musicus volume 36.2 2008 64

eminent female art music composer. Her compositional output numbers more than seventy works, covering most musical genres, from the large scale symphony to cham-ber, choral, ballet, rock opera, fi lm and solo instrumental music. Since 2001 she has held the position of Professor of Theory and Composition at the Music Department in the School of Arts at the University of the Witwatersrand. As an educator she has shared her vast knowledge and vision and has in-spired many young budding student composers. As a person of integrity and with her warm personality, she is respected and admired by many, myself included. Our friendship dates back a long time, and I feel privileged to write about her as she reaches this milestone in her life. The ‘question and answer ’ session was held at her Johannesburg home a few days before her birthday. Jeanne’s formative years were spent in Pretoria where she was born on the 9thof July 1948. Her talent and special aptitude for music soon became evident, and from the age of fi ve she was sent to her aunt, Goldie Zaidel, for piano and theory lessons. Under Goldie’s expert guidance, Jeanne was soon trying her hand at composition. One of her earliest attempts bears the title, “Rushen Dance ”- she could notate music before she could spell properly! Jeanne passed all the UNISA piano examinations with hon-ours, and her playing was featured on the radio programme “Young South Africa”. As head girl of the Pretoria Girls’ High school, she matriculated in 1965 with a fi rst class pass