Khayakazi Madlala and Lwazi Dlamini earned top honors at the 7th Unisa International Voice Competition, held Jan. 31, 2026, at the ZK Matthews Great Hall in Pretoria. Madlala placed second overall and received the award for Best Rendition of a South African Composition. She is a member of Cape Town Opera’s Judith Neilson Young Artist Programme. Next up for Madlala {…}
Cape Town Opera has announced the appointment of eight singers to its Judith Neilson Young Artist Programme for the 2026-27 season. The newly appointed Young Artists are tenors Dumisa Masoka, Iviwe Boms, and Thandolwethu Longo; mezzo-sopranos Nica Reinke (OperaUCT) and Rethabile Khaile (North-West University); and bass-baritone Thabo Mabuse of Lesotho. They join current Young Artists Khayakazi Madlala and Sisikelelwe Mngenela, {…}
(Photo credits: Singer & Weber) Lucerne Festival announces its 2026 season. This article only features vocal concerts. Soprano Miah Persson solos in the world premiere of composer in residence, Mark Andre’s “Im Entsiegeln 1 for soprano and orchestra.” Baldur Brönnimann conducts the Lucerne Festival Contemporary Orchestra. Performance Date: August 22, 2026 Mezzo-soprano Cecilia Bartoli and soprano Mélissa Petit star in {…}
Cape Town Opera announces its 2026 season, featuring concert programs, community performances, family offerings, musical theatre, and grand opera across venues in Cape Town. The season opens with “Gershwin in the Park,” a one-night concert at the Maynardville Open Air Festival featuring the Cape Town Opera Vocal Ensemble and selections from “Porgy and Bess” and the Gershwin songbook. Performance Date: {…}
The 2025 DUET Endowment Trust Gala was held on Oct. 4, the Artscape opera house. The annual DUET Endowment Trust Gala took place in celebration of South African operatic and musical excellence. Among performers were Golda Schultz and Jacques Imbrailo, as well as Cape Town Opera’s house soloists, Judith Neilson Young Artists, vocal ensemble, and Children’s Chorus. They were joined by {…}
(Image provided by Cape Town Opera) Cape Town Opera (CTO) has made history by releasing a filmed performance of Verdi’s “Aida” at Ster-Kinekor movie theaters nationwide. Released on Sept. 27, 2025, this is the first time a South African-produced opera has been released on the silver screen. The production was directed by Artistic Director Magdalene Minnaar and reimagined Verdi’s epic {…}
(Credit: Dario Acosta) Soprano Golda Schultz and baritone Jacques Imbrailo will headline Cape Town Opera’s Duet Endowment Trust Gala Concert. The concert, set for Oct. 4, 2025, will feature Brittany Smith, Nonhlanha Yende, Lukhanyo Moyake, Khayakazi Madlala, Lonwabo Mose, and Sisikelelwe Mngenela, the Cape Town Opera Vocal Ensemble and Children’s Chorus, and the Cape Town Philharmonic Orchestra under Gaetano Lo {…}
(Photo credit: Mark Dobson) Cape Town Opera will premiere a new production of Mozart’s “The Magic Flute” at the Joseph Stone Auditorium in Athlone from Sept. 16 to 20. Created especially for young audiences, this production features a playful blend of live performance and imaginative puppetry crafted by Frankie van Straten from recycled and found materials. “The Magic Flute” will {…}
(Photo credit: Mark Dobson) Cape Town Opera is set to present Rossini’s “The Barber of Seville” from August 5 – 17, 2025. Leading the cast is William Berger as Figaro, with Thando Zwane sharing the lead role. Innocent Masuku takes on the role of Count Almaviva and will share the part with Dumisa Masoka. Megan Kahts and Brittany Smith are {…}
Seventeen-year-old soprano Yongama Takane, a member of the Cape Town Opera Foundation Studio, has won first prize in the ABC Motsepe South African Schools Choral Eisteddfod. Takane is one of 13 high school students currently enrolled in the Foundation Studio. They competed in the Solo Soprano Category. The competition was held on July 3 in Johannesburg, Gauteng. The ABC Motsepe {…}
Cape Town Opera has released information about its upcoming library programming. “Opera Blocks,” is a series of short performances for children up to five-years-old. The concert, “Forest Friends” is an immersive 40-minute performance that invites children to wander and engage with props and set pieces. This new production is directed by Elizma Badenhorst. Cape Town Opera singers such as Danielle Speckman, {…}