The Cape Town Opera is giving each of the talented performers an opportunity to learn, sing, and spread their wings.
Cape Town, South Africa (30 January 2026) – The Cape Town Opera has welcomed eight new young singers to its prestigious Judith Neilson Young Artist Programme for 2026.
The training and bursary programme nurtures exceptionally gifted postgraduate singers, pianists and conductors, helping them find their feet in the local and international opera industry.
It combines formal intuition with practical experience, where participants hone their skills alongside seasoned pros in rehearsals and on stage. The programme also provides mentorship and artistic guidance along the way. It builds the foundations and insights needed for young opera stars to flourish in their professional careers.
Headed by vocal coach Jan Hugo, the programme is the only comprehensive advanced training curriculum of its kind for SA’s graduate singers!
Joining the cohort this year are tenors Dumisa Masoka, Iviwe Boms, Thandolwethu Longo and mezzo soprano Nica Reinke (from OperaUCT), mezzo soprano Rethabile Khaile (from NWU) and bass baritone Thabo Mabuse from Lesotho. The group joins existing inductees Khayakazi Madlala and Sisikelelwe Mngenela, who shone in Cape Town Opera performances last year, including Aida, Orpheus McAdoo and The Barber of Seville.
The programme is famous for nurturing exceptional talent.
Among them is Limpopo-born soprano Cecilia Masabane, who made history as the first African artist to win the Song Prize at the BBC Cardiff Singer of the World Competition in 2021 and was awarded the coveted Herbert von Karajan Prize in 2024. This season, she made her Metropolitan Opera debut and has recently performed with the Los Angeles Philharmonic, the London Philharmonic Orchestra and the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra.
The Cape Town Opera has been running for 27 years as one of SA’s largest full-time performing arts institutions and the only continuously active opera company in Africa. Every year comes with a new slate of productions, including operas, musicals and concerts.
“A dynamic year lies ahead for Cape Town Opera, with audiences set to enjoy these Young Artists alongside the acclaimed CTO company in a series of highly anticipated productions, including Carmen at Artscape, A Little Night Music at Theatre on the Bay, The Cunning Little Vixen at The Joseph Stone Auditorium, the Haydn Nelson Mass at the Paarl Toringkerk, as well as Roméo et Juliette at Artscape Theatre.” CTO shares.
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Sources: Supplied
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