Robert Fokkens is a South African composer based in London. His music has been performed in many major venues in the UK (including the Wigmore Hall, Purcell Room and Royal Festival Hall), South Africa, Germany, the Netherlands, Australia, the USA and Japan, and broadcast on BBC Radio 3. Performers of his music include Pierre-Andre Valade, Ernst Kovacic, Ian Partridge, Martyn Brabbins, the South African National Youth Orchestra, Oliver Coates, The Fibonacci Sequence, the Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra, rarescale, Trio Fibonacci, Tim Murray, Harriet Mackenzie, juice and soprano Claire Booth. His music has been published in the journal The Liberal and in Choir and Organ magazine, and recorded on the Herald and South African National Youth Orchestra labels.
Robert studied at the University of Cape Town and the Royal Academy of Music, and held the Manson Fellowship at the RAM. During this time he worked with many composers including George Crumb, Sir Harrison Birtwistle, Thomas Ades, Simon Bainbridge, Poul Ruders, and Mauricio Kagel. He completed his PhD at the University of Southampton in 2007, where he was supervised by Michael Finnissy.
Throughout his studies, Robert was generously supported by a number of prizes and scholarships, including a Countess of Munster Musical Trust bursary, the South African Music Rights Organisation Overseas Scholarship, a National Arts Council of South Africa award, an Overseas Research Scheme scholarship, and a bursary awarded by the Royal Academy of Music. His doctoral studies were also supported by a University of Southampton Major Studentship.
Robert is currently Vice President of New Music South Africa, the South African section of the ISCM, and teaches composition and academic music at Trinity College of Music’s junior department.
Web: www.robertfokkens.co.uk (2010)