Volans, Kevin (1949-…), a South African-born Irish composer, became famous for his work that combined African and European styles in musical composition. He gained his first critical acclaim with White Man Sleeps (1982)—five dances featuring African rhythms and harmonies but using non-African percussion and a retuned viola da gamba. He rewrote this work as his first string quartet in 1986, and a 1989 recording by the Kronos Quartet became the biggest-selling string quartet recording up to that time.
Volans was born on July 26, 1949, in Pietermaritzburg, South Africa. He was little influenced by the music of Africa while he was growing up and instead absorbed mostly European styles. He became especially interested in the avant-garde music of the German composer Karlheinz Stockhausen. From 1973 to 1981, Volans studied in Cologne, West Germany, with Stockhausen and with the German composer Mauricio Kagel. He briefly served as Stockhausen’s teaching assistant. From 1976 to 1979, Volans was commissioned by South German Radio to return to Africa to make field recordings of African music in Zululand and Lesotho. He began writing a series of pieces based on African methods of composition. In 1981, he returned to South Africa to teach at the University of Natal (now part of the University of KwaZulu-Natal). The difficulties caused by the racial policies of the South African government contributed to Volans leaving for good. He moved to Ireland in 1986 and obtained Irish citizenship in 1995.
Apart from White Man Sleeps, Volans’s most important works include Kwazulu Summer Landscape (1979), Concerto for Piano and Wind Instruments (1995), and a cello concerto (1997). He also composed the orchestral works Chevron (1990) and One Hundred Frames (1991). His chamber works include Into Darkness (1987, revised in 1989); Kneeling Dance, for six pianos (1992); and four string quartets (including the revised version of White Man Sleeps). His works involving electronic composition techniques include his fifth string quartet (1993) and 5:4 (1996), for percussion and tape. Volans also composed a chamber opera, The Man with Footsoles of Wind (1993). Volans concentrated on chamber music and orchestral works during the early 2000’s. His major compositions include Concerto for Double Orchestra (2002), Piano Trio (2002, revised 2005), Strip-Weave for Orchestra (2002, revised 2003, 2005), Piano Concerto No. 2 “Atlantic Crossing” (2006), Piano Trio No. 2 (2009), and Symphony: Daar Kom die Alibama (2010).
