Classical / OPERA SINGERS

ANGELA KERRISON
Based in Zurich
One of Cape Town's brightest young opera stars, Angela Kerrison is a soprano who hails from Botswana. She completed her Performers Diploma in Opera and is currently part of the Cape Town Opera Studio for Young Up-and-Coming Singers. She continues to take her vocal instruction from Sarita Stern. She recently performed the lead role in the Cape Town production of Verdi's "La Traviata", to high acclaim. MORE

AUBREY LODEWYK
Based in Cape Town
Aubrey Lodwyk was born and raised in Rustenburg in the North West Province. With a beautiful velvet bartione voice, he joined joined the Cape Town Opera Studio and enrolled for a Post Graduate Diploma in Music Performance at UCT in 2006. Besides operas he also sings regularly in concerts,soirees, weddings and lieder recitals.MORE

BRAVO
Based in Cape Town
Bravo (formerly known as Voices) is an all-male vocal group featuring the voices of MJ Kellerman, Riaan Hunter, Stephan Van Huyssteen and Ben la Grange, and was originally put together to perform an Il Divo Tribute Show on the Spanish island of Menorca, in the Mediterranean. MORE

CANDIS ANGELENE
Based in Johannesburg
Soprano Candis Angelene has enjoyed a diverse career on stage and screen. She has sung with the Johannesburg Philharmonic Orchestra at concerts as well as on ‘The Joburg Pops’ and ‘The 12 Days of Christmas’ (SABC 2). A seasoned performer at corporate events she has wowed audiences from likes of Barloworld, MTN , Standard Bank and the ‘Car of the Year’event. MORE

DANIELLE AITCHISON
Based in Johannesburg
With her angelic and enchanting voice, Danielle has been “hot on the tongues” of the South African public since the launch of her debut album earlier this year. Being labelled as South Africa’s newest Soprano, this 21 yr old has been moving audiences with her astounding 3 and-a-half octave range and her ability to sing such a varied repertoire of music from Opera and Classical contemporary to Pop.MORE

D-seven
Based in Cape Town
D-seven are an all-male a’capella vocal performance group from Cape Town. Performing on some of South Africa’s largest platforms with top national artists, D-seven have established themselves as a premier entertainment act with a high level of media currency. MORE

THE GUGULETHU TENORS
Based in Cape Town
The Gugulethu Tenors , consisting of Mpendulo Yawa, Siyabulela Gqola, Loyiso Dlova & Xolani November, have been performing together, belting out their favourite operatic pieces, since they left Fezeka High School 7 years ago. The lads share a passion for opera, a bold music choice in a society infatuated by hip hop and kwaito. MORE

HANLEE LOUW
Based in Cape Town
Coloratura Sorpano Hanlee Louw studied singing with acclaimed teacher Nellie du Toit. In 1986 she won a study bursary from the "Friends of the Cape Town Opera" to commence her Performance diploma at the University of Cape Town under Prof. Angelo Gobbato. In 1989 she won the prestigious Wooltru Bursary and in 1990 performed as soloist with the Cape Town Symphony Orchestra at the Cape Town Opera house.   MORE

JANELLE VISAGIE
Based in Cape Town
Mezzo-soprano Janelle Visagie grew up on a farm in Lutzville on the West Coast, and was exposed to live opera only seven years ago when her singing teacher suggested she join the ad-hoc chorus of a Cape Town Opera production to earn some extra pocket money. Prior to that, she had studied singing through UNISA and was a member of the Stellenbosch University Choir from 1998 untill 2002. She joined the Cape Town Opera’s Voice of the Nation ensemble in 2003, . During this time she appeared in numerous operas and toured abroad to Wales, Germany, Sweden and Norway. MORE

KIMMY SKOTA
Based in Cape Town
Born in Dordrecht, Eastern Cape , Nokrismesi completed her B.Mus. Hons Degree at UCT under Virginia Davids. She has sung various roles in Cape Town and elsewhere in South Africa, and has taken part in many prestigious productions. She won the SAMRO overseas scholarship in 2007.MORE

LINDA VAN COPPENHAGEN
Based in Johannesburg
Linda van Coppenhagen commenced with formal vocal training in 2004 and currently studies voice with Emma Renzi and music theory and piano with Prof. Johann Potgieter.   Some of her performance highlights include her recent singing contract as classical and light classical singer at the Palace of the Lost City and at the Sun City Main Hotel for the 2008/ 2009 festive season. Earlier in 2008 she also performed at IBM’s National Sales University Convention at the Sun City Extravaganza Theatre MORE

LOVELINE MADUMO
Based in Johannesburg
An outreach programme about opera, presented by PACT Opera, made Loveline decide to pursue studies in opera, under Lorraine Haveman. Her first professional role was the Strawberry Woman in the State Theatre’s production of Gershwin’s Porgy and Bess, followed by the roles of Countess Ceprano in Verdi’s Rigoletto and Marlyn Dirks in Temming’s South African opera, Buchuland.  MORE

