Winner of the 2010 Kathleen Ferrier Competition, Njabulo Madlala was born in South Africa. He studied on the Post-graduate opera course at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London under Robert Dean and at the Cardiff International Academy of Voice. He has been supported in his studies by The Oppenheimer Memorial Trust, The South African National Arts Council, the Sir Peter Moores Foundation, the Countess of Munster Trust and the Music Benevolent Fund. Njabulo Madlala was also a Britten Pears Young Artist and a Samling Foundation Scholar.
At the Guildhall, Njabulo Madlala sang Le CalenderLa Rencontre Imprévueand The King The King Goes Forth to France. Since graduating, his engagements elsewhere have included Don Fernando Fidelio, Bello La Fanciulla del West and Schaunard La bohème for Opera Holland Park, Moralès Carmen for Dorset Opera, Peachum The Threepenny Opera at the Hawaii Performing Arts Festival, Rangwan Koanga at Sadler’s Wells Theatre, Fisherman Bird of Night for ROH2, Don Giulio L’ajo nell’imbarazzo at the Barga International Festival, Porgy Porgy and Bess at the Cheltenham Festival, Bello La Fanciulla del West and Schaunard La bohème for Opera Holland Park and Mel The Knot Garden at the Montepulciano Festival.
Conductors and directors with whom he has worked include Martin André, John Cox, Paul Wynne Griffiths, Charles Hazelwood, Martin Lloyd-Evans, Jan Latham Koenig, Antonio Pappano and Graham Vick. With Sarah Walker, he has made a special study of recital repertoire, appearing as part of the Oxford Lieder Festival as well as at the Wigmore Hall and participating in the Steans Young Artists Programme at Chicago’s Ravinia Festival. Other concerts highlights have included J. S. Bach Ich habe genug with the Ten Tors Orchestra, Mahler Lieder eines fahrenden Gesellen for the London Philharmonic Orchestra’s Foyles First series conducted by Vladimir Jurowski, Vaughan Williams Serenade to Music for the Concordia Foundation and recitals with James Baillieu at the Lake District Music Festival, with Simon Lepper at the Buxton Festival and with Roger Vignoles at the Lugo and Cambridge Festivals. His broadcasts include In Tune for BBC Radio 3.
He appeared on the 2011 Opera Highlights tour for Scottish Opera and current highlights include the title role in Don Giovanni for Mid Wales Opera, Scarpia Tosca for Grange Park Opera ‘Rising Stars’, Master of the Thames Boat Heart of Darkness for ROH2, The Kammersänger Intermezzo at the Buxton Festival, Beethoven Choral Symphony with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Messiahwith the Philharmonia Orchestra, Mahler Lieder eines fahrenden Gesellen with the Aurora Chamber Orchestra, a recital with Roger Vignoles at the Edinburgh Festival 2012 and Gathering Wave at the Three Choirs Festival in Hereford 2012.
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