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South African tenor Siphiwo Ntshebe

A life in opera: Siphiwo Ntshebe

11 March 2008

South African tenor to perform opening act at ComCelebrate!

Siphiwo Ntshebe found his voice at a very young age. When he sang in church as a little boy of five, Siphiwo was amazed by the sound of his voice resonating throughout the building. He realised it was a gift from above. And so Siphiwo sang tributes to God in the church choir.

From singing in the church where his father was a preacher, Siphiwo grew to love another musical genre when he saw Mario Lanza on television. Siphiwo knew that this was his calling – the grand stage of the opera.

“I was mesmerized by Lanza’s performance,” said Siphiwo. “I wanted to sing the wonderful arias of master composers as he did.”

The young boy from New Brighton, a township in Port Elizabeth, South Africa, was determined to realise this wish. It was a bold dream for Siphwio to harbour the hope of carving out a career in opera in South Africa and beyond. From the ghetto to the grandeur of opera houses around the world – that was his heart’s desire. Siphiwo would not let poverty block his path to the big stage. He would use his voice to make the world listen.

Siphiwo won scholarships to study opera at Cape Town University, the Queensland Opera House in Brisbane, Australia, and at the Royal College of Music in London, UK. He is now working with music impresario Sally Civval who is creating global platforms to showcase Siphwio’s talent.

Thirty-three-year-old Siphiwo has a voice that is remarkably reminiscent of Pavarotti, who was an inspiration. The South African tenor will perform ‘Nessun Dorma’, a song the late Italian tenor was renowned for, at the ComCelebrate! concert to be held at the Commonwealth Secretariat in London on 14 March 2008. Siphiwo will also perform arias by Puccini and Verdi. His repertoire ranges from Mozart to Bizet and Rossini to Tchaikovsky.

When Siphiwo sings their masterpieces, he makes their compositions come alive by transforming his vocal rendition of a classical tale of love, passion, betrayal, loss and tragedy into poetry.

Siphiwo, who has performed in South Africa, Australasia, UK and Europe, aims to sing and record albums with renowned orchestras, including the London Symphony Orchestra and the BBC Symphony Orchestra. He is raising funds to accomplish this.

In October 2007, Siphiwo launched a concert series at the South Africa House in London. It was the first of a series of concerts to be held in each of the 36 South African embassies around the globe.

“I would like to share the joy of opera with people around the world. A concert performance should endure beyond the opera house. It should be accessible by others who cannot be at the event to also enjoy opera in the way it uplifts the spirit and enriches the soul,” said Siphiwo.

“I want to be in the living rooms of opera lovers, as well as those who have yet to discover this inspirational genre of music. Through my CD albums, I can sing for them again and again in a never-ending performance,” he quipped.

Visit Siphiwo Ntshebe’s website at http://www.siphiwo.org/

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