South African operatic talent continues to achieve global acclaim, supported by the dedicated efforts of Friends of Cape Town Opera.
Western Cape, South Africa (31 July 2024) – South Africa’s operatic talents have been capturing the world’s attention, continuously raising the bar and flying our nation’s flag high in opera houses around the globe.
With each passing year, more South African opera singers are invited to showcase their extraordinary abilities internationally, and organisations like Friends of Cape Town Opera (FoCTO) are playing a pivotal role in this success story.
Established as a not-for-profit organization (105606-NPO), Friends of Cape Town Opera (FoCTO) has been instrumental in the growth and international success of South African opera singers since its inception. Through dedicated fundraising and support initiatives, FoCTO ensures that emerging talents receive the necessary resources to thrive on both local and global stages.
FoCTO Chairperson Gloria Kaminski emphasizes the organization’s commitment: “FoCTO aims to ‘keep Cape Town singing’ by promoting and supporting both potential and existing vocal talent in the Mother City in partnership with bursary-related academic programs and venues.”
Kaminski adds, “Using our Facebook and Instagram pages, as well as a regular newsletter, we keep friends and followers updated on entertainment and events, including performances for the purposes of social benefit and talent recognition. Through leadership and initiative, as well as collaboration and partnering with others who share a common vision in the musical industry, we wish to nurture and support discovered and undiscovered proudly South African talent.”
Professor Jeremy Silver, Director of Opera UCT at The South African College of Music at the University of Cape Town, highlights the institution’s pivotal role in training South African singers for international careers.
“We have a long and proud history of training South African singers for what quite often turn out to be highly visible, international careers. We attract young singers from all over South Africa with amazing vocal talent, and rather than looking at their past educational background, we try to make a judgment on their future capability for the training,” says Silver.
Professor Silver proudly notes, “After six years with us, many are ready for the international scene. This has to be one of the fastest agents of transformation that a young person of talent can take. We are the only institution on the continent that does this, and we have people from Europe and America, and of course our own cultural scene here in South Africa, looking closely to see who our current young singers are.”
FoCTO’s objectives are clear and impactful:
- To proactively support and develop new and existing talent for both local and global stages.
- To inspire an online movement of followers who remain engaged with operatic, musical, and other relevant performances contributing to social transformation and upliftment.
- To encourage a large philanthropic following to support local projects and outreach programs in the vocal performance industry via FoCTO membership.
The list of FoCTO beneficiaries reads like a who’s who of emerging operatic talent, including Ané Pretorius, Bongani Kubheka, Nombulelo Yende, and many others who have made significant strides on the international stage.
As the FoCTO committee, including members like Sheila Camerer, Steve Theron, Professor Leslie Petrik, and Jeremy Lawrence, continues its vital work, the future of South African opera looks incredibly bright. Their dedication ensures that the world will continue to be captivated by the voices emerging from our nation.
Let’s celebrate this success and look forward to more incredible achievements from our homegrown operatic stars. The world stage is just the beginning!
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