Caroline Leisegang - Øyeblikk (2015/2019)

Caroline Leisegang occupies a unique place in the classical music scene in South Africa. Not only is she among the youngest classical composers in the country, and indeed internationally, but she recorded a self-penned album at the age of 24.

The young pianist’s musical endeavours were handsomely rewarded when her album, titled Øyeblikk – Norwegian for “moments” – was voted the Best Classical Album on iTunes SA in 2015. She has garnered young fans previously not interested in classical music, and proof of this is that she is on the bill of Oppikoppie in August.

Øyeblikk debuted at No 1 on the iTunes SA classical chart when it was released in October and went on to occupy top spot for weeks. Since then the unassuming pianist, composer and cellist has become one of the most-watched classical musicians around.

She says the album was a way of embracing her Norwegian roots while capturing particular moments that she experienced during a holiday in Britain and France.

“The name is Norwegian for moment,” she explains. “I’m Norwegian on my dad’s side and a fourth-generation South African.

“The music was inspired by my experiences in London and Paris.The sights and sounds of those cities left a lasting imprint on my mind; children playing on a merry-go-round in a Parisian park, the grey and rainy skies of London in spring and the break of daylight were some of the images that inspired me.”

The results are 10 piano solos with brooding but hauntingly beautiful melodies. Caroline decided to title all the tracks in Norwegian. For instance, Drømme (dream), Himmelen (the sky or heaven), Karusell (merry-go-round), and Måneskinn (moonlight) .

“During the writing process, I was fascinated by the idea of repetition that’s present in the spelling of Norwegian words. It mirrors the repetition of sound in my music,” she says.

She started composing during her travels between London, Paris and Joburg last year. The album is a melancholic meditation on a memorably beautiful past and an attempt to treasure it in the present.

“I’m one of those people who gets overwhelmed by things I experience and then become overwhelmed with sadness or nostalgia when those events have passed on. So writing this music was a way of trying to hold on to those fleeting moments,” she adds.

The young composer’s introspective and inherently moody tone is delightfully lifted by her intuitively upbeat compositional-style. She is a natural.

So how does it feel to have had such a positive response to her album?

“It’s terrifying and incredible. But I’m trying not to think of it as a big deal. Obviously I’m proud of it, but at the same time I view it as the beginning of things to come in the future.”

Like many young people of her generation, Caroline was exposed to different musical styles growing up – rock, hip hop, jazz and pop. Both her parents loved music – particularly classical – and encouraged Caroline and her sister to play musical instruments. She says her sister is a fantastic violinist but decided not to pursue music as a career – at least not yet.

“Growing up we were taken to all sorts of musical events ranging from soirées to serious classical concerts with big symphony orchestras,” she recalls.

These events and her parents’ collection introduced her to old classical masters such as Bach, Chopin, Debussy, Ravel and Steve Reich, and the new school that includes Joshua Bell, Nils Frahm, Philip Glass, Nico Muhly and Max Richter. Since then, Caroline has been exposed to a slew of non-classical musicians, including Hugh Masekela, Cyndi Lauper, Beyoncé, The Libertines and Notorious BIG.

She reckons she draws inspiration from both classical and pop and wouldn’t mind collaborating with someone like AKA on orchestral arrangements.

At the age of 19 she was seduced by the idea of writing music for films. At the time, a friend was directing a TV commercial “and he suggested I write a piece for the pitch, which he ended up using, and eventually lead to the piece being used in the commercial”, she recalls. “It was a very encouraging experience and still keeps me going to this day.”

Her academic journey was a bit unorthodox. She studied music in high school and then went to Wits University for bachelor of music, but dropped out in her third year. “I felt I wasn’t learning enough or anything new,” she explains.

“Then I decided to apply to Trinity College of Music in London to do a post-graduate course in composition. I didn’t believe that I could be admitted at such a prestigious institution, but it happened. It was the most amazing experience of my life.”

Two of her mentors were world-class classical composers Deirdre Gribbin and John Ashton Thomas, a film composer who has had a hand in the scores of several blockbuster films.

“Nothing can replace what I learnt from them, and John played a massive role in this series I’ve written, but I’m definitely not finished learning and there are so many amazing composers and performers out there that have invaluable takes on music,” she remarks.

She was also accepted to attend ManiFeste-2015, a festival and multi-disciplinary academy in Paris last July, an annual event she believes was a fulfilling learning experience.

Her goals include recording a series for solo violin with Joshua Bell. She says it’s been a childhood dream to collaborate with this internationally-respected US violinist and conductor at no less a venue than Carnegie Hall, New York.

In March she performed at Casa Labia Cultural Centre in Muizenberg, Western Cape. No doubt there will be more memorable concerts – Oppikoppi among them.

Tracklist:

01. Forelsket
02. Himmelen II
03. Rød Regndråper
04. Drømme I
05. Himmelen I
06. Karusell
07. Midnat
08. Forstørre
09. Måneskinn
10. Drømme II