Praised by The New York Times for his “rich, glowing voice and elegant legato,” and by The Wall Street Journal as “a powerful bass-baritone,” South African opera singer Musa Ngqungwana joins us for a LIVE broadcast from the WRTI Performance Studio, Wednesday, May 9 at 12:10 pm. Debra Lew Harder hosts.
Musa will perform arias by Bellini, Massenet, and Britten, accompanied by pianist Laurie Rogers and chat with Debra about his recent role in Carmen with Opera Philadelphia, and about his newly released memoir from Penguin Books, Odyssey of an African Opera Singer.
Watch the performance LIVE on the WRTI Facebook page.
A graduate of the University of Cape Town and The Academy of Vocal Arts in Philadelphia (in 2014,) Musa has performed the title role in The Glimmerglass Festival’s production of Porgy and Bess, Amonasro in Aida with English National Opera, and Angelotti in Tosca with the Canadian Opera Company, in addition to debuts at Los Angeles Opera, the Norwegian National Opera, and at Washington National Opera. Upcoming engagements include the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra’s Bernstein Songfest and the title role in Dallas Opera’s production of Manon Lescaut.
Musa was nominated for the Kennedy Center’s Marian Anderson Award in 2014 and was the Grand Finals Winner of the 2013 Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions. He was also a finalist in the 29th International Hans Gabor Belvedere Competition, where he was awarded the “Die Zeit” prize.
Program:
Vi ravviso o luoghi ameni (La Sonnambula) - Bellini
Riez, allez, riez du pauvre ideologue (Don Quichotte) - Massenet
O Beauty, O handsomeness goodness (Billy Budd) - Britten
