{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}} {{short description|South African composer (born 1987)}} {{Infobox musical artist | honorific_prefix = | name = Kyle Shepherd | honorific_suffix = | image = File:Kyle-shepherd07.jpg | image_upright = | image_size = | landscape = <!-- yes, if wide image, otherwise leave blank --> | alt = | caption = Aarhus Jazz Festival 2010 | native_name = | native_name_lang = | birth_name = <!-- leave empty if the same "name" --> | alias = | birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1987|07|08|df=y}} | birth_place = Cape Town, South Africa | origin = | death_date = <!-- {{Death date and age|YYYY|MM|DD|YYYY|MM|DD}} (death date first) --> | death_place = | genre = {{Flatlist| *Jazz *film music *classical}} | occupation = {{Flatlist| *film composer * pianist * performer}} | instrument = {{Flatlist| * Piano * Saxophone * Xaru * singing * composition }} | years_active = <!-- YYYY–YYYY (or –present) --> | label = | website = {{Official website|http://www.kyleshepherdmusic.com}} | module = | module2 = | module3 = }} '''Kyle Shepherd''' (born 8 July 1987 in Cape Town) is a South African film, TV and theatre music composer and an accomplished touring jazz pianist. As a film composer he has scored Netflix hit TV series ''Unseen'', ''Savage Beauty,'' and ''Blood and Water''. As a performing pianist he has released seven albums and performed in 41 countries around the world in venues such as Carnegie Hall, Théâtre du Châtelet, The Barbican, and the Sydney Opera House.
== Life and work == '''Kyle Shepherd''' is one of South Africa's leading jazz film and theatre music composers and pianists. He was the Standard Bank Young Artist of the Year for Jazz in 2014 <ref>{{Cite web |last=Lankester |first=Tony |date=2013-10-16 |title=2014 a big year for Standard Bank Young Artist Awards |url=https://nationalartsfestival.co.za/news/2014-a-big-year-for-standard-bank-young-artist-awards/ |access-date=2024-10-25 |website=National Arts Festival |language=en-GB}}</ref> and the UNISA (University of South Africa) piano competition winner (Jazz category) in 2015.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Local jazz musician Kyle Shepherd is inspired by the local music legacy |url=https://www.designindaba.com/articles/interviews/local-jazz-musician-kyle-shepherd-inspired-local-music-legacy |access-date=2024-10-25 |website=Design Indaba |language=en}}</ref> He has performed in 32 countries around the world, including 11 concert tours in Japan.
His body of work comprises seven jazz albums (as of October 2024) and numerous scores for film, television and theatre. His television credits include the Netflix series ''Unseen,'' (season 1); ''Blood and Water (''season 2); ''Savage Beauty (''season 1) and ''Surviving Paradise''.
Shepherd's film credits include ''Indemnity'' (2021); ''Barakat'' (2020), South Africa's official entry to the 2022 Academy Awards and winner for Best Score at the 2022 Silwerskerm Film Festival; ''Fiela se Kind'' (2019) also winner for Best Score at the 2020 Silwerskerm Film Festival; ''Vlugtig'' (2021); and ''Noem My Skollie (Call Me Thief)'', South Africa's official entry to the 2017 Academy Awards.
He was awarded the 2018 South African Humanities and Social Sciences (HSS) Award: Book, Creative Collection and Digital Contribution. The award was for Best Musical Composition for his score for ''Noem My Skollie''.<ref>{{Cite web |title=News - Africa Open student and staff member win... |url=https://www.sun.ac.za/english/Lists/news/DispForm.aspx?ID=5661 |access-date=2024-10-25 |website=www.sun.ac.za}}</ref>
Shepherd is also the co-creator of the hit Afrikaans musical television show, ''Koortjies'' with Cape Town jazz and gospel music star Jonathan Rubain.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Farewell: Jonathan Rubain leaves Koortjies |url=https://www.dailyvoice.co.za/western-cape/farewell-jonathan-rubain-leaves-koortjies-47330f29-1778-4a5f-b0b6-4d065004f96c |access-date=2024-10-25 |website=www.dailyvoice.co.za |language=en}}</ref>
In addition to his SAFTA, SAMA, and Silwerskerm nominations, Shepherd was nominated for a Fleur du Cap Theater Award in 2023 for his score in Lara Foot's award-winning ''Life & Times of Michael K.'' <ref>{{Cite web |last=Cohen |first=Robyn |date=2023-03-02 |title=Theatre news: Announcement of nominees for 58th Fleur du Cape Theatre Awards |url=https://thecaperobyn.co.za/theatre-news-announcement-of-nominees-for-58th-fleur-du-cape-theatre-awards/ |access-date=2024-10-26 |website=The Cape Robyn |language=en-ZA}}</ref> The production is based on the Nobel prize-winning novel by J.M Coetzee and won the 2023 Fleur du Cap award for Best Theatre Production.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-04-04 |title=2023 Fleur du Cap Theatre Awards in SA: All the winners |url=https://www.musicinafrica.net/magazine/2023-fleur-du-cap-theatre-awards-sa-all-winners |access-date=2024-10-26 |website=Music In Africa |language=en}}</ref>
