About Roelof Temmingh

Temmingh is associate professor in musicology and composition at the Stellenbosch University. Born in Amsterdam, he emigrated to South Africa in 1958. He studied in South Africa, Germany and in the Netherlands. Temmingh has established himself as one of the leading composers in South Africa. Initially he was rather a controversial figure, composing a great number of experimental works. This tendency was resolved somewhat since about 1985, as may be discovered in his three operas: "Enoch Prophet of God", "Sacred Bones" and "Buchuland". Since 1988 he has won all the major composition competitions in South Africa. Temmingh has worked in all genres, including electronic music and has completed more than 100 compositions. They include widely divergent titles, spanning from Nude, Radar, Pro Forma or DiSCH to works entitled sonata, symphony or, frequently, concerto.