Concerts and Events

AT THE MID HOUR OF NIGHT

25 FEBRUARY, 20:00
BAXTER CONCERT HALL, RONDEBOSCH

Sarah-Jane Brandon and Gary Matthewman, weave together a charming programme of beauty, seduction, mystery and magic as they explore the endless possibilities offered to us by night. With songs by Mendelssohn, Berg, Strauss, Bachelet, Debussy and Novello.

TICKET PRICES: FULL PRICE R250, SENIOR CITIZENS R150

IN COLLABORATION WITH THE SONGMAKERS’ GUILD AND UNIVERSITY OF CAPE TOWN OPERA SCHOOL

DAME KIRI TE KANAWA RESIDENCY

29 FEBRUARY, 19:00
FUGARD THEATRE, CAPE TOWN

The iconic New Zealand soprano Dame Te Kanawa’s last visit to South Africa was in 1995 for the Rugby World Cup, and we are thrilled to welcome her to the Mother City 25 years later. Join us for an evening interview in conversation with Dame Kiri, to talk about everything from singing at the wedding of Charles and Diana and her extraordinary career to her foundation for young singers and South African opera stars. The interview will be co-hosted by CTO Artistic Director Matthew Wild and CTO Board Vice-Chair and Cape Talk presenter Africa Melane.

TICKET PRICES: R125

IN COLLABORATION WITH THE NEW ZEALAND HIGH COMMISSION AND
THE FUGARD THEATRE.

3 MARCH, 19:30
BAXTER CONCERT HALL

With over 40 years of performances at the Royal Opera House Covent Garden, Vienna State Opera, Paris Opera, La Scala, Sydney Opera House and more, Dame Kiri Te Kanawa brings her mastery of the operatic art form to an evening of masterclasses with students from the University of Cape Town Opera School and Cape Town Opera Young Artists Programme.

TICKET PRICES: R125
BOOK THROUGH WEBTICKETS

IN COLLABORATION WITH THE NEW ZEALAND HIGH COMMISSION AND UNIVERSITY OF CAPE TOWN OPERA SCHOOL

LORD! COME AWAY!

BRITISH MUSIC FOR VOICES AND STRINGS
1 MARCH, 15:00
HUGO LAMBRECHTS AUDITORIUM, PAROW

This Sunday afternoon concert provides a dramatic sweep across centuries of glorious British music for voices and strings, along with a work by South Africa’s much-loved Hendrik Hofmeyr. Lord! Come away! comprises Vaughan Williams’ fervently impassioned Four Hymns for tenor and viola, Benjamin Britten’s dramatic cantata Phaedra for mezzo soprano, and Dido’s heart-wrenching Lament by Henry Purcell, and is an essential concert for lovers of British and South African musical composition. Directed by the English conductor and pianist Gary Matthewman.

TICKET PRICES: R80

IN COLLABORATION WITH THE RUPERT MUSIC FOUNDATION

PUMEZA MATSHIKIZA

CANCELLED

22 MARCH 17:00-19:00
KIRSTENBOSCH GARDENS

One of South Africa’s foremost classical singers, Pumeza Matshikiza, will return to South Africa for a special gala performance at the Kirstenbosch Gardens in support of the Duet Endowment Trust. Ms Matshikiza won the hearts of audience members in the world’s great opera houses, and in appearances with Rolando Villazón and Josh Groban, for the opening of the 2014 Commonwealth Games, and at the wedding of Prince Albert and Princess Charlene of Monaco, among many other events.

In this concert, Pumeza Matshikiza will sing classical and African arias and duets, joined by tenor Sipho Fubesi and accompanied by the Cape Town Opera Chorus and Young Artists, with the Cape Town Philharmonic Orchestra under the baton of Maestro Jeremy Silver. This concert highlights the Duet Endowment Trust, a joint endowment for Cape Town Opera and the Cape Town Philharmonic Orchestra.

TICKET PRICES: R170 – R220
BOOK THROUGH WEBTICKETS

IN COLLABORATION WITH SANBI, THE DUET ENDOWMENT TRUST AND CAPE PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA

GRACE NOTES

CANCELLED

7 APRIL 19:30
ST MARTINI CHURCH, CAPE TOWN

Drawing on South Africa’s strong choral tradition, one of the CTO’s most memorable productions is Grace Notes, a programme of acapella sacred music that made its European debut in 2016 at the Silvacane Abbey for the Aix-en-Provence Festival in France. Owing to the popularity of the programme, the award-winning Cape Town Opera Chorus will again present compositions by Byrd, Palestrina, Duruflé and Pärt, together with religious music from the Xhosa, Venda, Zulu and Swahili traditions in its return to Cape Town.

“The explosive a cappella tradition of the Cape Town Opera Chorus inspired the audience in the last concert of the festival “Musica Sacra” in the cathedral of St. Pölten. An intense web of sacred music of European and African origin, passionately performed by six women and six men, thrilled the audience to frenetic applause. Chorus director Marvin Kernelle led this ensemble with sober direction, sometimes stepping back completely and frequently adjusting the formation of the singers according to the compositional structure.”
Franz Reithner, AUSTRIA

IN COLLABORATION WITH THE WESTERN CAPE GOVERNMENT DEPARTMENT OF CULTURAL AFFAIRS AND SPORT AND THE CITY OF CAPE TOWN

TICKET PRICES: R80

E.HUMPERDINCK

HANSEL UND GRETEL

2021

Hansel and Gretel, the opera, is based on the popular folktale compiled and published by the folklorists, the Brothers Grimm. The opera’s composer, Engelbert Humperdinck, was a disciple of Richard Wagner and had actually worked with Wagner at Bayreuth. Understandably, Humperdinck’s work is often labelled Wagnerian. It uses leitmotifs, but individual arias and duets — such as “The Children’s Prayer” — can stand alone, unlike the more flowing “endless melody” of Wagner’s own works. This opera has become one of the very few operas on a children’s tale that has achieved popularity with adults as well as children. It is unusual in that the roles of both of the children, as well as the other leads, save for the children’s father, are all sung by women. While the opera is based on a children’s tale, this Cape Town Opera production draws on a darker, richer emotional palette than the usual productions of the work. Cape Town Opera Young Artists Brittany Smith will sing the role of Gretel, Ane Pretorius will be Hansel, and returning South African Jenni Bank will appear as both the children’s mother and the witch.

TICKET PRICES R150 – R250
BOOK THROUGH COMPUTICKET

Sponsored by the Rupert Music Foundation.