CAROLINE LEISEGANG / CLASSIC COOL
Photography: Joanne O
Words & Layout: Caroline Hillary
So here’s an interesting one for you. At Captain My Captain we are always looking for that thing that gives us goosebumps – the mind blowingly inspired stuff that makes us look at each other and say, “How cool is this?”
Caroline Leisegang composed a full classical album by the age of 24 years old. Not just any classical album – but an exquisite, full-length piano series entitled Øyeblikk, just released through Sony Music on Itunes.
Considering at the age of 24 Joanne and I were only creating mayhem and a series of hangovers, it’s interesting to sit in Caroline’s space and candidly chat about how she’s achieved so much at such a young age.
She smiles and shrugs off compliments in a way that says “I’ve heard this before but I don’t really believe you yet.” Shy and humble, but certainly focused, Caroline is certainly not a stranger to criticism and ironically, was told by her Varsity music lecturer that she is the least likely to succeed in her field.
A classical music lover, Caroline began playing instruments as a young child, piano and cello to be precise, and went on to study music at the University of the Witwatersrand for two years. At the time she was performing and recording with the electronic act The Frown and cut her teeth hard on her cello, whilst getting a taste for performing in front of critical crowds.
In 2012 Caroline was accepted into The Trinity College of Music in London – a position she applied for as a joke, with absolutely no hope of obtaining. Here she was exposed to some of the worlds most experienced classical music and film composers and her love for composition started to blossom.
Obsessed with her Norwegian ancestry and facing an internal battle with the weather of the cities she traveled to, she threw herself into the composing of a collection of work that reflected the ‘moments’ she was encountering.
Completely composed on paper, Øyeblikk contains 10 original ‘feelings’ – beautifully translated on piano.
One to look out for, Caroline Leisegang has achieved something at 24 years of age that very few people will ever achieve in their entire lives. With a strong network of friends and a supportive family encouraging her career, this soft-spoken, humble composer effortlessly brings the cool back into classical culture.
