Canadian “Composer of the
Year” in 1989, winner of the
first JUNO for “Best Classical
Composition” in 1987 for his
Suite Atayoskewin, Forsyth
was born and educated in
South Africa before settling in
Canada in 1968 where he
became a faculty member of
the University of Alberta in
Edmonton.
He studied at the University of
Cape Town. Majoring initially in
trombone, later, in his Masters’
and Doctoral degrees, in
conducting and composition.
His teachers included Erik
Chisholm, Stanley Glasser,
Stefans Grové and Georg
Tintner. After spending eight
years in the trombone section
of the Cape Town Symphony
Orchestra, where he
experienced the conducting of
the likes of Constantin
Silvestri, Edgar Cosma and
Igor Stravinsky, and after
obtaining the Masters’ degree
in musicology, he decided to
emigrate. A year in Toronto
saw him, among other things,
working as a teacher in the
school system and leading a
CBC studio trombone
ensemble. Later he obtained
the Doctoral degree and also
studied conducting in England
under George Hurst.
At the University of Alberta he
taught theory, composition,
conducting and (for the first
fourteen years) trombone and
held the position of Composer-
in-Residence and conductor of
the University Symphony
Orchestra. He was also a
member of the Edmonton
Symphony Orchestra for
eleven years—three as bass
trombone and eight as
principal.
It is his work as a composer
which has brought his name to
international attention,
however. Having been
commissioned by the likes of
Maureen Forrester, the
Canadian Brass, Judith Forst,
Helmut Brauss, the
Bläserensemble Mainz and the
Symphony Orchestras of
Montreal, Edmonton, Cape
Town and the Natal
Philharmonic has enabled his
music to be heard on six
continents while his catalogue
has expanded to over one-
hundred-and-forty titles,
including three symphonies,
twelve other orchestral works,
thirteen for soloist/s and
orchestra, four for band, forty-
seven for chamber groups of
various types, ten vocal works
and three for solo piano. His
discography continues to
expand apace with releases of
the Piano Concerto, Trumpet
Concerto, Sketches from Natal,
ukuZalwa, Je répondrais…. and
The Kora Dances. For a
number of years his catalogue
was handled by the Italian
publishing giant, G.Ricordi and
now resides with Counterpoint
Music Library Services of
Canada.
In September 1992 the world
première of his saxophone
concerto, Tre Vie, took place in
Pesaro, Italy, with Edmonton
saxophone virtuoso William
Street. The outstanding
success of his cello concerto,
Electra Rising, written for his
daughter , cellist Amanda
Forsyth, has resulted in many
repeat performances in
Canada and the USA.
These two works, in
conjunction with Valley of a
Thousand Hills. A suite for
chamber orchestra, are
recorded on the CBC disc,
“Electra Rising: Music of
Malcolm Forsyth”. Three of his
works for mixed voices are
recorded on the Arktos label
release, “First Snow”, while all
of his smaller works for cello
have been released on the
Marquis CD “Soaring with
Agamemnon”. In 1999 there
were two more releases: Sun
Songs, with Judith Forst and
the CBC Vancouver Orchestra,
and Northern Journey, with the
Elektra Women’s Choir. In
2004 his new Double Concerto
for viola cello and orchestra
was premiered by soloists
Rivka Golani and Tanya
Prochazka. Since then he has
written Preludio e Fuga sul
nome di Glenn Gould, a CBC
commission, and Lyric Essay
for oboe, bassoon and piano,
commissioned by The Barlow
Endowment for the
International Double Reed
Society. Most recently he
completed Trickster Coyote—
Lightning Elk, for violin and
orchestra, a commission from
the young Mohawk-Canadian
violinist, Tara-Louise Montour,
which will be premiered in
2009.
Remarkable amongst Forsyth’s
achievements are his three
JUNO awards (1987, 1994,
1998) and three more
nominations, all for “Best
Classical Composition”. In
2003 he was awarded the
Queen’s Jubilee Medal and was
inducted into the Order of
Canada.
Mr. Forsyth passed
away
in 2011 and is sorely missed
by all
who knew him and his great
musical
talents.
