Meet our Fantastic Composer & Conductor: Franco Prinsloo #Vox_Tribe
Tell us a bit more about yourself. Where do you come from, where did you study, when dit you start composing, etc:
A: I was born in Ermelo, Mpumalanga, and grew up in Middelburg. After school, I went to study music in Potchefstroom and sang in the PUK-Choir under the direction of Prof. Awie van Wyk. I got my Fellowship in Music Composition from the West London University College of Music. Choral music has always been part of my being, and being able to compose and conduct professionally is a dream come true.
Q: Going now for 7 years with the Vox Chamber Choir, how do you feel about our journey from where we started, up until this moment today with Kruis van Liefde's first live performance tonight?
A: In 2017, I started the Vox Chamber Choir with a small group of dedicated and talented friends. Since then, we have done the most amazing concerts, recordings, and tours. I am blessed to have a group of talented choral artists who really believe in my compositions and have a passion for performing it at the highest professional level. The past year was an absolute highlight with the performance of "Lig van Waarheid" together with the Cape Town Philharmonic Orchestra, and now, another performance of "Kruis van Liefde".
Q: What is your vision for the Vox Chamber Choir for the next 7 years?
A: After "Kruis van Liefde", I plan on focussing on my a capella sacred music. I have written a large number of a capella sacred works over the last 10 years, and I am very excited to work on these pieces. We will end the year with a special "Requiem" programme, combining a capella singing with contemporary ballet. #watch_this_space
For the future, I plan on taking the choir on another international tour, performing in some of the best venues in Europe, as well as collaborating with European choirs and conductors. The third and final part of my Trilogy of Oratorio, "Kroon van Wonders", for full orchestra, soloists and choir will also feature in the next few years.
Q: What has been your most memorable experience with Vox to date?
A: I must say that it is very difficult to single out only one moment. However, I must say that composing the soundtrack for the Showmax series "Donkerbos", and recording it with the Vox Chamber Choir during our tour last year in the Cape was an absolute highlight. If you have not yet seen the series, do yourself a favour....its on Showmax.
Q What does it feel like to be part of every facet of producing a piece of music, from composition to performance:
A: Creating a new choral work from the concept to the eventual performance is a deeply satisfying process. It all starts with a concept and mostly a text or a piece of poetry. For me, it is always important to let the poetry lead me to where the music needs to go. I always tell the choir that the process of discovering a new composition with the choir in the rehearsal process is the most rewarding experience. This is the moment where the dots on paper become art!
Q: What do you enjoy the most about having created Vox?
A: The fact that I am part of a group of extremely talented, dedicated, and professional musicians. We have the same goal and passion: to create something meaningful and beautiful and to enrich our own lives and that of others through our music.
Q: What voice group do you sing normally in a choir when you are singing?
A: I am a second tenor!
Q: Which voice group is your favourite?
A: Like any a good parent will tell you when asked "who is your favourite child", all of them are equally special, of course! 😜
Q: In which Vox-Tet (our octets) are you?
A: SPANTON! The Green Machine!💚
Q: If you could have a superpower, what would it be?
A: Apparition - like in the Harry Potter universe. It would make travelling so much easier. #seetheworld (Just so you know I am a proud Rawenclaw💙).
Q: What are you reading/binge watching at the moment:
1. Reading - Sheet music...haha🤣
2. Watching - I just finished The White Lotus season 2. And, sjoe! What a series!
Q: Name another hobby/interest you participate in?
A: I create conceptual art from time to time, but I must say, travelling and taking lots and lots of pictures with my phone is definitely a passion! I am also a keen swimmer.
Q: Name a section in "Kruis van Liefde" that gives you goosebumps every time:
A: In the first movement, "I. Kom Laat ons sing", the work starts with a unison chant and a haunting organ pedal drone. For me, this is such a special moment. The beauty lies in the simplicity.
Get your tickets for Kruis van Liefde, live on the 15th of March 2023 at NG Universiteitsoord, Pretoria. You do not want to miss this magical choral experience. Tickets are selling fast: https://tickets.tixsa.co.za/event/kruis-van-liefde-vox-chamber-choir
Q: If you could travel anywhere in the world right now, where would it be and why?
A: To Vienna - the city of music! I have had the most wonderful concerts in Vienna in the most beautiful concert halls, cathedrals and churches, and I can not get enough...!
📸 Photo Credit: The beyond amazing, Yolandi Jacobsz - Loci Photography
Conductor and Composer of the Vox Chamber Choir: Franco Prinsloo Composer/Conductor