Don your glad rags and sparkles and head over to the Baxter on 27th February for Opera UCT’s Gala Season Showcase.
Cape Town is blessed with some of the world’s best operatic talent, with much of it currently resident at the University of Cape Town’s opera school, Opera UCT. Following its inaugural year as a fully-fledged production house, Opera UCT is set to up the ante in 2024 and will be hosting a gala evening on Tuesday 27th February 2024, to showcase what’s in store for audiences in the year ahead.
The glamorous event will commence with a short concert by some of the fabulous voices Opera UCT has at its core, who will be accompanied by the school and production house’s director, Jeremy Silver. Also on the billing are exciting announcements of what’s on the cards for the year ahead, which are set to see the production house firmly on its way to becoming a household name. Plans for 2024 that are due to be unveiled, include a world première staging of an important nineteenth century opera, and some exciting new national and international partnerships Opera UCT has secured.
Amongst this year’s singers at the concert will be tenor Luvo Maranti, one of the South African singers who competed in the finals of Plácido Domingo’s Operalia Competition in 2023 that was held in Cape Town.
Also, on the line-up are, Molly Dzangare whose sparkling soprano and magnetic personality have been delighting audiences in Cape Town and her hometown of Harare for several years, and internet sensation Vuyisa Xipu, who has been singing as one of the Mzansi Tenors.
All three, and many of the other singers on stage on the 27th, have appeared in fully staged Opera UCT productions held at the Baxter and Artscape Theatres in 2023. They and their on-stage cast are ones to watch for future worldwide stardom much like Pretty Yende, her sister Nombulelo, and Siphokazi Molteno who have all passed through the doors of Opera UCT and found homes on some of the most respected opera stages in the world.
Members of the audience can also meet with UCT’s up-and-coming opera stars and Jeremy Silver post the performances.