Pretty Yende

Yende at a concert performance of Lucia di Lammermoor in Cape Town in April 2013

Pretty Yende, OIS (born 6 March 1985)[1] is a South African soprano opera singer.[2]

Early life and education

Born in Piet Retief, Mpumalanga,[3] Yende graduated cum laude from the South African College of Music[4] – a part of the University of Cape Town. She also graduated from the Accademia Teatro alla Scala in Milan, Italy.[4]

Career

Yende won first prize in operetta and opera at the International Hans Gabor Belvedere Singing Competition 2009 in Vienna,[5] and in 2010 the first prize at the Vincenzo Bellini International Competition. In 2011, she won first prize at Operalia, The World Opera Competition, held that year in Moscow.[6]

In 2012, she sang the role of Musetta in Puccini's opera La bohème at La Scala in Milan.[7] Yende made her Metropolitan Opera debut in New York City on 17 January 2013,[8] in the role of Adèle in Rossini's opera Le comte Ory.[3]

Yende is credited for her vocals in Andrea Bocelli's Concerto: One Night in Central Park (2011), and as a primary artist for the "Ode À L'Humanité" (Ode to Humanity, previously called Aria) track on the Yanni - Plácido Domingo collaboration Inspirato (2014).[9]

Awards and honours

Yende was conferred the Silver Order of Ikhamanga on 27 April 2013. In a statement by the chairperson of the National Orders Advisory Council, Dr. Cassius Lubisi, Yende was conferred the honour "for her excellent achievement and international acclaim in the field of world opera and serving as a role model to aspiring young musicians."

See also

References

  1. ↑ Profile, Leyla Gencer Voice Competition
  2. ↑ Staff (1 February 2013). "Pretty Good Met Debut for Yende". Centre for Higher Education Development, University of Cape Town. Retrieved 22 February 2013.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 Neophytou, Nadia (3 February 2013). "SA Soprano Pretty Yende takes NY by Storm". Eyewitness News (South Africa). Retrieved 22 February 2013.
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 Staff (undated). "Soprano – Pretty Yende". Medici.tv. Retrieved 22 February 2013.
  5. ↑ International Hans Gabor Belvedere Singing Competition – Winners
  6. ↑ Operalia Database (undated). "Winners – 2011 Moscow – Opera Prizes". Operalia, The World Opera Competition. Retrieved 22 February 2013.
  7. ↑ La Scala Database (undated). "La bohème – Giacomo Puccini – Teatro alla Scala Production – From 26 September to 26 October 2012". La Scala. Retrieved 22 February 2013.
  8. ↑ "Little Time to Prepare; Now a Legacy to Keep" by Corinna da Fonseca-Wollheim, The New York Times, 1 February 2013
  9. ↑ "Pretty Yende / Credits". Allmusic.com. Retrieved 4 April 2014.

External links