Opera Star Pretty Yende to Return to South Africa, Nov 14 & 16

South Africa's newest operatic star Pretty Yende, returns to South Africa for two concerts only at the Teatro at Montecasino on Thursday, 14 November 2013 followed by a concert at the Artscape Opera House, Cape Town on Saturday, 16 November 2013. Both concerts begin at 8pm. Tickets available at Computicket.

Presented by Showtime Management, U-Live and Universal Music South Africa, the Pretty Yende recital programme includes La Promessa by Rossini; La Ricordanza by Bellini, L'amour funesto by Donizetti and Les Files De Cadix by Delibes. The concerts promise opera lovers and classical music enthusiasts a "pretty amazing" evening in the company of Pretty Yende accompanied by Professor Kamal Khan on piano and the harpist is Jane Theron.

Kamal Khan conducted one of Pretty Yende's fist solo roles, Countess in NOZZE DI FIGARO in a co-production staged by Cape Town Opera and the University of Cape Town. Kamal Khan is also one of Pretty's mentors from when she studied at the University of Cape Town where she graduated cum laude with a Performer's Diploma in Opera as well as her post Graduate studies in Opera (Performance).

Kamal Khan has conducted over one hundred performances in a broad variety of operatic repertoire as well as symphonic and Gala Concerts in Cape Town. Since assuming the directorship of the Opera School at the University of Cape Town in 2009 he has led three African premieres and one world premiere (5:20 Operas Made in South Africa) and UCT Opera School's first international tour since the 1950's.

Internationally, Khan has performed on five continents with many opera companies around the world including the Metropolitan Opera, Dallas Opera and Staatstheater Schwerin, Germany. Maestro Khan's symphonic credits include appearances with the KZN Philharmonic, the Jerusalem Symphony and the Buenos Aires Philharmonic. He has served as Resident Conductor of the Palm Beach Opera and Opera de Tenerife. Professor Khan is conducting the forthcoming production of The Barber of Seville presented by Cape Town Opera and the UCT Opera School at Artscape from 20 to 24 November 2013.

From humble beginnings in Piet Retief, Pretty Yende has made her mark internationally with performances at the Teatro La Scala in Rome, the Metropolitan Opera House in New York and the Wigmore Hall in London. Audiences are so captivated by this remarkable singer that they can't wait to applaud - sometimes whilst an aria ends!

Pretty first came to international attention in 2010 when she was the first artist in the history of the Belvedere Competition to win first prize in every category. In 2011, she was the first prizewinner of Plácido Domingo's Operalia Competition. Yende made her professional operatic debut at the National Theatre in Riga as Micaela in Carmen. A 2011 graduate of the Young Artists Academia of the Teatro alla Scala, she made her debut with that company in 2010 as Berenice in Rossini's L'Occasione fa il Ladro and has since also appeared as Norina in Don Pasquale and in the autumn of 2012 as Musetta in La Boheme. The rest they say is musical history in the making.

Future engagements include her first staged appearances as Lucia at the Deutsche Opera in Berlin, her debut at the Gran Teatro Liceu in Barcelona as Norina, and her Washington National Opera debut as Micaela. Yende will also debut with the Netherlands Opera as the Contessa di Fondeville in Il vaiggio a Reims and will return to the Metropolitan Opera for several roles including Pamina (Magic Flute), Lucia (Lucia di Lammermoor), Adina (Don Pasquale), and Rosina (The Barber of Seville). She has also been invited to sing her first Elvira in I Puritani in a new production at the Zurich Opera in 2016. In future seasons she will make her debut at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden and at the Opera Bastille in Paris.

Don't miss South Africa's pretty amazing singing sensation, Pretty Yende. With just days to go to her shows in Johannesburg and Cape Town, seats are limited. Book now at Computicket or call Artscape dial-a-seat 021 421 7695 for Cape Town bookings only. For further show information visit www.showtime.co.za, Twitter: @showtime_sa or Facebook: /showtimemanagementsa.

SHOW INFORMATION - JOHANNESBURG

VENUE:

Teatro at Montecasino

SHOW DATES AND TIMES:

Thursday, 14 November 2013: 8pm

TICKET PRICES:

R 200.00, R 300.00, R 400.00

BOOKINGS:

Computicket by calling 0861 915 8000, visit www.computicket.com or visit your nearest Computicket service centre.

SHOW INFORMATION - CAPE TOWN

VENUE:

Artscape Opera House

SHOW DATES AND TIMES:

Saturday, 16 November 2013: 8pm

TICKET PRICES:

R 200.00, R 300.00, R 400.00

BOOKINGS:

Computicket: 0861 915 8000, www.computicket.com or visit your nearest Computicket service centre. Artscape dial-a-seat 021 421 7695

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