SA opera sensation Pretty Yende

THE young internationally acclaimed South African soprano, Pretty Yende, captivated opera lovers the world over when she made her spectacular recital debuts at the Teatro Alla Scala in Rome, the Metropolitan Opera in New York and the Wigmore Hall in London.

Presented by Showtime Management, U-Live and Universal Music South Africa, the Pretty Yende recital includes Rossini, Bellini, Gounod, Bernstein (West Side Story), Balfe and Gimenez. The concerts promise opera lovers and classical music enthusiasts a “pretty amazing” evening in the company of Pretty Yende and her accompanist.

Wherever this remarkable young singer appears on stage anywhere in the world, audiences and critics are quick to applaud. Esther Lim of What’soninCapeTown.co.za commented after watching a performance of Pretty Yende in Cape Town Opera’s Lucia di Lammermoor, “Our applause roared for a good minute or so after the aria’s close; never mind that it was only Act1, Scene 2!” while the New York Times’ Corinna da Fonesca-Wollheim said in her review of Le Comte Ory at the Metropolitan Opera, New York, “She took her curtain call amid a storm of bravos, whistles and whoops.” John Allison, of The Telegraph, UK says, “Possessed of diamanté tone and a megawatt smile, the young South African soprano Pretty Yende seems to take charge of the stage wherever she goes.”

Earlier this year, President Zuma, bestowed one of this country’s highest honours; the Order of Ikhamanga in Silver on Pretty Yende. This award is in recognition of her remarkable achievements both locally and internationally as an opera singer and musician and as a role model and ambassador for this country. This is a remarkable feat for a young singer who only heard about opera ten years ago, quite by chance, when she heard the Lakme duet playing as background music to a British Airways television commercial, and there and then in a few life-changing moments Pretty knew that’s what she wanted to learn. Interestingly, at the time she didn’t know what the beautiful music was. It was only after asking one of her teachers about the duet that she heard the word “opera”, and from then on opera singing became pivotal in her life.

Driven to gain knowledge of opera, Pretty learnt as much as she could. She graduated cum laude from the South African College of Music, at the University of Cape Town with a Performer’s Diploma in Opera as well as her Post Graduate studies in Opera (Performance) and started entering competitions.

Pretty first came to international attention in 2010 when she was the first artist in the history of the Belvedere Competition to win first prize in every category. In 2011, she was the first prize winner of Placido Domingo’s Operalia Competition. Yende made her professional operatic debut at the National Theatre in Riga as Micaela in Carmen. A 2011 graduate of the Young Artists Academia of the Teatro alla Scala, she made her debut with that company in 2010 as Berenice in Rossini’s L’Occasione fa il Ladro and has since also appeared as Norina in Don Pasquale and in the autumn of 2012 as Musetta in La Boheme.

Don’t miss South Africa’s pretty amazing singing sensation, Pretty Yende. With just one show each in Johannesburg and Cape Town, seats are limited. To avoid disappointment, book now at Computicket or call Artscape dial-a-seat 021 421 7695 for Cape Town bookings only. For further show information visit www.showtime.co.za