Despite the scarcity of local opera singers during her formative years, Cecilia went on to study vocal art at the Tshwane University of Technology, further honing her skills. The soprano has since carved out a unique path for herself, having performed all over the world. We spoke to her as she was gearing up to showcase African talent on world stages.
On Sun, Jul 28, 2024, Rangwanasha performs in Pretoria (book your seats here) with a stellar cast of young musicians from across the continent, the Africa United Youth Orchestra. The once-off performance is conducted by William Eddins and brought together by CEO and artistic director of the Johannesburg Philharmonic Orchestra (JPO) and the Mzansi National Philharmonic, Bongani Tembe. This symphony of young talent includes musicians from South Africa, Nigeria, Kenya, Mozambique, and the Democratic Republic of Congo, all tuning up for their debut as the Africa United Youth Orchestra. The orchestra, and Rangwanasha, will then travel, with a performance scheduled for Carnegie Hall in New York on Sat, Aug 3, 2024.
“Music doesn’t discriminate. It transcends race and knows no boundaries." – Masabane Cecilia Rangwanasha
An award-winning soprano, Rangwanasha was born in Lebowakgomo, in Limpopo in 1993. Educated at the University of Cape Town, Rangwanasha spent two years with the Cape Town Opera Company and appeared in Die Zauberflöte, Mandela Trilogy, and Porgy and Bess. In 2019, she won the Audience Award at the International Hans Gabor Belvedere Singing Competition, known as the “springboard” for a career in opera. She then studied at Tshwane University of Technology graduating with a BTech in Vocal Art (Performance). Her list of achievements is utterly inspiring. Among her accolades: she won the Song Award in the 2021 BBC Cardiff Singer of the World competition (the first African singer to achieve this), and also appeared at the First Night of the Proms in 2022, as a soloist in Verdi's Requiem, and in 2023 she sang again at the Proms, in a concert featuring the National Youth Orchestra of Great Britain. See more here.
“Music doesn’t discriminate. It transcends race and knows no boundaries," says Rangwanasha. "Through music, we can connect our countries, uniting us as one African continent, one of the largest on Earth. By sharing this art, we can effect significant change and support our talent. This is particularly important given the challenges classical musicians face in building successful careers in Africa.”
Rangwanasha firmly believes in the transformative power of music. The orchestra is poised to perform at the esteemed Carnegie Hall in New York, a monumental step for this dawning ensemble. Before this, they hold a debut concert in South Africa, a prelude to their inaugural performance at the ZK Matthews Great Hall at UNISA, the same hall where Rangwanasha won the UNISA International Voice Competition almost eight years ago, amongst the many highlights of her career. Her recent accolade, the Herbert von Karajan Young Artist of the Year at the Salzburg Festival in Austria, is among her most notable achievements.
Rangwanasha’s advice to aspiring young musicians is to be passionate, work hard, and find excellent teachers. "If you don’t feel comfortable with a teacher, it’s important to find someone who resonates with you and can help you improve and work hard. We need to learn different languages when we sing, and for instrumentalists, your score-reading skills need to be excellent. Many of the musicians come from places where they start learning at a very early age. You have to want it to stay the course,” she says.
As for the upcoming concert, Rangwanasha assures it will be a delightful experience. The audience will have the opportunity to appreciate the music and stories, performed by a fantastic new orchestra that represents them. This, she believes, is already a great achievement.
Be part of this historic musical event celebrating unity and talent across Africa on Sun, Jul 28 at ZK Matthews Great Hall, UNISA; book your seats now. Tickets from R50 p.p. No kids under the age of three are allowed; discounted tickets for under-12s and pensioners are available
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