Akademiese Afdelings
Komposisie, Teorie, Film- en Musiekproduksie Afdeling
Who are we?
At Stellenbosch University, the Division of Composition, Theory, Film and Music Production brings together all aspects of music creation, study, and practice. We analyse the architecture of music across traditions, from Western art music and jazz to South African, film, experimental, electronic, early and contemporary styles, to understand why composers made certain choices in certain contexts. Our students learn not only to study and analyse music, but to embody it, create it, and transform it into research.
We do not believe in silos: genres and styles are studied and valued equally, and our students are encouraged to experiment with music they might not yet know. Composition here means everything from film scoring and intermedia to concert works and electronic music. Theory is not abstract paperwork but a living practice that informs performance, composition, and critical creativity.
Our division is the most awarded of its kind in South Africa. Students and staff have won accolades from the United Nations, UCLA Kaleidoscope, the International Wildlife Film Festival, Cape Town International Animation Festival, Cannes Film Festival, SAFTA, KykNet Silwerskermfees, Toyota Stellenbosch Woordfees, and more. Nationally, our composers regularly achieve recognition at every major competition (ATKV Applous, CPO SA Composers’ Award, Stefans Grové Composers’ Competition). Alumni have gone on to further study at leading international institutions such as the Royal Conservatory and the European Film Scoring Academy.
Facilities
Our students work in spaces designed for creativity and innovation: a dedicated composition studio, a specialised music library, technology lab, and world-class recording studios. These facilities provide the tools and environments needed for everything from acoustic composition and advanced theory to film scoring and digital production.
Lektore
What can I study?
- Music Theory (division head: Arthur Feder) is central to undergraduate study across the Higher Certificate, Diploma, BA (Music), and BMus. Bridging modules support students who arrive with less experience, while recent postgraduate work confirms the viability of Music Theory up to master’s and doctoral levels.
- Composition & Orchestration (division head: Dr Antoni Schonken) is available as a specialisation option in the BMus, with postgraduate study in BMus Hons (Composition), PGDip (Film Music), MPhil (Film Music), MMus (Composition), and PhD.
- Creative Skills forms part of the Higher Certificate and BMus, developing the practical, managerial, and applied creativity essential for future educators and artists.
- Music Production will launch in 2027 as a dedicated focal area within the BA (Music), offering students both with and without formal music backgrounds an industry-relevant, future-facing education in production.
Area-specific Projects
The projects and collaborations undertaken by our staff and students reflect the diversity, impact, and international reach of our division.
These examples give a sense of the scope of work that students may become part of during their studies:
- Symposium of South African Composers (SoSAC): Convened at Stellenbosch, SoSAC is a large and significant new music gathering. It brings together national and international composers, performers, and researchers for concerts, workshops, and debates. Students are directly involved as performers, organisers, and contributors, gaining first-hand experience in shaping the direction of South African composition.
- Flat Mountain Project & Publishers: Within our department, and under the leadership of Dr Annien Shaw, the Flat Mountain Project curates large-scale artistic collaborations that combine new composition, intermedia performance, and publication. Its publishing house is one of South Africa’s few dedicated contemporary sheet-music publishers, offering students practical experience in editing, design, and the dissemination of new scores.
- Vibrations of Deep Time: This interdisciplinary project brings together poetry, sound installation, orchestration, and scientific data sonification. By transducing astrophysical and molecular information into sound, the work exemplifies how music can engage with deep questions of time, existence, and perception. Students participate in workshops and research components, gaining exposure to intermedia creation at an international research level.
- Student-Led Innovation: Our students’ projects frequently achieve international visibility. Lize Briel’s Ocean Pollution sound work was presented at the United Nations headquarters as part of the #CreateCOP28 initiative, illustrating how music can speak to urgent global concerns. Anthonie Jansen van Rensburg’s album Only Now explores South African genre hybridity and electronic aesthetics, showing how students expand the possibilities of local musical languages. His master’s work was one of the top three across the entire Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, underscoring the division’s academic excellence.
- Film and Media Scoring: Staff and students collaborate on internationally recognised film projects that have earned awards at festivals such as Cannes, the Cape Town International Animation Festival, and the International Wildlife Film Festival. Productions like Rooted, Roots of Life, and Spirals (with award-winning scores by Dr Antoni Schonken) demonstrate the division’s industry-facing expertise, giving students direct exposure to workflows in professional film scoring and post-production.
Together, these examples show that our division’s projects are not confined to classrooms, but move outward into communities, industries, and global conversations. They reveal the unique blend of academic rigour, creative experimentation, and professional engagement that defines our division.