In February 2023, Shepherd completed a series of performances of ''Waiting for the Sibyl'' at the Théâtre du Châtelet in Paris and went on to perform the chamber opera at other international venues. ''Waiting for the Sibyl'' was created in collaboration with the South African visual artist William Kentridge and co-composer Nhlanhla Mhlangu.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Sybil |url=https://www.chatelet.com/en/programmation/season-2022-2023/sybil/ |access-date=2024-10-25 |website=Théâtre du Châtelet |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=William Kentridge's SIBYL {{!}} 2022/23 Theater/Opera at Cal Performances |url=https://calperformances.org/events/2022-23/illuminations-human-and-machine/william-kentridges-sibyl/ |access-date=2024-10-25 |website=Cal Performances |language=en-US}}</ref> The opera won the UK's Laurence Olivier Theatre Award for Best New Opera Production in 2023.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Thomas |first=Sophie |date=2023-04-02 |title=2023 Olivier Awards: Full list of winners |url=https://www.londontheatre.co.uk/theatre-news/news/2023-olivier-awards-full-list-of-winners |access-date=2024-10-25 |website=London Theatre |language=en}}</ref>
Shepherd received a Masters degree (Cum Laude) in Music from Stellenbosch University in 2018 with a scholarship from York University (UK) in collaboration with Stellenbosch's Africa Open Institute for Music, Research and Innovation (AOI).<ref>{{Cite web |title=Kyle Shepherd |url=https://fielasekind.thefilmfactory.co.za/team_member/kyle-shepherd/ |access-date=2024-10-25 |website=Fiela se Kind |language=en-ZA}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Kyle Shepherd {{!}} Biography {{!}} South Africa |url=https://www.kyleshepherdmusic.com/biography |access-date=2024-10-25 |website=Kyle Shepherd |language=en}}</ref>
== Prizes and awards == In 2014 he won the ''Standard Bank Young Artist Award '' for the genre Jazz.<ref>{{cite web |title=FULL BIOGRAPHY |url=https://www.kyleshepherdmusic.com/biography |website=KYLE SHEPHERD |access-date=14 May 2021}}</ref> Silwerskerm Film Festival awards for his feature film scores Fiela se kind and ''Barakat''. And an Olivier theatre award for "Waiting for the Sibyl", a co-creation with William Kentridge and Nhlahla Mahlangu. Humanities and social sciences award for his film score Noem my Skollie. == Discography ==
=== Albums === * ''fineArt'' (Sheer Sound 2009, with Buddy Wells, Dylan Tabisher, Claude Cozens) * ''A Portrait of Home'' (Sheer Sound 2010, with Shane Cooper, Jonno Sweetman) * ''South African History! X'' (Sheer Sound 2012) * ''Dream State'' (Sheer Sound 2014, with Shane Cooper, Jonno Sweetman and Buddy Wells) * Kyle Shepherd, Lionel Loueke, '' Sound Portraits from Contemporary Africa '' (Jazzhaus 2017, with Mthunzi Mvubu, Shane Cooper, Jonno Sweetman)<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.swr.de/swr2/musik/cd-tipps/swr-new-jazz-meeting-2016-sound-portraits-from-centemporary-africa-kyle-shepherd-lionel-loueke/-/id=12628344/did=20240414/nid=12628344/p2wgz0/index.html |title=CD tip (SWR2) |access-date=14 May 2021 |archive-date=2 December 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171202211431/https://www.swr.de/swr2/musik/cd-tipps/swr-new-jazz-meeting-2016-sound-portraits-from-centemporary-africa-kyle-shepherd-lionel-loueke/-/id=12628344/did=20240414/nid=12628344/p2wgz0/index.html |url-status=dead }}</ref> * ''Into Darkness (2014).'' Solo in Japan * ''After the Night, The Day will Surely Come.'' (2021) Solo Piano * A Dance More Sweetly Played (2024, Matsuli Music), with Shane Cooper, Jonno Sweetman as the Kyle Shepherd Trio.<ref>{{Cite web |title=A Dance More Sweetly Played, by Kyle Shepherd Trio |url=https://matsulimusic.bandcamp.com/album/a-dance-more-sweetly-played |access-date=2024-11-12 |website=Matsuli Music |language=en}}</ref>
== References == {{Reflist}}
== External links == * {{Official website|http://www.kyleshepherdmusic.com|Kyle Shepherd}} – official site * {{Discogs artist}} * {{IMDb name|nm6230054}}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Shepherd, Kyle}} Category:1987 births Category:Living people Category:Musicians from Cape Town Category:Cape Coloureds Category:South African jazz pianists Category:South African film score composers