SIYAbonga Maqungo
South African Tenor Siyabonga Maqungo has joined the ensemble of the Staatsoper Unter den Linden in Berlin in 2020, where he sings roles such as Tamino, Almaviva (“Il barbiere di Siviglia), Jaquino, Narraboth. During the current season, he also appeared as Almaviva in “Il barbiere di Siviglia” at the Wuppertal Opera House under Julia Jones and will make his debut as Belmonte at the Austrian festival “Oper Burg Gars” this summer. Recent and future concert engagements have included Mahler’s “Das Lied von der Erde“ in Bern, Verdi requiem in Sonderborg (DK), and Beethoven 9th Symphony in Minnesota.
In 2019 he presented himself for the first time at the Staatsoper Unter den Linden with the role of David in “Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg” under Daniel Barenboim. That same year he was nominated in the category “Young Singer” for the International Opera Awards, as well as in the Opernwelt survey as “best singer” for David in Berlin and Jaquino in Chemnitz, and as “Best Young Singer”. In 2018 he won the 2nd prize at the International Opera Competition of Portofino.
He made his successful debut at the Leipzig Opera in 2018 as Conte Almaviva in “Il barbiere di Siviglia”, and returned there the following season for this role. From 2018-2020 he was a member of the ensemble at the Theater Chemnitz, where he appeared on stage as Tamino (“Die Zauberflöte”), Froh (“Rheingold”) and Alfred (“Die Fledermaus”), among others. Other highlights of 2018 included concerts with Beethoven’s 9th Symphony with the Minnesota Orchestra in the USA and South Africa and the tenor part of Benjamin Britten’s “War Requiem” in Dresden, Leipzig, Johannesburg and Cape town with the Youth Orchestra of Saxonia. In 2017 he gave his debut as Tamino in Mozart’s “The Magic Flute” at the Oper Burg Gars (Austria).
From 2015-2018 Siyabonga Maqungo was in the ensemble of the Staatstheater Meiningen, where he performed as Alfred (“The Bat”), Electrica (Thomas Adès: “Powder her face”), Arturo (“Lucia di Lammermoor”), Italian singer (“Capriccio” and “Der Rosenkavalier”), Count Almaviva (“Il Barbiere di Siviglia”), Ferrando (“Cosi fan tutte”), David (“Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg), Brighella (“Ariadne auf Naxos”) and Walther von der Vogelweide (“Tannhäuser”).
Siyabonga’s large concert repertoire includes works by Johann Sebastian Bach, such as the St. John Passion (evangelist and tenor arias), the St. Matthew Passion (tenor arias), the Mass in G and numerous cantatas, Handel’s Messiah, numerous works by W.A. Mozart such as the Requiem or the Coronation Mass up to the Stabat Mater and the Petite messe solennelle by Rossini. The places of the performances included the Philharmonie in Cologne, the Brazil Sala in Sao Paulo, the China-Shanghai-Symphony-Concert Hall and the Musik- und Kongresshalle in Lübeck with conductors such as Rolf Beck, Phillippe Bach and Helmut Rilling.
Siyabonga earned his Bachelor’s degree at the University of North West (Potchefstroom Camous), South Africa in the class of Dr. Conroy Cupido. He is a three-time winner of the NWU Singing Competition (2009-2011) and two-time winner of the Best Pukke Art Student (2012-2013). He also played Acis in Handel’s opera “Acis und Galatea” directed by Professor Kobie van Rensburg. With the conductor Richard Cock and the Johannesburg Festival Orchestra, Siyabonga regularly gives concerts all over South Africa.
Through the Mozart International Festival in Johannesburg in cooperation with Apollo Music Trust and the Oppenheimer Memorial Trust, Siyabonga was awarded a scholarship in 2014 for two semesters to study at the Hochschule für Musik und Tanz Köln. In the following year he was offered a Master’s degree at the university, which he then completed with Professor Josef Protschka with distinction. During his studies he played Nemorino in Donizetti’s “L’elisir d’amore” and sang Bel Canto repertoire in a gala concert at the Gelsenkirchen Theatre.
In 2019 he presented himself for the first time at the Staatsoper Unter den Linden with the role of David in “Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg” under Daniel Barenboim. That same year he was nominated in the category “Young Singer” for the International Opera Awards, as well as in the Opernwelt survey as “best singer” for David in Berlin and Jaquino in Chemnitz, and as “Best Young Singer”. In 2018 he won the 2nd prize at the International Opera Competition of Portofino.
He made his successful debut at the Leipzig Opera in 2018 as Conte Almaviva in “Il barbiere di Siviglia”, and returned there the following season for this role. From 2018-2020 he was a member of the ensemble at the Theater Chemnitz, where he appeared on stage as Tamino (“Die Zauberflöte”), Froh (“Rheingold”) and Alfred (“Die Fledermaus”), among others. Other highlights of 2018 included concerts with Beethoven’s 9th Symphony with the Minnesota Orchestra in the USA and South Africa and the tenor part of Benjamin Britten’s “War Requiem” in Dresden, Leipzig, Johannesburg and Cape town with the Youth Orchestra of Saxonia. In 2017 he gave his debut as Tamino in Mozart’s “The Magic Flute” at the Oper Burg Gars (Austria).
From 2015-2018 Siyabonga Maqungo was in the ensemble of the Staatstheater Meiningen, where he performed as Alfred (“The Bat”), Electrica (Thomas Adès: “Powder her face”), Arturo (“Lucia di Lammermoor”), Italian singer (“Capriccio” and “Der Rosenkavalier”), Count Almaviva (“Il Barbiere di Siviglia”), Ferrando (“Cosi fan tutte”), David (“Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg), Brighella (“Ariadne auf Naxos”) and Walther von der Vogelweide (“Tannhäuser”).
Siyabonga’s large concert repertoire includes works by Johann Sebastian Bach, such as the St. John Passion (evangelist and tenor arias), the St. Matthew Passion (tenor arias), the Mass in G and numerous cantatas, Handel’s Messiah, numerous works by W.A. Mozart such as the Requiem or the Coronation Mass up to the Stabat Mater and the Petite messe solennelle by Rossini. The places of the performances included the Philharmonie in Cologne, the Brazil Sala in Sao Paulo, the China-Shanghai-Symphony-Concert Hall and the Musik- und Kongresshalle in Lübeck with conductors such as Rolf Beck, Phillippe Bach and Helmut Rilling.
Siyabonga earned his Bachelor’s degree at the University of North West (Potchefstroom Camous), South Africa in the class of Dr. Conroy Cupido. He is a three-time winner of the NWU Singing Competition (2009-2011) and two-time winner of the Best Pukke Art Student (2012-2013). He also played Acis in Handel’s opera “Acis und Galatea” directed by Professor Kobie van Rensburg. With the conductor Richard Cock and the Johannesburg Festival Orchestra, Siyabonga regularly gives concerts all over South Africa.
Through the Mozart International Festival in Johannesburg in cooperation with Apollo Music Trust and the Oppenheimer Memorial Trust, Siyabonga was awarded a scholarship in 2014 for two semesters to study at the Hochschule für Musik und Tanz Köln. In the following year he was offered a Master’s degree at the university, which he then completed with Professor Josef Protschka with distinction. During his studies he played Nemorino in Donizetti’s “L’elisir d’amore” and sang Bel Canto repertoire in a gala concert at the Gelsenkirchen Theatre.