Winner of the 2010 Kathleen Ferrier Competition, of the Singer Sections Final at the 2012 Royal Overseas League Competition, of the 2012 Lorna Viol Memorial Prize and Royal Overseas League Trophy for the Most Outstanding Musician From Overseas, the Sir John Manduell Award for an Outstanding South African Musician and of a 2012 Worshipful Company of Musicians Award, 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. Njabulo Madlala was also a Britten Pears Young Artist and a Samling Foundation Scholar.
At the Guildhall, Njabulo Madlala sang Le Calender La rencontre imprévue and The King The King Goes Forth to France. Since graduating, his engagements elsewhere have included Don Fernando Fidelio, Bello La Fanciulla del West andSchaunard 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 and Mel The Knot Garden at the Montepulciano Festival.
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 concert 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 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, Aeneas Dido and Aeneas at the Wimbledon Festival, Beethoven Choral Symphony with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Messiahwith the Philharmonia Orchestra, Lieder eines fahrenden Gesellen with the Aurora Chamber Orchestra, Elijah at the Snape Maltings, Mozart Requiem with the London Mozart Players, 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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