NJABULO MADLALA
Based in London / Johannesburg
Njabulo Madlala is a South African lyric Bass-baritone. He studied on the Post-graduate opera course at The Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London under Robert Dean. Njabulo has been supported by the Sir Peter Moores Foundation, Countess of Munster and Music Benevolent Fund. He is a Britten Pears Young Artist, a Samling Foundation Scholar and a prizewinner of the Young Kathleen Ferrier Bursary and The Kenneth Loveland Gift Prize.  MORE

NOKUZOLA KWELILANGA
Based in Cape Town
Nokuzola discovered her passion for singing at a young age when she began singing at school and at church, where she was often chosen to perform as a lead soloist for various music events. Nokuzola then performed with Cape Town Opera as a chorus member, but her first leading role was in the operetta, “By The River” performed at the Artscape Theatre. The theatre recognized her talent and granted her with a bursary study at the South African College of Music where she completed her Performers Diploma in Opera.  MORE

PHENOMENAL OPERA VOICES
Based in Cape Town
Phenomenal Opera Voices is a newly formed group of Opera Singers from Khayelitsha, Cape Town. A collection of ex-students from Luhlaza High School, the group consists of up to 30 members, under the Directorship of Luthando Mangali. . MORE

PIETER TREDOUX
Based in Cape Town
Pieter Tredoux, a student of the highly acclaimed opera star of yesteryear Nellie du Toit, is a charming and popular baritone specializing in lighter genres. These include French cabaret like Piaf and Brel; Golden Oldies (music from the 1920’s – 1970’s) and popular numbers from musicals and films. For the most part of 2004 he sang the role of Monsieur Andre in the South African production of Andrew Lloyd Webber's world-famous musical "The Phantom of the Opera". MORE

RAPHAEL VILAKAZI
Based in Cape Town
Multitalented baritone Raphael Vilakazi is the co-founder and former Deputy CEO of Opera Africa. He made his professional solo debut in the KwaZulu Natal Philharmonic Orchestra’s Youth Concerto Festival in 1989 under the baton of Maestro Dr David Tidboald. The same year he appeared in the Debut with Mimi Coertze at the STATE THEATRE, Pretoria. His opera repertoire includes roles such as the Lawyer in Gianni Schicchi by Puccini, Figaro in Le Nozze De Figaro by Mozart, Escamillo in Carmen by Bizet, Papageno in Die Zauberflote by Mozart, Silvio in Pagliacci, Prince Yamadori in Puccini’s Madamma Butterfly as well as Schanaurd in Puccini’s LaBoheme. MORE

SHIRLEY SUTHERLAND
Based in Cape Town
Coloratura soprano Shirley Sutherland has sung the part of Gabriel in Haydn’s Oratorio “The Creation” and sung in Mozart’s “Coronation Mass” with the Johannesburg Symphony Orchestra. She performed as a member of Mimi Coertze’s ‘The Black Tie Ensemble’ group at The State Theatre in Pretoria. Since joining Cape Town Opera as a member of The Cape Town Opera Studio, she has understudied Morgana in Handel’s “Alcina” and Adele in “Die Fledermaus”. MORE

STEFAN LOUW
Based in Johannesburg
Stéfan Louw is recognised as the leading Lyric tenor in South Africa and has been performing opera all over the world since 1999.  The Sunday Times newspaper wrote of his Rodolfo (2005) that his voice should be declared a national treasure. MORE

SWEET VOICE MASTERS
Based in Johannesburg
The Sweet Voice Masters are a highly acclaimed group of talented young singers who have made a major impact in both the corporate and commercial markets over the past 3 years their uniqueness lies in the fact that can easily switch between various genres of music – from light opera to love songs or even traditional / ethnic music. MORE

THREE AFRO TENORS
Based in Johannesburg
The Three Afro Tenors, performing together since 1997, are Agos Moahi, Given Mabena and Lucky Sibandan. All three members studied at the Opera Department of the Pretoria Technikon, under the vocal tuition of Eric Muller and Pierre du Toit, and were awarded National Diplomas for Performing Arts specialising in Opera. The three highly talented young men, energised by a living passion for their chosen genre of music and song, have taken the local Incentive and Corporate markets by storm! MORE

TIMOTHY MOLOI
Based in Johannesburg
Born and raised in Orlando East, Soweto, TIMOTHY MOLOI returned to South Africa in 1999, having completed a Bachelor of Arts degree at Ohio Wesleyan University in the USA. Since then Timothy has been seen in several local live stage productions, including MOTOWN GOLD at Emperor's Palace, HIS WAY: A TRIBUTE TO FRANK SINATRA at Barnyard Theatre's throughout South Africa, LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS at The Johannesburg Civic Theatre and BRING ON BROADWAY at the Artscape Opera Theatre in Cape Town. MORE