Justinian Tamusuza (born 1951) is a Ugandan composer of contemporary classical music.His music combines elements of traditional Ugandan music and Western music.[1] He is best known for his first string quartet, which was included by the Kronos Quartet on their 1992 CD Pieces of Africa, which contains music by seven African composers.[2] His music has also been performed by the Imani Winds.[3]
Tamusuza was born in Kibisi.[4][5] His early life was centered in Kibisi a village in rural Uganda, where he was immersed in traditional Kiganda music from a young age.
Tamusuza learned Ganda music as a child from the local traditional musicians who regularly played instruments like the endingidi (tube-fiddle), drums, and sang at his parents' home. He notes that he still considers himself a student of this "school of traditional musicians".[6]
His formal schooling combined this traditional background with Western influences. He attended Catholic seminaries, including Nswanjere and Kisubi Seminaries, and later St. Mary's College Kisubi and King's College Budo. In these schools, he served as the accompanist for the chapel choirs, exposing him to Western hymns and musical structures.[8]
He has taught at Makerere University in Kampala, Uganda,[1] and he served as a Professor of Music (Composition) in the Department of Performing Arts and Film at Makerere University, where he taught composition, musicology, theory, and performance. He also served as the Head of the Department of Music, Dance, and Drama at Makerere.[10]
Tamusuza held a professorship and taught at the School of Music at Northwestern University in the United States, where he himself had earned his doctorate in composition.
Composition career
Pieces of Africa Album. The first movement of his string quartet, Mu Kkubo Ery'Omusaalaba ("On the Way of the Cross"), was included on this groundbreaking album. The album reached number one on both the Billboard Classical and World Music charts, bringing his name to world attention.[8]
Commissions. The success of the album led to numerous commissions from major ensembles and organizations, including a second commission from the Kronos Quartet for another string quartet, Twadaagana Ku Lw'Omwana (1992). Other commissions came from The International Society of Contemporary Music (ISCM),The Munich Chamber Orchestra and Ensemble Jahrhundeert XX (Vienna).[8]
Leadership Roles. He has served on the juries of international music bodies and was the Artistic Director of the africa95 African Composers Workshop in the United Kingdom.
Publications. His music is published internationally by International Opus and African Composers Edition, and his works are featured on more than twenty international publications and CDs.[11]
Recognition and honors
The most significant recognition came when the Kronos Quartet included the first movement of his string quartet, Mu Kkubo Ery'Omusaalaba, on their 1992 album, Pieces of Africa. The album reached number one on both the Billboard Classical and World Music charts, bringing Tamusuza "to world attention".
His educational pursuits were supported by several honors, including:
A visiting fellowship at the Stellenbosch Institute for Advanced Studies (STIAS) in 2019.[12]
Personal life
Tamusuza is married to Sylvia Nannyonga-Tamusuza, a prominent African ethnomusicologist and Associate Professor at Makerere University in Uganda. They have several children and reside in Uganda. Justinian and Sylvia are a "husband-wife team" who often collaborate professionally, notably during a cross-continental residency hosted by Orchestra 2001 in 2023-2024.[13]
The couple has children. A 2009 article mentioned them having three children at the time, all sharing a cramped apartment and sleeping in a triple-decker bunk bed, before they took in another child, Oliva, as her legal guardians. Sylvia was later noted to have two more children, indicating a large family.[14]
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