Cape Town Opera Chorus won “Chorus of the Year” award at the INAUGURAL INTERNATIONAL OPERA AWARDS at a glittering ceremony at London’s Hilton Hotel.
John Allison, Editor of Opera Magazine, who presented the award to Cape Town Opera’s Managing Director Michael Williams announced “and the award for Best Opera Chorus award goes to Cape Town Opera, for its energy and exciting commitment, which never fails to communicate itself to an audience and shows again why a chorus can be the backbone of any company”.
Michael Williams accepted the award on behalf of Cape Town Opera and said, “Cape Town Opera won the Opera Chorus of the Year award at the first international Opera Awards. More than 700 people attended and the list of opera celebs was as long as the red carpet laid out. This was a climax to all the hard work of the company, particularly the chorus, last year. Albert Horne, you are to be congratulated on your leadership and musical ability. And to all the members of the chorus in Porgy & Bess, Mandela Trilogy, the Sheldonian Chorus Concert, Porgy & Bess Concert in Berlin with the Berlin Philharmonic, and the concert tour to Melbourne, Australia – well done!! This award belongs to you!!”
The Cape Town Opera chorus is world renowned these are just some of the critics comments:
“The open-throated chorus of Cape Town Opera contains an ensemble that is called, quite justifiably, the Voice of the Nation, and when its members let rip to intone one of Verdi’s thunderous political protests or to bounce through some riotous Gershwanian jazz, you seem to hear an entire people expressing primal emotions of defiant pride and exuberant joy.” PETER CONRAD, THE MONTHLY.
“Cape Town Opera’s chorus is quite magnificent.” RUPERT CHRISTIANSEN, THE TELEGRAPH, UK
“The Cape Town Opera and Voice of the Nation Ensemble can only be commended for a musically faultless performance…” JENNIFER DE KLERK, ARTSLINK
“Mandela Trilogy is bursting with potential and could be South Africa’s biggest export. This production is proudly South African through and through. The opera singers in particular were outstanding giving me goose bumps. Nelson Mandela’s story is one that inspires us all. Mandela Trilogy is en route to do so too.” BONISWA SIDWABA, WHATSONINCAPETOWN
“Cape Town Opera’s big-hearted version of George and Ira Gershwin’s Porgy and Bess was one of the most thrilling and moving opera productions I’ve seen in a long time.” DAVID KETTLE, THE SCOTSMAN