Cape Town Opera has announced its 2025 season.

The season opens with Shorts: A Festival of Pocket Operas. It’s the second edition of five captivating, bite-sized operas in under an hour. The operas will include Cape Town favorites William Berger and Siphamandla Moyake, joined by Cape Town Opera House Soloists and Young Artists. Musical direction by Jan Hugo, Jeremy Silver, José Dias, and Nathan Lewis, along with visionary direction from Jackï Job, Fred Abrahamse, Marcel Meyer, Christine Crouse and Victoria Stevens, rounds out this exceptional festival.

Performance Dates: March 7-16, 2025 at the Wave Theatre

Festival Operas 

The “Triptych: Women at War” will showcase three distinct works in a powerful hour of operatic brilliance. Judith Weir’s “King Harald’s Saga” is based on the historical event of the Norwegian Invasion of England in 1066 while John Kandor’s “A Letter from Sullivan Ballou” is set to the poignant letter written by Major Sullivan Ballou to his wife, Sarah.

Finally, Schoneberg’s “Erwartung” showcases an unnamed Woman’s venture through a dark forest under the light of the moon, searching desperately for her lover.

Performance Dates: March 8-16, 2025

Béla Bartók’s “Bluebeard’s Castle” will be performed

Performance Dates: March 7-15, 2025

Robert Schumann’s “Frauenliebe und Leben” is a song cycle of eight songs, all of them written for the female voice with piano accompaniment. The works present an evolving perspective on love and life.

Performance Dates: March 8-16, 2025

Leoš Janáček’s “The Diary of One Who Disappeared” will be showcased. The work tells the story of a naive young farmer’s son who falls desperately in love with a wild gypsy girl.

Performance Dates: March 8-16, 2025

Nathan Hall’s “Atlas of Remote Islands” is a one-act opera inspired by Judith Schalansky’s 2009 non-fiction book and adapted by Alan Olejniczak.

Performance Dates: March 8 & 14, 2025 

Staging Stories: The Summoning (Excerpts) is a once-off workshop performance, followed by a discussion with the creative team. “The Summoning” is a two-act opera that recounts the final evening in the life of famed inventor Nikola Tesla. It will feature Clara Hugo, Conroy Scott, Lukhanyo Moyake, and Alida Scheepers. Following the performance, engage in a discussion with composer Jonathan Blair, musical director Jan Hugo, and librettist Jaco Griessel.

Performance Date: March 15, 2025 

The company will present Staging Stories: Writing for Opera featuring new South African libretti and showcasing the work of six emerging writers who have completed an intensive four-month series of opera-writing workshops, led by acclaimed librettists Stephanie Fleischmann and Alan Olejniczak.

Performance Date: Macrh 16, 2025 at the Toringkerk, Paarl 

Gabriel Fauré’s Requiem will feature Sisikelelwe Mngenela and Conroy Scott, the Cape Town Philharmonic Orchestra, the Cape Town Opera Chorus, Cape Town Opera Children’s Chorus and the Symphony Choir of Cape Town. Gary Matthewman conducts.

Performance Date: April 19, 2025 at the Toringkerk, Paarl 

Verdi’s “Aida” will be performed under Minnaar’s direction and renowned South African choreographer Gregory Maqoma. This production will feature a chorus of 56 singers and dancers, with U.S.-based conductor Kamal Khan leading the Cape Town Philharmonic Orchestra.

Performance Dates: May 23-31, 2025 at the Artscape Opera House 

Rossini’s “The Barber of Seville” will be performed at Pieter Toerien’s Theatre on the Bay. Making his Cape Town Opera debut, Britain’s Got Talent finalist and former Cape Town Opera Young Artist Innocent Masuku joins the cast and Sylvaine Strike directs.

Performance Dates: August 5-17, 2025

Cape Town Opera will present an abridged production of “The Magic Flute” to primary and high schools across the Cape Metro.

Performance Dates: Oct. 24-25, 2025 at the Sea Point Civic Centre

David Kramer’s “Orpheus McAdoo” returns to the Cape Town Opera.

Performance Dates: Oct. 21-31, 2025 at the Artscape Theatre