Outstanding performances by NWU students at international opera singing competition
The competition provides a platform for singers to be heard by many high-profile and influential conductors, directors and opera managers from around the world.
NWU students who took part in The Voices of South Africa International Opera Singing Competition 2020 gave outstanding performances.
The competition provides a platform for singers to be heard by many high-profile and influential conductors, directors and opera managers from around the world.
This year, it was presented online due to the coronavirus pandemic and a record number of singers took part – the highest since the inception of the competition. Students sent in video clips and were adjudicated by an impressive panel of famous opera singers and opera heads.
The competition was divided into categories for each voice type, namely, soprano, mezzo-soprano, tenor, baritone/bass.
In the soprano category, Samkelisiwe Sitshinga, Khayakazi Madlala, and Yolisa Ngwexana were all finalists. Khayakazi won the audience prize and Yolisa won the overall category award.
In the mezzo-soprano category, Lindiwe Lebakeng and Lebogang Polori were finalists and Lebogang won the overall category prize.
In the baritone/bass section, former students, Stephen Schalkwyk and Kamohelo Tsotesti were finalists. Stephen came second and Kamohelo won the overall award.
Younger singers could take part in the under 22 year age category. Both Calvin Mofokeng and Nontsikelelo Mnegela were finalists.
“The standard of the competition and the talent was incredibly high,” says Dr Yvonne-Marié Brand, the director of the NWU School of Music.
After these rounds, the winners will compete in the grand finalé which will be broadcast on the Voices of South Africa International Opera Singing Competition Facebook page on 9 and 16 August.
The fantastic lecturers of these students are Prof. Conroy Cupido, Mrs Jana Mathee, Dr Antoinette Olivier, and Prof. Santisa Viljoen. They make up the Voice Faculty at the NWU School of Music and Conservatory.
The students also had the support of their accompanists, who recorded their repertoire during the lockdown period so the students could continue practising at home. The accompanists included Mrs Marientha Brak, Dr Wynand de Villiers, Mrs Jana Mathee and Prof. Waldo Weyer.
The South African baritone, Njabulo Madlala, started the Voices of South Africa International Opera Singing Competition. After winning a scholarship to study in the UK, he came back to South Africa and wanted to give back to the community, but also discover young talent. Since the inception of the competition, mostly singers from South Africa have been competing. However, the Kingdom of eSwatini and Sri Lanka, among others, have also competed.
In the past, the Guildhall School of Music in London, The Royal Opera House (Covent Garden) and Les Azuriales Opera have supported the competition significantly.
