Andrew John Cruickshank attended school in Durban, where he won various awards for piano performance, including the ATKV Floating Trophy and bursary (1986), The Durban Publicity Trophy and Bursary (1989) and the Trinity College of London trophy and bursary (1990). In 1989, he won the Piano Recital Section of the Roodepoort International Eisteddfod. He was also a soloist with the KwaZulu Natal Philharmonic Orchestra under the baton of David Tidboald in 1991. Cruickshank enrolled at the University of Pretoria to study for a BCom degree in Actuarial Sciences as well as a BSc(Hons) degree in Mathematics. He also took private lessons in composition with Stefans Grové. Cruickshank completed his UNISA Licentiate diploma in Chamber Music in 1995, cum laude.
Whilst at university, Cruickshank was awarded a merit award by SAMRO (the South African Performing Rights Society) in its Overseas Scholarship for Composers Competition in 1994, and was also a prize-winner in the Southern Crossover Composition Competition hosted by the University of Natal's Music Department.
In 1995 he won the Art Song Composition section of the Roodepoort International Eisteddfod and was awarded a study bursary from the former Foundation for the Creative Arts (National Arts Council), enabling him to further his studies in composition under Stefans Grové.
He was winner of the composition section of the Oude Meester Foundation Music Competition in 1995 and received a commission and performance in Stellenbosch of a new work for violin, cello and piano. The same year, the Helix Vocal Ensemble, directed by George King, performed a new work for the UNISA Music Foundation in Pretoria.
He was awarded the first prize in the UNISA Composition Competition in 1995, enabling one of his works to be the set piece for the UNISA-Transnet International Piano Competition that was held in 1996. UNISA published the work for the UNISA Music Foundation as well as another set of piano works for the MUSICA Music Journal. (The prescribed work appears on the compact disc commemorating the competition.)
During 1996 he recorded the piano works of Stefans Grové for the Oude Meester Foundation on CD to high critical acclaim for the Claremont Label, Cape Town [CD GSE 1546, Claremont].
In 1997, Cruickshank attended master classes given by George Crumb in at Potchefstroom. The same year he took up the post of resident accompanist at the University of Durban-Westville. As a pianist, Cruickshank recorded regularly for the OBELISK label and the South African Broadcasting Corporation.
In 1998, one of Cruickshank’s works was used to represent South African music at the International Society of Music Educators (ISME) Conference held in Pretoria. During the same year, he also received a commission from SAMRO for a new violin and piano work. Cruickshank was also the music critic for the Daily News in Durban during 1999 to 2000.
After settling in Johannesburg in 2001, he started a new ensemble of singers and instrumentalists specialising in authentic performance practice with specific attention to the late Renaissance music period, named ‘Mass Appeal’.
This ensemble gave the first historically informed performance of Monteverdi’s 1610 Vespers in South Africa in 2001.
Cruickshank is currently enrolled for a Master’s in Composition at the University of Pretoria.
Orchestral Works:
Exploring Green Hills & Blue Skies, 1994
Brown Landscape Changing Green, 1995
Rain Gods Dancing with Birds, 1998
Chamber Music:
Sonata No 1 for Violin & Piano, 1993
Crossover (North x South x East x West), Flute & Bassoon, Violin & Cello, 1994
Trio No 1 for Violin, Cello & Piano, 1995
Red Clouds Breaking Bird Song, Flute/Piccolo & Piano, 1997
Black Man Makes Blue Gods, Violin & Piano, 1998
Praises of the Lunar Months, String Quartet, Work In Progress
Piano Music:
Four Pieces for Piano, 1993
Prayer on the Bones, Piano Duet, 1999
Kwela of Rhythm, 2004
Late Night Piano Music, 2004
Piano Sonata No 1, Work In Progress
Choral Works:
Mass Anno 1990, Mixed Voices, 1990
Six Sonnets of W. Shakespeare, 4 Solo Voices, 1992
Anthem, Mixed Voices & African Traditional Singers, 1992
My Mistress' eyes are nothing like the sun, Mixed Voices, 1992
Canto, High or Low Voices & Drums, 1994
Triptych of Mixed Wood, Mixed Voices & Piano & Percussion, 1994
Te lucis ante terminum/O nata lux, Countertenor & Male Voices, 1994
Skulpe, Krappe en Oesters, Double Mixed Choir, 2003
Earth Song, 5 Solo Voices, Work In Progress
The Bori Called Baturen Gwari, 4 solo Voices, Work In Progress
Vocal Works:
Epithalamion Teratos, High Voice & Guitar, 1993
Bushman Women Eats a Tsama Melon, High Voice, Clarinet & Piano, 1995
Calling the Waterspirits, High Voice & Piano & Percussion
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