Malcolm Forsyth, (December 8, 1936 – July 5, 2011) was a South African and Canadian
trombonist
The trombone (german: Posaune, Italian, French: ''trombone'') is a musical instrument in the brass family. As with all brass instruments, sound is produced when the player's vibrating lips cause the air column inside the instrument to vibrate ...
and composer. His daughter is former
National Arts Centre Orchestra
The National Arts Centre Orchestra (NAC Orchestra) is a Canadian orchestra based in Ottawa, Ontario led by music director Alexander Shelley. The NAC Orchestra's primary concert venue is Southam Hall at the National Arts Centre. Since its incepti ...
principal cellist
Amanda Forsyth
Amanda Forsyth (born 12 October 1966) is a Canadian cellist and the former principal cellist of the National Arts Centre Orchestra.
Biography
Daughter of composer Malcolm Forsyth, Forsyth came to Canada from South Africa at age 2 and began pla ...
.
Life and career
Forsyth was born in
Pietermaritzburg, and educated at Maritzburg College
South Africa
South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the Southern Africa, southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the Atlantic Ocean, South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the ...
. He studied
trombone
The trombone (german: Posaune, Italian, French: ''trombone'') is a musical instrument in the brass family. As with all brass instruments, sound is produced when the player's vibrating lips cause the air column inside the instrument to vibrate ...
, conducting, and composition at the
University of Cape Town
The University of Cape Town (UCT) ( af, Universiteit van Kaapstad, xh, Yunibesithi ya yaseKapa) is a public research university in Cape Town, South Africa. Established in 1829 as the South African College, it was granted full university statu ...
from which he received a
Bachelor of Music
Bachelor of Music (BM or BMus) is an academic degree awarded by a college, university, or conservatory upon completion of a program of study in music. In the United States, it is a professional degree, and the majority of work consists of pre ...
in 1963.
He played trombone with the Cape Town Symphony Orchestra while studying and receiving his
Master of Music in 1966 and Doctorate of Music in 1969. In 1968, he emigrated to Canada and joined the
Edmonton Symphony Orchestra
The Edmonton Symphony Orchestra (ESO) is a Canadian orchestra based in Edmonton, Alberta. As the professional orchestra of Alberta's creative capital city it presents over 85 concerts a year of symphonic music in all genres, from classical to cou ...
with which he played
bass trombone for 11 years. He was a Professor of Music at the
University of Alberta
The University of Alberta, also known as U of A or UAlberta, is a Public university, public research university located in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. It was founded in 1908 by Alexander Cameron Rutherford,"A Gentleman of Strathcona – Alexande ...
for 34 years. He was appointed Composer-In-Residence in 1996 and remained so until the time of his retirement in 2002.
In 1970, he wrote ''Sketches from Natal'' for the
Canadian Broadcasting Corporation
The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (french: Société Radio-Canada), branded as CBC/Radio-Canada, is a Canadian public broadcaster for both radio and television. It is a federal Crown corporation that receives funding from the government. ...
. Some of his other works include ''Concerto for Piano and Orchestra'' (1979), ''Sagittarius'' (1975), ''Quinquefid'' (1976), ''African Ode (Symphony No. 3)'' (1981), and Atayoskewin (Suite for Orchestra) (1984), which won the
Juno Award for Classical Composition of the Year
The Juno Award for "Classical Composition of the Year" has been awarded since 1987, as recognition each year for the best classical music composition in Canada
Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territori ...
in
1987
File:1987 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: The MS Herald of Free Enterprise capsizes after leaving the Port of Zeebrugge in Belgium, killing 193; Northwest Airlines Flight 255 crashes after takeoff from Detroit Metropolitan Airport, ...
.
Death
Forsyth died on July 5, 2011, aged 74, from pancreatic cancer.
Honours
In 1989, he was named Canadian Composer of the Year.
In 2003, he was made a Member of the
Order of Canada
The Order of Canada (french: Ordre du Canada; abbreviated as OC) is a Canadian state order and the second-highest honour for merit in the system of orders, decorations, and medals of Canada, after the Order of Merit.
To coincide with the cen ...
.
Sources
*''The Canadian Encyclopedia''
"Forsyth, Malcolm"(accessed 13 January 2010)
*Kennedy, Michael and Bourne, Joyce (eds)
"Forsyth, Malcolm" ''The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Music'', Oxford University Press, 2007 (accessed via Answers.com 13 January 2010)
*Kennedy, Michael (2006), ''The Oxford Dictionary of Music'', 985 pages,
*Primos, Kathy. 1994. "A Life Experience: The Orchestral Works of Malcolm Forsyth." SoundNotes. SN6:12-21.
External links
* https://web.archive.org/web/20111229101724/http://www.musiccentre.ca/mus-pla.cfm?audiofile=Podcast_12-CC.mp3&buyitem=1
* http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/edmontonjournal/obituary.aspx?page=notice&pid=152425344#fbLoggedOut
(An hour-long radio interview with Forsyth in 2008)
{{DEFAULTSORT:Forsyth, Malcolm
1936 births
2011 deaths
20th-century classical composers
21st-century classical composers
Canadian classical composers
Canadian male classical composers
Deaths from cancer in Alberta
Deaths from pancreatic cancer
Juno Award for Classical Composition of the Year winners
Members of the Order of Canada
South African emigrants to Canada
South African College of Music alumni
Alumni of Maritzburg College
20th-century Canadian composers
20th-century Canadian male musicians
21st-century Canadian male musicians