Masabane Cecilia Rangwanasha

WELCOME

Masabane Cecilia is known for her supreme transcendent soprano voice and continues her success with critically acclaimed performances all around the World.

The performances for years 2024 and 2025 are scheduled will provide further travelling.Masabane Cecilia will perform to new audiences across the globe while revisiting and performing in her favourite venues .

“Working with incredible talent and performing the greatest music has always been my dream, I am blessed to do so. I performon the great stages and in the great Cities across the World. But predominantly for me, it is the music that brings joy to my soul, especially the preparation, the performance and joy of the audience. To impart the spirituality of the composer with the melodious words to the ears of anaudience is an essential part of my being.”

PERSONAL MESSAGE FROM MASABANE CECILIA RANGWANASHA

Looking forward to 2024 but blessed with recent new memories and friendships made

Every year brings joy and new memories are made in life that exceed my expectations, 2o23 was no exception, as I look at my preparation and performances for 2024 and beyond.

The Royal Opera House Covent Garden is where I have so many friendships to last a life time. To perform as as Liù in Turandot with Sir Antonio Pappano in March 2023 , having had a master class on the stage some years before when I arrived in London was surreal. The performance of Turandot also played in cinemas across the world and the messages I received from back home in South Africa, and places such as Madrid and my beautiful Bern were incredible. Next to Japan.

Performing in the United States of America, the Capital Washington and then Cincinnati was a great experience. I hope to visit the United States more in 2024 and look forward soon to Atlanta, the Capital of the great State of Georgia and to perform with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra in 2024. With more in Italy with the Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia.

I want to personally thank all of the audiences, and my Team and all the conductors, musicians, accompanists for working alongside me and all who support me going forward in 2024.

I could not do it all without you and the gratitude is from the bottom of my heart.

May the future bring you all the blessings you need.

I hope I bring as much joy to you as you always do for me.

With much love,

Masabane Cecilia

ABOUT

Masabane Cecilia is from the Limpopo province in South Africa and started singing at school and church at an early age. Shecompleted her Postgraduate Diploma at the University of Cape Town, studying with Virginia Davids, and took a BTech in Vocal Art (Performance) with Kiewiet Pali at Tshwane University of Technology. While there, she sang Fiordiligi (Così fan tutte) and the soprano solo in Mozart’s Coronation Mass. She was a Young Artist with Cape Town Opera for two years, singing First Lady (Die Zauberflöte), Mother of Mandela (Mandela Trilogy)and Serena (Porgy and Bess). In London, she joined the prestigious Jette Parker Young Artists Programme in the 2019/20 Season, performing Guest and Lace Seller (Death in Venice), title role Susanna and Soprano in Barber’s Knoxville: Summer of 1915. In autumn 2021 she joined the ensemble of Bern Staatsoper.

Masabane Cecilia lives in Bern, Switzerland. She visits her native South Africa when time permits in her busy schedule of engagements.

“We’ve been treated to some outstanding performances of song repertoire from all of the finalists this evening…there could only be one winner, and Masabane performed with such assured technique and emotional power that the jury was unanimous in naming her the winner.”

John Gilhooly, Wigmore Hall’s Artistic & Executive Director, and Chair of the Judges, BBC Cardiff Singer Of The World 2021.

REVIEWS

“…radiant soprano effortlessly filled the theatre . “

“This nicely introduces the absolute tour de force, Masabane Cecilia Rangwanasha in the role of Liù… …Rangwanasha received, arguably, the loudest and most tumultuous applause.”

“Masabane Cecilia Rangwanasha brings an iridescent glow to Strauss’s Four Last Songs at the Proms”

“And to top it all off, one of the soloists was a Cecilia too – the superb South African soprano Masabane Cecilia Rangwanasha…Indeed, the patron saint would have smiled upon her namesake, for Rangwanasha was in marvellous voice. Lesser sopranos would have been taxed by Yamada’s slow tempo in “Lobe den Herrn, meine Seele”, but she sailed through it gloriously.”

"The fact that Bern has drawn the big draw with the South African soprano Masabane Cecilia Rangwanasha has long been noticed by regular visitors to Bern. With her role debut as Mathilde, this extraordinary singer offered another brilliant performance on her way to the big stages of the world."

“The star of the show, however, was the soprano Masabane Cecilia Rangwanasha, who sang with ever greater lustre. The South African has a sumptuous, plush sound, and floats high notes with almost indecent ease. Hear a few of them live and it’s as if you’ve died and (sins allowing) gone straight to Heaven.”

“Indeed this young South African soprano who won the Song Prize at last year’s Cardiff Singer of the World competition was the revelation of the evening. Her voice is even throughout the range, and is not only capable of spinning the most beguiling phrases, but can float the most exquisite top notes as well.”

Masabane Cecilia will, and has made make debuts with Washington National Opera and the Hamburg State Opera as Liù Turandot, a role she will also perform with the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden on tour in Japan in 2024. On the concert platform, she will make debuts with the London Symphony Orchestra conducted by Sir Antonio Pappano and the Chicago Symphony Orchestra conducted by James Conlon in Mendelssohn Elijah. Further appearances include the Verdi Requiem with Nathalie Stuzmann in her debut with the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, and a return to the Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia with Sir Antonio Pappano, as well as a return to The Hallé with Sir Mark Elder for the Rossini Stabat Mater.

