Comes the Night: an interview with composer and pianist Caroline Leisegang
When South African composer and pianist Caroline Leisegang released her first album, Øyeblikk, in 2015, she was one of the youngest classical composers in her country’s history. The album went global and earned her the prestigious iTunes “Best of 2015” award for Best Classical Album. Several more well-received albums followed, all in Leisegang’s signature solo piano style.
Everything changed for her in 2020. She turned 30, became a mother, and watched with the rest of us as the world changed in the blink of an eye. When writing of how all of this affected her music, she states,
“Motherhood has been both beautiful and tense; the world has been both beautiful and tense. This duality is what I wanted to capture.”
Leisegang borrowed the title of her latest album, Comes the Night, from a book she purchased years ago at the Shakespeare and Co. bookstore in Paris. This book, which she has reread every year since she was 21, explores the contrast between light and dark, and she sought to capture this duality in her music. Leisegang does this through story, each piece a chapter in a musical narrative that flows from beginning to end. In the spare notes of piano and cello, the listener finds space to explore their own story in the composer’s personal journey. It is an honor to feature Caroline Leisegang on No Dead Guys.
I understand that you started piano at age 6, added the cello at age 14, and then went on to study composition (as well as French and English literature) at the University of the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg. How do you feel your varied talents and interests best enrich your compositions?
I’m not entirely confident in calling them talents, but I’d say they definitely were the foundation of my growth. I spend so, so much time trying to consume as much as I can. From books to different languages, from CNN to Sky News (it’s all about the world around me) and how I manage to translate what I’m either feeling or experiencing into the one medium I feel the most comfortable.
What can you tell me about your time studying composition at the prestigious Trinity College of Music in London? What convinced you to apply to it and how does the training you received there most influence your career today?
It was definitely a completely different way of learning. Certainly not one I’d experienced in Johannesburg—I honestly learned how to write. I think this is where I became a composer because composing wasn’t about just 4 part harmony; it became about learning to extract from my world and actually implement all that theory you learn as a classical or jazz musician. You almost become the teacher as well as the student because there is no spoon feeding—it’s the essence of learning about yourself and expanding your mind in terms of the skills you are taught early on as a musician.
In the past you’ve quoted a former teacher of yours—Sue Cock— as saying: “A little grey man in a little grey office wrote the rules for classical music—it’s okay to break them.” In what ways have you broken the classical music rules and in what way do you still follow them?
This is a quote to live by! I’m still in the depths of understanding my own compositions, but the theoretical rules we are taught when learning music from a young age, they define boundaries of what “should” or “should not” go in Classical music. Where there should be harmony, I’ve found dissonance. Where there should be a perfect cadence at the end of a piece, I may end on a disrupted one. Or I might just end. I don’t think I’ve accomplished anything particularly groundbreaking, but I’ve managed to place myself outside of the box of composition where there’s a dominating male presence and female composers are few and far between. Also, I don’t think I fit into any particular “genre” of classical music.
You launched your compositional career at a young age with the release of Øyeblikk in 2015—an album that earned you the prestigious iTunes ‘Best Of 2015’ Award for Best Classical Album. What is the English translation of Øyeblikk and what can you tell us about the pieces featured on this recording?
Translated in the simple way: “Moments.” The idea for the body of work was to be a series of moments I had collected over my time in London and the last few months of 2014 when I’d returned back to Johannesburg. It’s always difficult to say everything you’d like; but I think my greatest piece, “Forstørre”, translated to “Magnify”, is a piece about a moment when I was sitting on the steps outside my flat in Fulham and there was a trail of ants marching in order and I wished I had a magnifying glass where I could zoom in and see their tiny faces and the determination they’d had on that trip on the stairs and the ability to zoom in and out, which is not really something we get to do in real, physical life.
Congratulations on the release of your most recent album, Comes the Night, as well as the birth of your first baby. You’ve stated that motherhood has influenced this album. In what way?
Thank you! I’d been on a bit of a hiatus for 4 years, thinking that my creativity and motherhood couldn’t coincide. Maybe more of a fear than a reality, because in the end I wrote a work that in more ways than just “Victorine.” The album as a whole has turned out to be my experience of how I’ve found myself in the world as a new mother, as a stumbling composer, as a person just trying to understand the chaos of all three. Somehow, the world becomes a whole lot more terrifying when you become a parent and I think that this is what Comes the Night is. It’s the last 4 years of an oscillating beauty, fear, ugliness, light and love.
