
• New Music Brighton New Music Brighton