Hlengiwe Mkhwanazi
A native from KwaZulu-Natal and residing in Cape Town, soprano Hlengiwe Mkhwanazi is an alumni of the prestigious Ryan Opera center at the Lyric Opera of Chicago. She obtained her postgraduate diploma in performance in 2012 from the University of Cape Town. The sopranos success in competitions include SAMRO International singing scholarship, ATKV Musicanto singing competition (first prize) Hans Gabor Belvedere International singing competition (second prize, audience prize and media jury prize) as well as the Luminarts Cultural Women’s voice competition (first prize). She has performed many opera roles in South Africa and abroad.
Her operatic roles include Therese in “Poulenc Les Mamelukes de Tiresias” with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Clara in Gershwin’s “Porgy and Bess” with Lyric Opera of Chicago, Barbarina in Mozart’s “Le Nozze di Figaro.” In 2019, she performed with the Cape Town opera, singing the role of Eurydice by Gluck. Her concert performances include her debut with the Grant Park Music Festival in Chicago, singing Mozart’s Mass in C minor. She has appeared in the Johannesburg Mozart Festival many times and has performed with the Cape Philharmonic Orchestra in Cape Town. Her recent performances include appearing as a guest artist with the Cape Town city ballet and performances with the Phoenix orchestra in South Africa.
Her operatic roles include Therese in “Poulenc Les Mamelukes de Tiresias” with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Clara in Gershwin’s “Porgy and Bess” with Lyric Opera of Chicago, Barbarina in Mozart’s “Le Nozze di Figaro.” In 2019, she performed with the Cape Town opera, singing the role of Eurydice by Gluck. Her concert performances include her debut with the Grant Park Music Festival in Chicago, singing Mozart’s Mass in C minor. She has appeared in the Johannesburg Mozart Festival many times and has performed with the Cape Philharmonic Orchestra in Cape Town. Her recent performances include appearing as a guest artist with the Cape Town city ballet and performances with the Phoenix orchestra in South Africa.