Noluvuyiso Mpofu was born in Port Elizabeth, South Africa and developed an interest in opera in high school. She participated as a chorus member at the University of Cape Town’s Opera School productions since 2009.

Her perseverance and dedication saw her chosen as a principal in the later years. Her opera roles on stage include Despina in Così fan tutte; Rosina in Il Barbiere di Siviglia; Madame Cortese in Il Virago a Reims, The Lady with a Hand Mirror in Postcard from Morocco and Violetta in Verdi’s La Traviata. Oratorio appearances as a soloist include Beethoven Symphony No. 9 with UCT Symphony Orchestra (2012) and Haydn’s Nelson Mass and Mendelssohn’s Lobgesang (2013) with the Cape Town Philharmonic Orchestra.

She got to share the stage with famous opera star Bryn Terfel, singing a duet from L’elisir d’amore (CTO 2014). She has also participated in singing competitions nationwide and obtained 2nd Prize in Amazwi Omzantsi Finals in Durban (2014), 3rd Prize in ATKV Muziqanto Finals (2013) and 1st prize in the Schock Foundation Singer’s Competition at UCT (2014).

In 2015 she was announced as the overall winner of the ATKV-Muziqanto National Singing Competition.

She participated in two international competitions, the Hans Gabor Belvedere Singing Competition in which she was a finalist and Plácido Domingo’s Operalia where she was awarded the Third Prize.

Noluvuyiso is currently doing her second year Post Graduate Diploma in Opera at the South African College of Music, UCT. She is under the tutelage and mentorship of Mr. Patrick Tikolo and Prof. Kamal Khan and was also awarded a place in the Cape Town Opera’s Studio Programme of 2015.

In November 2015 she sang the role of Mary Queen of Scotts in a semi-staged production of Donizetti’s opera, Maria Stuarda, presented by Cape Town Opera in association with the UCT Opera School.

Published 10 November 2015