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Arnold Van WykSouth African composer
Date of Birth: 26.04.1916
Country:  South Africa |
Content:
Biography of Arnold van Wyk
Arnold van Wyk was a South African composer, known as one of the most prominent musicians of his generation along with Hubert du Plessis and Stefans Grove. He was born on the Klavervlei farm near Calvinia, a small town in South Africa. He was the sixth of eight children in his family. His mother, Helena van Dyk, came from a wealthy family and was believed to be a distant descendant of the renowned 17th-century artist Anthony van Dyck.
Van Wyk's family had musical talent, with his mother and older sisters showing certain abilities. However, they did not have the opportunity to receive formal musical education. One of his sisters taught him to play the piano for a while. At the age of 16, van Wyk enrolled in a school in Stellenbosch.
After finishing school, van Wyk tried to obtain a scholarship for studying abroad but was unsuccessful. He then started working at an insurance company in Cape Town while continuing to study music independently. It was in Cape Town that he met the music critic Charles Weich, who helped him make his first concert appearance and gain the attention of listeners.
Van Wyk finally received the coveted scholarship and went to study at the Royal Academy of Music in London. He stayed there until 1944 and received numerous prestigious awards during his studies, including the Worshipful Company of Musicians medal, awarded to the most outstanding student of the Academy. He also performed at student concerts and worked for the African section of the BBC as a presenter, translator, commentator, and program developer.
Returning to South Africa in 1946 after the end of World War II, van Wyk was warmly received. He actively dedicated himself to promoting South African music, composing, performing, and touring throughout Africa. His concerts aimed to generate interest in classical music among even the most remote parts of the continent. In 1952, van Wyk became a Fellow of the Royal Academy, and he traveled to Europe several times for performances.
Among his notable performances outside Africa and the United Kingdom, van Wyk's rendition of "Eerste Strykkwartet" for the International Society for Contemporary Music in Brussels in 1950 and his musical cycle "Van liefde en Verlatenheid" at the society's festival in Israel in 1954 stand out. In Israel, he received the Jeunesses Musicales Prize, and the cycle was so well-received that he performed it in the Netherlands, London, and Oslo in the same year. In 1972, van Wyk was awarded an honorary Doctor of Music degree from the University of Cape Town, and in 1981, he received the same honor from the University of Stellenbosch.
