Cape Town Opera

The soloists, chorus, and directing team for today’s performance are all members of Cape Town Opera, which was founded in 1999. It is one of the most important institutions for the performing arts in South Africa and the only opera company on the entire African continent that operates year-round. It presents a diverse annual program of opera productions, musicals, concerts, and children’s and social projects. The motto guiding its artistic work is CREATE: The goal is to strengthen the community (Community), build deep relationships (Relationships) between the public and music, provide education (Education) for all segments of society, expand access (Access) to culture for a broad audience, and offer training (Training) and employment (Employment). In the more than 25 years since its founding, the Cape Town Opera has established a global presence and toured throughout Europe — with performances in Germany, France, the United Kingdom, Italy, and Spain, among other countries — as well as in South America, Asia, and Australia. Gershwin’s Porgy and Bess has become a staple of its repertoire. Its two most recent productions — the musicals The Sound of Music by Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein, and Frederick Loewe’s My Fair Lady — drew more than 120,000 audience members. Cape Town Opera, which has received numerous awards, is a flagship for excellence, inclusivity, and employment in South Africa’s theater and arts industry and specifically promotes talent found throughout the country.

July 2026