Mokale Koapeng, composer

Having graduated from the University of the Witwatersrand, Mokale Koapeng is one of South Africa’s most exciting and versatile young composers. He has performed with some of the best known musicians in the country, including Sibongile Khumalo, Bheki Khoza, Motsumi Makhene, Wendy Mseleku, Gloria Bosman, Khaya Mahlangu and many more. His concert tours have led him to the USA, Canada, the UK, France, Finland, and other countries in Africa. He has directed musical productions like Rainbow of Hope (a dance revue by Nomsa Manaka, Wits Theatre, 1991), Swing High, Sweet Gospel (Arts Alive, 1993/4) and Sellout (Grahamstown, 1995). Together with Motsumi Makhene, Sibongile Khumalo and Hugh Masekela, Mokale co-composed the music of Milestones, a musical by Mandla Langa. The musical premiered at the Grahamstown Festival and had a run at the State Theatre, winning the 1999 FNB SAMA’s Best Soundtrack Award. Mokale Koapeng composed and conducted the world premiere of Cantus in Memoria ’76, a work which commemorates the 30th anniversary of the events of 16 June 1976. He was the resident composer for the Consonances Festival of Chamber Music, St. Nazaire, France, in 2005, and was the inaugural composer-in-residence of the ‘Ihlombe! South African Choral Festival’ in 2010. Mokale Koapeng founded the Soweto Youth Jazz Orchestra, co-developed a concept called “Intyilo Kantu: Melodies of the Wise” and is the Music Director of SDASA Chorale, a gospel group that released the internationally acclaimed CD SIMUNYE with the famous British vocal group I Fagiolini. In addition to his appointment as a committee member of the National Arts Festival in Grahamstown Mokale Koapeng teaches in the music department of the University of the Witwatersrand and has given workshops on South African vocal, choral and jazz styles at the Sibelius Academy and the University of Jyvaskyla in Finland.

Select Worklist

• Simunye “Music for a Harmonious World”, 1998
• Milestones, Musical by Mandla Langa, 1999
• Utlwang Lefoko La Morena for I Fagiolini, 1999
• Tshelo Bosha for the National Symphony Orchestra, 1999
• Komeng, String Quartet, Grahamstown Festival 2003 (included in the ‘The Bow Project’ CD)
• Sedo Lame, commissioned by the University of Pretoria, 2003
• African Enigma for oboe, string trio and djembe, commissioned by Consonances Festival, France, 2005
• Gazi Lemvana, co-composed with Roderick Williams for the Lufthansa Festival of Baroque Music, London, 2005
• Cantus in Memoria ’76 for choir and orchestra, commissioned by the National Arts Festival, 2006
• Kopano for choir and percussion, commissioned by the Salisbury Community Choir, UK, 2006
• Isijabane for orchestra, commissioned by SAMRO for the South African National Youth Orchestra, 2009
• Malatsi A Bosha for string orchestra, commissioned by SAMRO for the UNISA String Youth Orchestra, 2010
• Motswako for solo guitar, commissioned by SAMRO for guitarist Avril Kinsey, 2010
• Letlang Bana for ‘IHLOMBE! South African Choral Festival’, 2010
• Dipesalema Tsa Dafita, commissioned by JIMF 2011