Pretty Yende: A Journey from Small Town to Opera World

by
1 min read
pretty yende opera

Pretty Yende’s story is an inspiring tale of perseverance and talent. Growing up in a small town in South Africa, Yende discovered her passion for singing at a young age.

Pivotal Time at UCT Opera School

At 16, she auditioned for the UCT Opera Studio but did not initially meet the admission requirements. However, the head of vocal studies Virginia Davids and Emeritus Professor Angelo Gobbato recognized her exceptional talent and potential and offered her a place in the UCT Opera School.

Newsletter

Stay Informed • Cape Town

Get breaking news, events, and local stories delivered to your inbox daily. All the news that matters in under 5 minutes.

Join 10,000+ readers
No spam, unsubscribe anytime

Yende’s time at UCT proved to be a turning point in her career. She received rigorous training in vocal performance, stagecraft, and musical theory, and had opportunities to perform in productions and competitions that helped refine her artistry.

Pursuing Her Dream

After graduating from UCT, Yende won a bursary to study at the opera school at La Scala in Milan, Italy. She had the chance to perform with some of the world’s most renowned singers and conductors, further honing her skills and gaining valuable experience.

In 2013, Yende made her debut at the Metropolitan Opera House in New York, receiving critical acclaim for her performance in Rossini’s Le Comte Ory. She has since performed at leading opera houses in Vienna, Berlin, Hamburg, and Paris, receiving numerous awards and accolades for her performances.

Humble and Passionate Advocate

Despite her success, Yende remains humble and grateful for the opportunities she has been given. She is also a passionate advocate for music education and supporting young musicians. She has worked with organizations like the South African National Youth Orchestra and the South African Music Performance Rights Association to nurture the talent of the next generation of musicians.

Transformative Power of Education

Pretty Yende’s journey from UCT to the world’s most prestigious stages is a testament to the transformative power of education and nurturing young talent. As Yende continues to amaze audiences worldwide, UCT can be proud to have played a role in shaping the career of one of the world’s most celebrated sopranos.

Tags:

You might be interested in

Amanda Wilson is a Cape Town-born journalist who covers the city’s evolving food scene for national and international outlets, tracing stories from Bo-Kaap spice shops to Khayelitsha micro-breweries. Raised on her grandmother’s Karoo lamb potjie and weekend hikes up Lion’s Head, she brings equal parts palate and pride to every assignment. Colleagues know her for the quiet warmth that turns interviews into friendships and fact-checks into shared laughter.

View all

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.

running age
Previous Story

Running Beyond Age: The Inspiring Story of Ouma Annatjie Berntzen

gauteng department of roads
Next Story

Gauteng Department of Roads and Transport Addresses Payment Delays Experienced by Putco Bus Company

Latest from Blog

Community Recycling Educational Initiative

From Bottle to Breakthrough: How Three Cape Town Schools Turned Trash into a Movement

Three Cape Town schools started a cool recycling project called “From Bottle to Breakthrough.” They turned plastic trash into a big community effort, using fun digital scoreboards to show how much everyone collected. Kids and parents worked together, learning about recycling in class and even making money from their efforts. This awesome idea is now inspiring others, showing how old bottles can become new, useful things for everyone.

Digital Twin Western Cape

Western Cape’s €97 500 Digital Twin Spark: From Tallinn Code to Cape Town Concrete

{“summary”: “The Western Cape is building a \”digital twin\” of its public buildings and roads. This means creating a live, digital copy that uses sensors and data to predict problems and help with planning. It all started with a small grant of €97,500, showing how even a little money can kickstart big changes. This project will help the province manage its infrastructure better, making things last longer and run more smoothly.”}

Beauty standards Aging

The Quiet Calculus Behind a Familiar Face

Modern women are taking charge of their beauty and aging journey! They mix fancy treatments like Botox and lasers with good habits like sunscreen, healthy food, and chilling out. It’s all about feeling good and confident, not being ashamed of growing older. It’s like a secret math problem they solve to look and feel their best, often inspired by powerful women like Charlize Theron.

community impact generosity

A Karoo Christmas Unlike Any Other: How One Secret Donor Rewrote Aberdeen’s December Story

A kind stranger secretly paid off 260 laybys at a PEP store in Aberdeen, South Africa, just before Christmas. This amazing act freed families to collect their muchneeded items, from school clothes to baby blankets, bringing immense joy and relief to the small, struggling town. The secret donor’s generosity, totaling R132,500, turned a difficult December into a festive celebration for many, sparking a wave of happiness and inspiring local businesses.