UPCOMING PRODUCTIONS
AIDA
Cape Town Opera presents Verdi’s Aida with an all-South African cast in a bold, Africanfuturist reimagining of this iconic opera. Set against a backdrop of war, forbidden love and cultural conflict, Aida follows the love story of an enslaved Ethiopian princess and an Egyptian commander. Under Minnaar’s direction, this production combines video, animation and Gregory Maqoma’s choreography to bring a vivid, futuristic world to life. With a 56-member chorus and the Cape Town Philharmonic Orchestra under Kamal Khan, this production promises to be a cultural highlight of 2025.
Opera Blocks
This season, Cape Town Opera’s enchanting Opera Blocks returns with an autumn-themed production perfect for toddlers and young children aged 0- 5! This immersive opera experience brings the magic of the season to life, featuring Cape Town Opera’s talented Young Artists and Chorus members. Designed to delight young audiences, Opera Blocks combines engaging storytelling, music and movement to offer a stimulating and developmental adventure that’s as entertaining as it is enriching. Don’t miss this opportunity to introduce little ones to the wonder of opera in a playful and accessible way!
The Barber of Seville
The intimacy of Pieter Toerien’s Theatre on the Bay brings audiences right into the heart of Cape Town Opera’s production of Rossini’s The Barber of Seville, a fully staged production performed with piano. Follow the witty barber Figaro as he uses his charm and cunning to unite two young lovers in this comic opera full of infectious energy. Making his Cape Town Opera debut, Britain’s Got Talent finalist and former Cape Town Opera Young Artist Innocent Masuku joins the cast, fresh from wowing audiences and judges alike. Under the direction of Sylvaine Strike, this production promises to capture all the humour and spirit that make The Barber of Seville a timeless favourite. Don’t miss the chance to experience these delightful onstage antics up close in this unforgettable live performance!
Opus Reimagined
Cape Town Opera, in collaboration with the Aleit Group, invites you to an unforgettable evening at the iconic Zeitz Museum of Contemporary African Art (MOCAA).
Experience the Cape Town Opera House Soloists, Young Artists and Chorus, alongside other exceptional talents, as they bring vocal music to life in a reimagined way in a uniquely immersive setting.
Wander through the museum’s awe-inspiring spaces, discovering intimate concert stations where breathtaking performances unfold. With each station repeating its programme at set intervals, you can explore the evening at your own pace, savouring exquisite music, art and curated culinary delights in perfect harmony.
The evening will culminate in an electrifying afterparty, with a top DJ setting the stage for you to celebrate into the night!
The Magic Flute
Cape Town Opera is excited to bring a vibrant, abridged production of The Magic Flute to primary and high schools across the Cape Metro. This beloved opera, reimagined for young audiences, will captivate students with its enchanting melodies, powerful storytelling and dynamic cast of talented Cape Town Opera performers.
The initiative aims to make opera more accessible to learners, offering a unique cultural experience that blends music, drama and education. By engaging schools, Cape Town Opera is fostering a love for opera among the next generation of South Africans.
Duet Endowment Trust Gala Concert
Cape Town Opera and the Cape Town Philharmonic Orchestra proudly present the Duet Endowment Trust’s Gala Concert at the Artscape Opera House. This dazzling evening will showcase South Africa’s finest talent, headlined by internationally acclaimed soprano Golda Schultz and baritone Jacques Imbrailo, alongside Cape Town Opera’s House Soloists, Young Artists, Chorus and Children’s Chorus. The Cape Town Philharmonic Orchestra will be led by British-Italian maestro Gaetano Lo Coco.
Founded by Mrs. Wendy Ackerman, the Duet Endowment Trust was established to preserve the legacy of Cape Town Opera and the Cape Town Philharmonic Orchestra. Don’t miss this extraordinary celebration of music and artistry!
Orpheus McAdoo
Orpheus McAdoo is a ground breaking South African musical … This … musical would run for months On Broadway and the West End. Don’t miss.
Robyn Cohen, The Cape Robyn
David Kramer’s Orpheus McAdoo returns to the stage in 2025, sharing the remarkable true story of the Virginia Jubilee Concert Company, whose performances in the 1890s introduced South Africa to the soul-stirring sound of jubilee singing.
Blending traditional spirituals with early American folk, ragtime, minstrel tunes and South African folk music, this production captures the spirit of a transformative era in music history. With its intricate storytelling and vibrant performances, Orpheus McAdoo is a celebration of the connections forged through music and culture.
Don’t miss your chance to see this acclaimed production at Artscape!
