Christo Jankowitz

Christo Jankowitz

Christo Jankowitz (b.1977) studied composition at the University of the Witwatersrand (WITS), in Johannesburg, South Africa under the supervision of Jeanne Zaidel-Rudolph. Here he obtained a master's degree with distinction as well as a Doctor of Music degree (D-mus) in composition. Prior to this he completed a Bachelor of Musicology with distinction at the University of South Africa (UNISA) where he also obtained the UPLM (Piano) diploma with distinction.

During his studies he attended several masterclasses most notably with Tania Leon and Kevin Volans during their short residencies at WITS. He also received tuition in composition and orchestration from Alan Belkin in Montreal Canada. Christo was a prize winner at the SAMRO Overseas Scholarships for Composers in 2006 and 2010. He also won awards in composition from MTN and the first prize in the SOWETAN Massed Choir Festival Composition Competition. As an OMT scholar he atended the Atlantic Music Festival (AMF) in 2012.

During 2015 and 2016 he received generous funding from the A. W. Mellon Foundation towards postdoctoral research under the supervision of Hendrik Hofmeyr at the South African College of Music (SACM). His continuing postodoctoral research received generous funding from the OMT in 2017. During 2017 and 2018 he was appointed at the SACM as leave replacement lecturer where he taught advanced harmony and counterpoint, composition and orchestration.

Notable performances of works took place in the Z. K. MAtthews Hall at UNISA, the WITS Atrium, WITS Great Hall, Baxter Concert Hall in Capetown, as well as a performance in 2016 by the Cape Town Philharmonic Orchestra in the Cape Town City Hall under the baton of maestro Daniel Boico.

As a passionate teacher, Christo currently works as Senior Lecturer in Composition in the Department of Art and Music at UNISA.