The vocal category of the 2018 Nelspruit Eisteddfod will come to an end on Thursday, but not without noting the brilliant person behind the adjudicator’s table – Magdalene Minnaar.
Minnaar is a highly respected performer, entrepreneurial producer and innovative director. She has been hailed a “musical rebel” by the press, due to her mission to reinvent the face of classical music in South Africa, an objective that has inspired her to become involved in the conceptualisation and production of various original projects. These include Waansin (Woordfees, KKNK) and the Afrikaans opera Poskantoor which received, among multiple awards, recognition as Best Overall Production at the Aardklop Arts Festival in 2014.
As a performer Minnaar is firmly established across different musical genres. She is well known as an operatic soprano who has performed in numerous operas to great acclaim, and her collaborations with renowned musicians such as Josh Groban and Bony M are examples of her immense versatility. She sang the female lead in the international touring production of Show Boat and played the role of Christine in The Phantom of the Opera in South Africa.
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Other career highlights include performing the opening of the Cape Town Stadium for the 2010 Fifa World Cup, Sean Bovim’s Queen at the Ballet, SuperSkouspel and performing as guest artist on The Voice South Africa.
As a director Minnaar has worked on several operas, musicals and cross-genre productions over the past seven years. These include Monteverdi’s L’Orfeo (co-director, Cape Town Opera), Poulenc’s La Voix Humaine (Impac Festival; Youngblood Arts & Culture), The Recycled Magic Flute (Johannesburg International Mozart Festival) and the recent new South African musical Calling Us Home (Joburg Theatre, Artscape Theatre).
In 2010 she started Biblioteek Productions, which provides a platform for artists and creatives to collaborate on theatrical music productions and conceptual music experiences, bringing new productions to life. Acclaimed ongoing projects include Co/Mission, In The Dark, Little Maestros and Opera in an Hour.
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She has a passion for instilling a love of classical music in young children, and also hosts regular workshops and masterclasses to help young adult singers to find their “voice”, as well as giving career advice. She is known in the industry as someone who enjoys setting new trends and challenging conventional boundaries.
