Opera and Lipizzaners come together in Kyalami

Equestrian enthusiasts were mesmerized by soulful harmonies from the Gauteng Opera as they, too, enjoyed the horses’ performances at the South African Lipizzaners in Kyalami.

Gauteng Opera’s Arnold Cloete explained that they were contacted by SA Lipizzaners when they heard in March that they were running out of funds.

“They then came up with an idea and invited us to perform with them and host an event such as this one. We then thought of a fundraiser event where we will go 50/50 as they are also in need of funding,” he said.

He explained that preparing for the show was quite nerve-wracking. “We rehearsed on Tuesday with the horses; we were nerves and the horses were nerves, as both parties knew that we had to fix a few things and this morning was anxious but it turned out beautifully.”

Speaking to one of the opera singers who is going to France, Chuma Sijeqa – although he said he might be leaving – he saw this as a great opportunity as a singer. “My message to young opera singers is to stay motivated in their passion. It may not look like something is going to come up but if you hang in there, the rewards are great.”

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