NewMusicSA/ISCM South Africa recently announced the winner of its Fanfare Competition which was adjudicated by Durban music personalities Dr David Smith (chair), Professor Jürgen Brauninger and Brian Thusi. The jury decided to give first prize to Andile Khumalo for his piece Fanfare for Brass which was inspired by Xhosa choral music as well as a Zulu rattle dance which is mostly danced by izangoma (traditional healers) when there is a new sangoma joining the group. Says Michael Blake, president of NewMusicSA/ISCM South Africa.

Andile Wiseman Khumalo was born in 1978. He matriculated from Swelihle High School in Umlazi in 1996. For the last three years he has been enrolled as a BMus student at the University of Natal majoring in composition. In July 2000 he attended the New Music Indaba masterclasses in Grahamstown where Kevin Volans was the composer in residence. Amongst his compositions are a string quartet and a fugue for cello and piano.

Andile Khumalo's Fanfare for Brass will be heard for the first time at the World Music Days in Yokohama, Japan, in October this year.