2025 PAST PERFORMANCES
UK Friends of Cape Town Opera | Opera Classics
The UK Friends of Cape Town Opera invite you to join us at St Paul’s Church, Knightsbridge, for a special concert featuring incredible talent from Cape Town Opera. This 45 minute performance of opera classics, followed by a wine reception with the artists, is an opportunity to raise awareness and funds for the only full-time professional opera company on the African continent.
The event is free but registration is required.
Requiem
Cape Town Opera and the Cape Town Philharmonic Orchestra proudly present Gabriel Fauré’s Requiem for Easter. Conducted by British maestro Gary Matthewman, the programme will feature Cape Town Opera Judith Neilson Young Artist Sisikelelwe Mngenela and Cape Town Opera House Soloist Conroy Scott as soloists. They will be joined by the Cape Town Opera Chorus, Children’s Chorus, and the Symphony Choir of Cape Town. The concert will also include Mozart’s Kyrie in D minor, K. 341 and Laudate Dominum, K. 339, Fauré’s Cantique de Jean Racine, Op. 11, and Franck’s Panis Angelicus, Op. 12, offering a rich tapestry of sacred music to mark the Easter celebration.
SHORTS: A Festival of Short Operas!
Cape Town Opera presents the second edition of Shorts: A Festival of Short Operas, featuring four captivating, bite-sized operas, each under an hour in length, including two collaborations with Opera UCT, plus two special workshops—one showcasing a new opera and the other introducing newly written South African libretti.
Set in the Wave Theatre in the city centre, the festival promises audiences a refreshing experience with music that’s rarely, if ever, been heard in South Africa. Located near the trendy restaurants and bars of Bree Street, it’s the perfect spot for a full night out before or after the show.
My Fair Lady
Boasting a bouquet score, containing timeless songs as “I Could Have Danced All Night”, “Get Me to the Church on Time”, “Wouldn’t It Be Loverly”, “I’m Just An Ordinary Man”, “On the Street Where You Live”,
“Show Me”, “The Rain in Spain,” and “I’ve Grown Accustomed to Her Face,” this grand production is set to enthrall audiences of all ages.
This show is the standard that all other musicals are measured by!
Shakespeare in the Park
2024 PERFORMANCES
O Holy Night
Join the Cape Town Philharmonic Orchestra, Cape Town Opera Chorus, Children’s Chorus, Soloists, Young Artists and Foundation Studio Singers, VOX Cape Town and St George’s Cathedral Choir and become part of a new tradition in the iconic cathedral to welcome Christmas. Join in some of the most beloved carols … Hark the Herald Angels Sing, Silent Night, Adeste Fidelis and Once in Royal David’s City are just some that will be sung.
The concert will be conducted by Brandon Phillips with organist Grant Bräsler.
Under 4 Free
My Fair Lady
Boasting a bouquet score, containing timeless songs as “I Could Have Danced All Night”, “Get Me to the Church on Time”, “Wouldn’t It Be Loverly”, “I’m Just An Ordinary Man”, “On the Street Where You Live”,
“Show Me”, “The Rain in Spain,” and “I’ve Grown Accustomed to Her Face,” this grand production is set to enthrall audiences of all ages.
This show is the standard that all other musicals are measured by!
The Sound of Music
Puccini in the Park - An Evening with Cape Town Opera
Suor Angelica and Gianni Schicchi
Cape Town Opera commemorates the centenary of Puccini’s death with two of his masterful Operas, Suor Angelica and Gianni Schicchi. Directed by Magdalene Minnaar with musical direction by Jeremy Silver, the operas will feature casts of Cape Town Opera Soloists, Judith Neilson Young Artists, and Guest Soloists. Balancing the gravitas of Suor Angelica with the comedy and excitement of Gianni Schicchi, these productions will undoubtedly prove a worthy tribute to the great Puccini.
Mozart Requiem
Opera Shorts: A Festival of Pocket Operas
Cape Town Opera presents Shorts: A Festival of Pocket Operas, three captivating and diverse bite-sized operas including the World Premiere of Conrad Asman’s new Trial by Media opera about the media’s perceptions and complexities surrounding the Oscar Pistorius trial; Poulenc’s La voix humaine, Poulenc’s a deeply moving one-act opera that tells the story of a woman dealing with her descent into dementia, and in delightful contrast, Mozart’s light comic opera,The Impresario, performed in English and adapted from the original Der Schauspieldirektor.
Featuring Cape Town Opera’s House Soloists, Judith Neilson Young Artists and with a special appearance by guest soloist Janelle Visagie, who won a Fleur du Cap for her role in La voix humaine in 2018. With musical direction by Robin Phillips and José Dias.