I understand that title of Comes the Night was inspired by a book you purchased at the Shakespeare & Co. bookstore in Paris. Was it just the title that influenced these pieces, or did the story itself wind its way into the notes?
A bit of both. The title has always stuck with me; but the story is about an almost coming of age young girl, living and learning in Paris. With the light and the darkness that surrounds her, and it felt right to me because this album is me coming of age as a composer and having a bit of a reset.
Comes the Night features both the piano and the cello. After so many piano recordings, why did you feel you needed to add another instrument, and how do you feel the cello helps tell the story of this album?
I’ve always wanted to write for strings but I have always been wary of it. While I am a cellist, it’s a whole different task to undertake when actually composing. I have a reference of every cello piece I find mesmerising, but then how do I accomplish that myself? So I thought this reintroduction would be a good (or bad) place to start. The cello also added the dark heaviness that I wanted to capture at times.
When describing the structure of Comes the Night you’ve been quoted as saying, “I see the whole album as a book. You have a ‘Beginning,’ you have an ‘End,’ and you have everything in between.” Can you elaborate on this?
This would go back to the inspiration (completely unintentional)! When you play the pieces in their order, it plays like a story; with “enter Caroline” the listener meets their protagonist. From there the story ebbs a bit and builds, but by the time the listener gets to “End”, there’s a deliberate attempt at saying “this isn’t over, please stick around for what’s next”.
One of the things I especially enjoyed about the piano pieces on this album is the searching—perhaps at times tentative—nature of your playing. How does this approach enhance the narrative of this album?
For me, it makes it more personal. It makes the music something that’s so human and imperfect where I want people to be able to connect—and connect with me.
Another thing I enjoyed about this recording is how much you’re able to do with just a few notes and a lot of resonance. How difficult is it for you as a trained composer to limit yourself to a spare palate of notes?
I don’t think I’m quite trained just yet; it’s not so much about difficulty, it’s about unravelling. My first album was so, so busy. It was on one end of my abilities, but I’ve wanted to teach myself how to find space in my music and trust my intuition when I’ve written that space. It’s maybe one of the most enjoyable parts of being a composer because you can play around with what you know and what you don’t know and then how to put it all together and learn. I love learning more and more about how I compose and what I could possibly create.
The final piece on this recording—“End”—doesn’t feel like the end of the story. Are you planning a sequel to Comes the Night?
Haha!!! Yes!!! It was my way of asking if listeners would stick with me to hear what comes next.
Do you offer sheet music for the many piano pieces you’ve composed over the years? If so, where might we purchase it?
I have all the sheet music and am currently in the process of getting ready to publish in 2025. Watch this space.
What current and future projects are you most excited about?
I’m really looking forward to filming a music video for “End” in the new year and then onto recording my next album and hopefully some concerts in the Northern Hemisphere.
What advice can you offer young composers and pianists seeking to create careers for themselves in music?
I would say to them to learn as much about the music industry as they can and then make a committed decision. There is so much more than just composing and performing that goes into a music career that no one tells you about in school. From recording to hiring publicists and learning how to create a half decent Instagram reel—it’s all so vital. This generation of Classical music has pushed the boundaries of what we’re listening to. Classical *IS* cool. Classical has a beautiful lifespan and you have to be able to stand by your decisions and push as hard as you can.
CAROLINE LEISEGANG has emerged as a transformative force in the world of classical music, redefining the boundaries of composition both in her home country and on the global stage. With five full-length albums to her name, she has consistently pushed the envelope, crafting works that resonate with both contemporary and traditional audiences. Now, as she navigates the evolving landscape of her own artistry, CAROLINE is finding new depths in her sound—a reflection of her journey through the nuances of time and experience. Her music, marked by a profound maturity and emotional richness, continues to elevate the art form, inspiring a new generation of listeners and composers alike. Her brand new album, COMES THE NIGHT, was released in October 2024. The album soared to the #1 spot on Apple Music’s Classical Top Albums Chart, marking her fifth consecutive album to claim this prestigious position.
From a young age, CAROLINE was drawn to the world of classical music. She began playing the piano at age 6 and later took up the cello at 14, with strong encouragement from her parents and peers to follow her passion. She pursued her musical aspirations by studying at the University of the Witwatersrand from 2009 to 2011, where she focussed on Music Composition, alongside French and English Literature.