Masabane Cecilia received triumphant acclaim for her return to the Royal Opera House Covent Garden as Liù Turandot and at Theater Bern as Mathilde Guilliame Tell and in the title role of Iphigénie en Tauride.

On the concert stage, Masabane Cecilia made her US debut with Washington National Symphony Orchestra in Barber Knoxville: The Summer of 1915, performing the work again with Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra (Marin Alsop), Mendelssohn Symphony No. 2 with the Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia (Kazuki Yamada), Beethoven Symphony No. 9 and Mahler Das Klagende Lied at Theater Bern, and her Edinburgh Festival debut performing Tippett A Child of Our Time with the Royal Scottish National Orchestra (Sir Andrew Davis) and a return to the BBC Proms to perform Strauss Vier letzte Lieder with the National Youth Orchestra.

“ My inner love of music inspires my life and allows the wonder to resonate on different global stages. I always want to give my inner self to the audience, this feeling is important to me.”

Previous highlights include, Élisabeth de Valois Don Carlos, and Elettra Idomeneo at Theater Bern, Verdi Requiem with the BBC Symphony conducted by Sakari Oramo at the First Night of the BBC Proms, Mahler Symphony No. 4 conducted by Adam Fischer with the Orchestra Age of Enlightenment, Vaughan Williams A Sea Symphony conducted by Sir Mark Elder with The Hallé Orchestra, Strauss Vier letzte Lieder under the direction of Paul Daniel at Opéra National de Bordeaux, and a performance as part of Classic FM Live at the Royal Albert Hall.

“From a young age I understood that an audience wanted to hear me sing. That was not only satisfying, but it became a part of me, hearing the applause humbles me but gives me a smile on the way back from the theatre and after visualising the beautiful faces of the audience .”

For links to Up and Coming Performances see

https://www.intermusica.com/artist/Masabane-Cecilia-Rangwanasha/about

Masabane Cecilia Rangwanasha singing at the launch of Wigmore Hall’s Summer Season 2021

Masabane Cecilia Rangwanasha in Samuel Barber’s Knoxville: Summer of 1915, directed by Antony McDonald and conducted by Patrick Milne

The Royal Opera’s Masabane Cecilia Rangwanasha sings ‘Pace, pace mio Dio’ from Verdi’s La forza del destino, as part of our Battle of the Arias series.

As part of the Royal Opera House’s #OurHouseToYourHouse Masterclass series, Royal Opera Jette Parker Young Artist Masabane Cecilia Rangwanasha is coached through arias from Puccini’s Turandot by Music Director Antonio Pappano.

IN THE NEWS

Masabane Cecilia Rangwanasha wins Song Prize at BBC Cardiff Singer of the World 2021

Classical Music, BBC Music Magazine

ON ITV NEWS in London
Reflections on the life of the late Jessye Norman (ITV News)
Remembering the late Jessye Norman, featuring The Royal Opera’s Masabane Cecilia Rangwanasha and Sir Bryn Terfel

EDUCATION

Masabane Cecilia completed her education at the University of Cape Town where she graduated with distinction, and studied with Virginia Davids, and took examinations in Vocal Art (Performance) at Tshwane University of Technology, where she studied with Kiewiet Pali and participated in concerts and masterclasses with Michelle Breedt, Kliesie Kelly Moog, Barbara Hill Moore and Josef Protschka. At Tshwane University of Technology, she sang Fiordiligi (Così fan tutte) and chorus in Faust, La Cenerentola and Falstaff, as well as the soprano solo in Mozart’s Coronation Mass.

Masabane Cecilia went on to be a Young Artist with Cape Town Opera for two years, singing First Lady in Die Zauberflöte (with University of Cape Town), Mother of Mandela in Mandela Trilogy and Serena in Porgy and Bess (South Korean Tour).

PRIZES AND ACCOLADES

Winner of the Song Prize and Finalist at BBC Cardiff Singer Of The World 2021

BBC Radio 3 New Generation Artist

The Audience Prize and two special prizes in the 2019 Hans Gabor Belvedere Competition

Winner of the UNISA Competition

First Prize in the Phillip H Moore Music Competition

First Prize and Best South African Song (final 2017, semi-final 2018) in the ATKV Singing Competition

Awarded Second prize in the Schock Philips Foundation competition at UCT (2018)

Nominated Best Singer in the opera category for Woordfees 2019, singing soprano solo in Verdi‘s Requiem with Oude Libertas choir in Stellenbosch

Awarded Second Prize in Muzicanto in Cape Town, an award from the Schock Philips Foundation at UCT.

Representation and Contact details

Intermusica represents Masabane Cecilia Rangwanasha worldwide.

Nathan Morrison – Associate Director, Vocal & Opera

+44 20 7608 9923

nmorrison@intermusica.com

Isabelle Morgan – Assistant Artist Manager, Vocal & Opera

+44 20 7608 9947

imorgan@intermusica.com

CREDITS

Website by Avenue Creative and sponsored and supported by Roy J Thomas of the Redefined Partnership.

Photos used with permission of Tristram Kenton, notesonlence and Kirsten McTernan.