Opera Blocks - Jungle Journey
Opera Blocks is back! Join us as we journey through a jungle of music for ages 0 – 5! An excellent way to introduce your little one to the magical world of theatre, Opera Blocks provides as safe and explorative environment that kids will love! With colourful lighting, fun props and costumes, and the beautiful melodies of composers such as Schubert, Brahms, Gershwin and more! At Artscape from 22 April in collaboration with Suidoosterfees…
Bon Appétit!
An engaging short opera based on Julia Child’s decadent chocolate cake recipe. This musical monologue by American composer Lee Hoiby, is a transcription of one episode from the 1963 TV documentary The French Chef. Join Fleur du Cap winner Janelle Visagie and pianist José Dias from 29 April – 1 May for a mouth-watering classical performance as a part of Suidoosterfees at the Artscape.
Donizetti’s Lucia di Lammermoor
This June, Cape Town Opera brings Donizetti’s haunting Lucia di Lammermoor to the Artscape Opera House in Cape Town and the Joburg Theatre in Johannesburg. In celebration of its 25th Anniversary, the company restages its first ever production under the direction of the celebrated founder of Cape Town Opera, Angelo Gobbato. A tale of ghosts, rivalry, and star-crossed lovers, this tragic opera is sure to leave audiences breathless with a stellar cast of Cape Town Opera singers under the baton of Kamal Khan (CPT) and Daniel Keet (JHB).
Donizetti’s Lucia di Lammermoor
This June, Cape Town Opera brings Donizetti’s haunting Lucia di Lammermoor to the Artscape Opera House in Cape Town and the Joburg Theatre in Johannesburg. In celebration of its 25th Anniversary, the company restages its first ever production under the direction of the celebrated founder of Cape Town Opera, Angelo Gobbato. A tale of ghosts, rivalry, and star-crossed lovers, this tragic opera is sure to leave audiences breathless with a stellar cast of Cape Town Opera singers under the baton of Kamal Khan (CPT) and Daniel Keet (JHB).
Horizons
The internationally acclaimed Cape Town Opera Chorus, recipients of the International Opera Award for best chorus, is thrilled to present a distinctly South African programme. Featuring works by fourteen composers—including Michael Moerane, Péter Louis van Dijk, Mzilikazi Khumalo, Clare Loveday, Mpumelelo Manyathi, and Pieter Bezuidenhout— and with musical direction by José Dias, the performance spans over 70 years of musical history and encompasses seven of South Africa’s official languages. The programme also includes arrangements of indigenous songs, offering a compelling showcase of the nation’s rich musical heritage.
Porgy and Bess
Shanghai Symphony Orchestra presents Gershwin’s Porgy and Bess – China premiere of this semi-staged version co-produced by Beijing Music Festival, Cape Town Opera and KT Wong Foundation.
Shanghai Symphony Orchestra premiered a new production of George Gershwin’s opera Porgy and Bess on Oct 8 under the baton of US conductor Kazem Abdullah.
The semi-staged production was jointly produced by SSO, Beijing Music Festival, the Cape Town Opera House in South Africa, and KT Wong Foundation. It will have another two performances in Beijing on Oct 12 and 13, as the closing show of the 27th Beijing Music Festival.
This is the first time Abdullah conducted a full-scale production of Porgy and Bess, and he said “there’s a dynamism in Gershwin’s music that is not just oral but also visual. I think having the orchestra on stage, one sort of sees how the instrumentation of the various groups, streams, brass, winds, percussion, how they relate to the characters on stage in this semi-staged production.”
More than 40 members of the Capetown Opera Chorus, recipients of the International Opera Award for best chorus, flew to China to perform in the show, alongside soprano Nonhlanhla Yende playing the heroine Bess, and bass singer Otto Maidi playing the hero Porgy.
Orpheus McAdoo
Cape Town Opera presents David Kramer’s Orpheus McAdoo, a revitalised version of Kramer’s earlier musical success Orpheus in Africa.
Led by Conroy Scott and Brittany Smith and supported by a star-studded cast including Dean Balie, Jody Abrahams, Eldon van der Merwe, Elton Landrew and Alexis Petersen, the production tells the little-known, true story of an African-American choir, The Virginia Jubilee Concert Company, which toured South Africa in the 1890s. Invited by the Governor’s wife, Lady Loch(Natalie Robbie), they introduced a unique style of singing that had never been heard in the Cape before. McAdoo’s choir were an overnight sensation and went on to tour the country for the next two years.
Orpheus McAdoo the musical, recreates how his choir sang the old spirituals more than 120 years ago. In addition to traditional Jubilee songs, Kramer has added new songs inspired by early American folk music, minstrel songs, ragtime and musical ballads.
With thanks to the Western Cape Government Department of Cultural Affairs and Sport for their support of this production.