Micaela Loubser UNRAVELLING, Finalist. The Alexander SA Composers' Award 2024

MICAELA LOUBSER is a composer and sound designer. She started her musical career as a flautist focused on performance however her love for music theory later revealed a passion for composition. In 2021, Micaela received a BMus in Western Classical Composition from the University of Cape Town, graduating degree with distinction studying composition
under Hendrik Hofmeyr. Her dedication was acknowledged, remaining on the Dean’s Merit List throughout her studies, and she was awarded the Peter Klatzow prize for original composition in 2021. Since 2022, Micaela has entered the video game industry as the principal composer and sound designer for a mobile video game developed by Loud Rabbits.
UNRAVELLING draws its inspiration from the intricate craftsmanship inherent in various forms
of artistic creation. This composition serves as a sonic tapestry, exploring the parallels between the meaning of the work itself and the broader narrative of life. The fundamental element of the piece is in its scale, mc[1+1+2], reminiscent of the fundamental stitches in knitting. This scale is divided into three cells, each intertwined with an interlocking pitch.
The inaugural SA Composers’ Competition was launched in 2022/2023 for young composers to develop skills and recognise talent in the local creative music industry. There were 29 entries from a diverse selection of young composers 35 or younger at the time of entering and a panel of judges headed by eminent composer Hendrik Hofmeyr after much, blind, deliberation, chose five to compete for the title. Conrad Asman and his piece Beyond the Atom was chosen by the judges to be the winner and Asman’s prize was a cash prize and commission to compose a piece, Load & Shed, which you will hear tonight. Tonight’s winner will win a cash prize and a trip to Germany to have his/her piece performed by the Junge Nord-Deutsche Philharmonie(jnp) in April in Hamburg.
Louis Heyneman - producer
Shirley Gueller - manager
CAPE TOWN PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA conducted by Jeremy Silver
The Judges:
Hendrik Hofmeyr (non-voting chairman), Alexander Valentin, Antoni Schonken (convenor), Amy Crankshaw, Arthur Feder, Bernhard Gueller, Clare Loveday, Lise Morrison
MUSICSCAPE Livestream
Marek Pinski - video production and sound recording supervision
Caitlin Mittelmeyer - Live video editing
Tony Mittelmeyer - multiple video camera setup and system coordinator