“We are launching our 2019 season with a series of late summer appearances in some of Cape Town’s most atmospheric venues, including the Maynardville Open-Air Theatre, RMB’s Starlight Classics at Vergelegen, and the Centre for the Book for a very special Baroque concert with star American countertenor Lawrence Zazzo and Camerata Tinta Barocca, presented with the KT Wong Foundation.

From March, sacred music takes the focus in two contrasting projects: NATi’s MI(SA) for Woordfees and the Suidoosterfees, which sees Marthinus Basson directing the Misa Criolla, the Missa Luba and a new South Africa mass by Antjie Krog and Antoni Schonken; and African Passion, a retelling of the story of the passion of Christ through an eclectic mix of classical, African and gospel music, which will tour the Netherlands in April.

Our mainstage season for the year features three great love affairs, kicking off with Bellini’s I Capuleti e i Montecchi in the Artscape Opera House, presented in collaboration with the UCT Opera School and conducted by the opera school’s new Director, Jeremy Silver, in a new staging by Kickstart’s Steven Stead.

The local season is rounded off by two productions of my own: a new production of Gluck’s Orphée et Eurydice (in Berlioz’s edition), conducted by CTO Associate Director Tim Murray at the Baxter Theatre in September, and the South African premiere of my La bohème, which premiered in Switzerland last year, and will come to Cape Town in early 2020 (as a co-production with Konzert Theater Bern).” – Matthew Wild, CTO Artistic Director