Stefans Grové (23 July 1922 – 29 May 2014) was a South African composer, born in town of Bethlehem, in the the Free State. Before his death the following assessment was made of him: "He is regarded by many as Africa's greatest living composer, possesses one of the most distinctive compositional voices of our time".
His musical education began at school and his first compositional efforts date from that time. He eventually trained as a pianist and organist, with the guidance from his mother's brother, D.J. Roode. As a student he remained an avid reader of musical scores (often without the assistance of accompanying soundtracks) which not only informed his own development as a composer but may also have developed his talent for sight-reading at the piano.
As the first South African recipient of a Fulbright Scholarship, Grové had the opportunity of going to Harvard University where he completed his master's degree. Apart from his work as a composer, Grové was also a fine writer whose essays and short fiction has received praise from no less a figure than André P. Brink. He was also active as a music critic, most notably for the newspapers Rapport and Beeld.
He forms part of a triumvirate of white Afrikaans composers who are considered as "founding fathers of South African art music". The other two composers in this category are Arnold van Wyk and Hubert du Plessis. Beyond that, and arguably more significantly, Grové has managed to shape a "hybrid style" for himself, beginning a new creative phase in a time when it must have amounted to a radical move on his part.
His works include a plethora of orchestral works, ballet, opera, concertos, chamber music, organ works, piano music, cadenzas, choral works, and solo vocal music.
His life ended with the open score of an, alas, unfinished Viola Concerto, dedicated to Jeanne-Louise Moolman and commissioned by Amsterdam’s Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra. This, perhaps the only aspect of his life that was incomplete, is above all also a predominant indication of the respect and admiration Professor Grové received from the international music world.
This remarkable piece is one of the main works on the programme for the FSSO Symphony Concert taking place on the 14th of March at the Odeion School of Music OSM, UFS.
Please do join us as we celebrate a South African icon.
Tickets are on sale at Computicket.
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