In 2011, CAROLINE set her sights on furthering her studies at the prestigious Trinity College of Music in London. To her surprise, CAROLINE received an acceptance letter from Trinity—one of the world’s most renowned music institutions—and she attended from 2012 to 2014. During her time at Trinity, CAROLINE studied under the guidance of acclaimed Irish composer Deirdre Gribbin, a winner of the Huddersfield Contemporary Music Festival Prize and the Arts Foundation Award. She also gained invaluable insight from film composer and orchestrator John Ashton Thomas, known for his work on films such as Ice Age: The Meltdown, X-Men: The Last Stand, The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1, Maleficent, and many more.
As one of the youngest classical composers in South African history at the time, CAROLINE LEISEGANG made a significant mark on the global music scene with the release of her stunning debut album, Øyeblikk n 2015. Her work earned her the prestigious iTunes ‘Best Of 2015’ Award for Best Classical Album, elevating the standards of classical composition not just in South Africa, but across the international musical landscape. SIMPLE CIRCLES, her sophomore album released in 2016, was a deliberate pause—a moment to take a breath that could be endlessly looped. Written over six months, it was designed to be as distinct from Øyeblikk as possible. The music itself is intentionally uncomplicated, with the aim of being simple and rounded. Each piece follows a gentle movement, slightly expanding before returning to its starting point in an ABA form. The concept was to create circles that could be repeated, allowing listeners to truly feel the cyclical nature. All the circles are written in the same key, introducing a constant that serves as a boundary, encapsulating both the certainty and the passion of each piece.
In 2019, CAROLINE made a powerful comeback with her third album, MY BODY OF PRELUDES, after a prolonged battle with severe health issues that kept her out of the public eye. This album, recorded at High Sea Studios in Johannesburg in June 2018, marked her third official release and was produced by Jacques du Plessis and mastered by Jacob Van Der Westhuisen.
In 2020, CAROLINE introduced a new album titled A SERIES OF MOMENTS. Although it reimagines the music from her critically acclaimed 2015 debut, Øyeblikk, A SERIES OF MOMENTS stands as a completely different experience. CAROLINE sought to reinterpret her work through a fresh lens, collaborating with performer William Earl to explore and reshape the music together, allowing him to guide her on a new journey with her own compositions. Born from a blend of intentional dreaming and strategic planning, this new vision of shared inspiration was designed to stand apart from its original title, evolving into a powerful body of work in its own right. With no session musicians involved, it was simply a composer and a performer working closely together to refine the composition. The outcome is a moment of tranquility amidst the chaos—a collection aptly named A SERIES OF MOMENTS. The album was recorded by Jaco Naude, produced by CAROLINE herself, mixed by Jacques Du Plessis from High Sea Studios and mastered by Jacob Van Der Westhuizen.
After the release of A SERIES OF MOMENTS in 2020 and since the world was at a standstill, CAROLINE took time off from the musical spotlight to focus on her health and starting a family. Her beautiful daughter was born in 2020 and CAROLINE describes giving birth to her as her greatest accomplishment to date. In 2023, she released a collection called ‘LOOKING THROUGH THE GLASS, WAITING FOR THE STORM’, which features two new compositions entitled ‘Beginning’ and ‘End’.
Her latest offering, COMES THE NIGHT was recorded in July 2024 at Highseas Studios in Johannesburg, and marks a significant evolution in CAROLINE's artistic journey, blending deeply personal themes with innovative compositions that challenge the boundaries of classical music. The title was inspired by a book CAROLINE bought at the iconic Shakespeare & Co. bookstore in Paris, embodying a sense of personal connection and the impact of fleeting moments. As she describes it, "It’s about the moment of impact. Nothing specific, more personal than anything else. I wanted to create something that plays like a story - from Beginning to End.”
Featuring eight brand new compositions, CAROLINE’s approach to COMES THE NIGHT was distinct from her previous albums. She has transitioned from her signature solo piano compositions to incorporating strings, and for this album, focusing solely on solo strings, particularly cellos. Meticulously mastered with Dolby Atmos Spatial Audio, this immersive sound design will allow listeners to feel every note of CAROLINE’s new compositions, while taking them on a journey through her music.