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, {…}
Cape Town Opera’s “Porgy and Bess” created an extraordinary cultural confluence in its Chinese premiere at the Poly Theatre. Closing the 27th Beijing Music Festival on 12 October 2024, this production brings together 39 singers and 75 musicians as Gershwin’s South Carolina masterpiece, reimagined through South African artistry, finds new resonance on the Beijing stage. It arrives at a {…}
Cape Town Opera has named Nonhlanhla Yende to the position of House Soloist. The mezzo-soprano has been coordinator and facilitator for the company’s Youth Development and Education Department for three years. She joined the Cape Town Opera Studio in 2010 and has performed at Hamer Hall in Melbourne and in the Teatro Colón’s “Porgy and Bess.” With Cape Town Opera, {…}
In a first-time collaboration, Cape Town Opera will present David Kramer’s new piece “Orpheus McAdoo.” Conroy Scott leads the cast in the title role. Cape Town Opera Brittany Smith, Jody Abrahams, Dean Balie, Alexis Petersen, Elton Landrew, Eldon van der Merwe, and Natalie Robbie are also among the cast. The story revolves around the African-American choir known as The Virginia Jubilee {…}
(Image by Annène van Eeden) Cape Town Opera is set to present “Horizons” on Sept. 28, 2024 at Toyota Stellenbosh Woordfees. The program, which will spotlight South African music by Michael Moerane, Péter Louis van Dijk, Mzilikazi Khumalo, Clare Loveday, Mpumelelo Manyathi and Pieter Bezuidenhout, will be headlined by the Cape Town Opera Chorus, conducted by José Dias. “This music {…}
Cape Town Opera is set to present “Lucia di Lammermoor” at Artscape on June 14-23, 2024 before it heads to the Joberg Theatre on July 25, 2024. The famed Donizetti work will star Brittany Smith as Lucia, Lukhanyo Moyake as Edgardo, and Conroy Scott as Enrico. Other cast members include CTO Judith Neilson Young Artists Asisipho Petu and Julia Portela {…}
Cape Town Opera has announced that three of its soloists were prize winners at the Annual Fleur du Cap Theatre Awards. At the close of the ceremony on March 17, 2024, soprano Nobulumko Mngxekeza took home the Best Performance in an Opera prize for her work in “Tosca.” Meanwhile, Lukhanyo Moyake was awarded for Best Performance in an Opera for {…}
Cape Town Opera’s Youth Development and Education department’s annual month-long National Schools Tour is underway. As of Feb. 21 through March 20, Cape Town Opera’s team, including facilitators, a pianist, and production support, will conduct workshops across seven provinces. Students will participate in group warm-ups and vocal training, followed by individual sessions tailored to their voice types. These sessions focus {…}
Cape Town Opera and the Cape Town Philharmonic Orchestra will present Mozart’s “Requiem” on March 30, 2024. The performance at Paarl Toringkerk will be conducted by Bernhard Gueller. The soloists include Siphamandla Moyake, Julia Portela Piñón, Mongezi Mosoaka, and Lonwabo Mose. “The vocal writing in Mozart’s Requiem is absolutely sublime – it is one of the most coveted oratorios for {…}
Cape Town Opera has received six nominations from the Fleur du Cap Theatre Awards. The company earned a Best Female Opera soloists nomination for sopranos Nobulumko Mngxekeza for her turn as Tosca. Also nominated was Brittany Smith for her interpretation as Violetta in “La Traviata” and soprano Janelle Visagie for her role in “Cinderella.” In the Best Male Opera category, {…}
Cape Town Opera is set to present a Puccini double bill this February at Artscape. Between Feb. 14-17, 2024, the organization will spotlight “Suor Angelica” and “Gianni Schicchi” in a production directed by Magdalene Minnarr. Jeremy Silver conducts the Cape Town Philharmonic Orchestra. Headlining “Suor Angelica” will be Nobulumko Mngxekeza. She is joined by Minette du Toit-Pearce as the Princess, {…}