Cape Town’s creative economy and reputation as a global events destination for the arts will be boosted when it hosts Plácido Domingo’s Operalia, the world’s most prestigious opera competition which will be held in Africa for the first time later this year.
As Cape Town looks back on a busy events season, having hosted numerous local, national and international events, it’s still full steam ahead for the CBD, with the inner city gearing up to host the World Opera Competition, also known as Operalia.
The contest puts promising young opera singers on the map and will be hosted by the internationally renowned Cape Town Philharmonic Orchestra (CTPO) at Artscape Theatre Centre from 30 October to 5 November 2023.
With this nod, the orchestra and Cape Town Opera (CTO) will join the prestigious ranks of other world-class hosts such as the Teatro Nacional de São Carlos in Lisbon, the Royal Opera House in London, Teatro alla Scala in Milan, Théâtre du Châtelet in Paris and Teatro Real in Madrid.
This bodes well for the CBD’s creative, eventing and business tourism economy.
OUT OF AFRICA
This version of iconic singer Domingo’s Operalia heralds the 30th anniversary of the competition. Bringing it to southern Africa, and to a new host city, was one of the goals of the organisers.
“It has also been a dream of ours to one day bring the competition to South Africa, home to two of our most prominent Operalia winners, Pretty Yende and Levy Sekgapane, in order to celebrate and honour the tremendously talented candidates and singers that continue to emerge in the past two decades. For us, it is imperative to count on the commitment and the excitement of the local host, which in this case combines the cultural alliance between the CTPO, Cape Town Opera and the Artscape Theatre Centre.”
SHOWCASING DOWNTOWN CAPE TOWN
Not only is the competition a springboard for opera singers, but it will showcase Cape Town and its CBD, and benefit local businesses.
Says Alex Gabriel, managing director of Cape Town Opera: “Firstly, it will attract visitors from around the world, boosting the local economy and creating opportunities for local businesses. Secondly, it will promote Cape Town as a destination for the arts, which will encourage more cultural events and initiatives in the future.”
CTPO head Louis Heyneman says the competition will also be aired live on Medici.tv, “the most important classical music platform available” and the subscription will be waived, meaning anyone around the world can watch it and Cape Town’s beauty will be the backdrop.
“This is an opportunity to show the world what we have here to a distinguished audience. We also believe there will be visitors from abroad who will be attracted to the city because of the competition. The judges are from some of the most important opera houses internationally, and they, too, will have the opportunity to talk favourably about our city which has been chosen to present the most important competition of its kind in the world today,” Heyneman explains.
NO SMALL FEAT
Pulling off an event of this magnitude is no small feat. A working committee has been set up to ensure all aspects are well-coordinated.
Gabriel says this includes organising accommodation, transport, catering and filming as well as ensuring that the venue is ready with all the necessary facilities and that equipment is in place and to specification. Heyneman adds that it takes “a good team with commitment and the financial and moral support of the City of Cape Town”. These building blocks are already in place considering work started months prior to the announcement.
Last year, Operalia approached the CTPO, and they immediately brought Cape Town Opera on board as a co-host and Artscape as the venue host. “We began to look at accommodation possibilities. Once the Operalia team came to Cape Town, we took them to view various hotels and showed them what Artscape has to offer. We also tried to give them a feel of the city because the judges, in particular, will have a couple of days to see the city. Then we had to secure the rooms, ranging from suites to large and smaller doubles and singles.”
For the contest, candidates, judges, conductors, accompanists and administration teams will be accommodated in 60 rooms at Southern Sun The Cullinan in the CBD for periods of between six and 21 days. The management teams will occupy the rooms for longer while the other delegates will stay for about six to 10 days.
In 2016, the same CTPO and CTO partnership hosted the International Hans Gabor Belvedere Singing Competition, another prestigious contest for opera singers. Heyneman says having successfully hosted the Belvedere is a testament that Cape Town is able to host a more prestigious event.
HERE’S HOW THE CONTEST WORKS
With Operalia, singers of all voice types between the ages of 20 and 32 are invited to submit applications. The deadline for this year’s applications is 5 May. Thereafter, a pre-selection jury listens to submissions and selects about 40 participants.
The jury, presided over by Domingo, then listens to each participant during two days of quarterfinals. Twenty participants then go through to the semifinals and 10 singers are chosen for the finals. While the quarterfinals and semifinals are carried out in audition form, the final round is presented in the form of a gala concert accompanied by a full orchestra.
With this year’s contest, the first rounds and semi-finals in October will be open to the public at a minimal cost and singers will be accompanied on piano. During the final round on 5 November, musicians will be accompanied by the CTPO.
Gabriel and Heyneman say audiences can expect popular arias amongst the choices as well as a selection of Spanish songs including the Zarzuela, a genre that is close to the competition founder’s heart. More than 200 000 US dollars will be awarded in prizes.
FORMER WINNERS
South-African tenor Levy Sekgapane, now based in Germany, won Operalia in 2017 and has become a permanent feature on the world stage.
The 32-year-old says being awarded hosting rights is “huge for our country” as it offers a platform to show how strong classical music is in South Africa and an opportunity for the country’s talent to have their moment. “I was lucky to be one of the past winners and so many important doors opened for me because of it. When casting directors hear you are an Operalia winner, they immediately pay attention."
He adds: “This is why we do what we do ... we have worked so hard to put our country on the map. Finally, we are getting the recognition for which we have been hoping.”
IMAGES: Operalia, Cape Town Philharmonic Orchestra
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