Molly Dzangare and Thando Zwane in Dalinda in September 2024 (credit: UCT)

It’s a Monday morning and instead of being tied to my computer hammering out copy, I’m in a studio at the tip of Southern Africa, joyfully listening to the next generation of opera stars rehearsing. I’m also looking forward to catching up with Professor Jeremy Silver, director of Opera UCT at the South African College of Music, who is gently guiding his flock in this musical interlude.

Aside from its glorious setting and facilities in Cape Town, Opera UCT has a rich history of nurturing world-class singers, boasting illustrious alumni. Think Pretty Yende and Pumeza Matshikiza, both of whom have graced some of the world’s most high-profile stages. Others, such as Siphokazi Molteno, who went on to the Metropolitan Opera’s Lindemann Young Artist Development Program, Siphe Kwani, a current Jette Parker Artist at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, Luvo Maranti at the National Opera Studio (NOS) in London, and Nombulelo Yende (Pretty’s sister) in Frankfurt, continue to showcase the school’s ability to shape global-calibre talent.

These success stories are not anomalies; they reflect the school’s holistic approach to training, which not only sharpens a young singer’s craft but also instils in students the discipline, confidence, and resilience necessary to thrive in a demanding industry.

UK-born Silver, a distinguished pianist and conductor with deep ties to South Africa established over 20 years of freelance work in the country, has been at the helm of Opera UCT since 2019. He is also somewhat of a Donizetti buff and with a wealth of talent at his fingertips, it was no surprise that Opera UCT was selected to premiere Donizetti’s rediscovered masterpiece, Dalinda, to the world last year.

Chatting about South Africa’s wellspring of extraordinary vocal talent, Silver shares that the country has a thriving choral culture deeply embedded in its communities. Church choirs and community singing groups have produced some of the country’s most remarkable opera voices, providing an essential foundation for those who later transition into professional training. ‘The tradition of collective singing, storytelling through music, and harmonisation has made South African singers particularly well-equipped for the demands of opera, even if they have not had the benefit of a formally recognised musical education,’ he tells me. This tradition thankfully provides fertile ground for Opera UCT.

Another rising star who has just completed her post-graduate qualifications at Opera UCT is soprano Nontobeko Bhengu. At just 26-years-old, she will join the opera studio at the Bavarian State Opera in Munich later this year. ‘Opera UCT taught me I can dream and realise those dreams,’ she reflects.

The school’s reputation as a premier opera training institution, expands beyond South Africa, drawing students from across the continent, like Themba Mdlalose, who had completed a degree in social sciences with a major in economics in Eswatini prior to joining Opera UCT. ‘Themba came to sing to me when I was on an orchestral outreach project in Mbabane in 2023,’ says Silver. ‘He was entirely self-taught but had an uncanny instinct for sound and expression.’ Themba is now in his second year and thriving.

Jeremy Silver (left) with Luvo Maranti at Opera UCT 

Offering a range of diplomas and degrees, including a PhD, Opera UCT is deeply committed to preparing students for every aspect of a professional operatic career. ‘Opera is not just about voices,’ says Silver. ‘It’s about the whole craft – the subtle expression of language, drama, and music.’

Students undergo rigorous training in vocal technique, musicianship, language and acting. They also gain exposure to directing, conducting, and repetiteur work, recognising that the industry demands a broad set of skills. Additionally, Opera UCT equips its students with life skills, marketing know-how, and social media expertise, ensuring they are not only exceptional performers but also adept at navigating the business side of the industry.

Bhengu affirms this, saying, ‘The school has provided me with a solid foundation in vocal technique, musicality, performance skills, how to move around the stage and, how to be the opera. Critically, we are taught about the entire score of what we are performing, not just about our individual roles. This helps in real life too as it has assisted in making me aware of the bigger picture around me.’

Mdlalose also tells me when we chat that he is ‘the happiest I have ever been, now that I am doing opera,’ and credits the school’s all-round approach to opera training, and importantly, the professional production experience on the stage, as being the driving force behind his desire to be a future part of Opera UCT’s illustrious alumni.

As part of Silver’s drive to provide his students with broader horizons and more performance time, he has now transitioned the school into a full-fledged production company. In 2025 it has just launched its third season with an action-packed calendar ahead of it. This includes a production of Die Fledermaus, a staging of Janáček’s Diary of One Who Disappeared, a concert performance of Il trovatore, and a host of smaller concerts, competitions and recitals.

Closer to home, Opera UCT is also known for its tight-knit community, where students find mentorship and guidance beyond the classroom. Professors like Silver and his colleague Christine Crouse have established an open-door policy, often going above and beyond to support their students, such as transport fare, after-hours practices and even sharing their homes when students need temporary shelter when in Cape Town.

Despite its successes, Opera UCT faces a challenge common to many African institutions – funding. Most students struggle to afford the costs of international auditions, travel, and living expenses when they secure overseas opportunities.

While organisations like FoCTO, an independent friends organisation supporting opera in Cape Town, provide crucial support, more financial aid is needed to ensure that these gifted young singers can fully realise their potential, says Silver.

The reality remains that South Africa has only two opera companies, meaning that many graduates must seek careers abroad. However, with greater investment, more talent could remain within the country, enriching its operatic landscape, a vision that Silver is firmly working towards.

It is not only the students who are impacted by economics. Opera UCT, like its international arts counterparts, also faces budgetary constraints, needing to seek external funding for all its performance activities or guest residencies. However, where it differs, is in the burgeoning interest from youthful audiences attending recitals in increasing numbers, and in the singers looking to enter opera as a career.

On this note, Opera UCT is also shaping the next generation of industry leaders who will return to their communities and inspire future talent. Bhengu, for instance, tells me she dreams of revisiting her old school to show young students that opera is a viable path. ‘I want to help them realise there’s another world out there – to encourage them to let their voices ring out and be heard.’

And now, with more attention on Opera UCT from international opera houses, be heard they undoubtedly will.

This featured originally appeared in the Summer 2025 issue of Opera Now – Subscribe today!