Decade of growth: Leisegang reimagines ‘Oyeblikk’

SOUTH African composer Caroline Leisegang has released her sixth studio album, Qyeblikk: Recomposed, marking 10 years since her debut, which first placed her on the international map.

- LUTHO PASIYA

Leisegang, born in Johannesburg, is regarded as one of the youngest classical composers in South African history.

Her career began with her 2015 debut album Q@yeblikk, which earned her the iTunes Best of 2015 award for the Best Classical Album.

The recognition gave her a global audience and established her as a composer whose work blends minimalist structures with emotional depth.

Reflecting on her debut, Leisegang said: “The moments have changed, and I have always wanted Oyeblikk to grow when the time was right. I did not want it to remain frozen in 2015. I wanted it to evolve alongside me. If the original album was about capturing a moment, this one is the moment of now.’

Early beginnings in Johannesburg

Leisegang’s path into music started in childhood. She began piano lessons at the age of six, later adding cello when she was 14.

“My parents encouraged me to pursue music, but so did my teachers and peers,” she recalled. “There was always support for me to follow this path.”

Her formal studies began at the University of the Witwatersrand in 2009, where she majored in Music Composition and also studied French and English Literature.

She then later enrolled at Trinity College of Music in London from 2011 to 2014.

“I always say this is where I learned to write,’ she explained. “This is where @yeblikk was born”

A decade of consistent recognition

Since her debut, Leisegang has released a string of albums that consistently reached number one on Apple Music's Classical Top Albums chart.

Her most recent release before the new project, Comes the Night, topped the chart in October 2024, making it her fifth consecutive album to do so.