Pretty Yende has the esteemed honor of performing at the coronation of King Charles III at Westminster Abbey on May 6. Ms. Yende will sing Sacred Fire, a new piece written by British composer Sarah Class for the occasion.
Ms. Yende is the first African to sing solo at a British coronation. Having grown up in a small town in eastern South Africa, 8,000 miles from where she will sing at the coronation, Ms. Yende said to The Guardian:
“Generations from now they will read about the British monarchs … and they’ll see the name of a girl from the tip of Africa written in there.”
Photo: Dario Acosta
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This spring, Pretty Yende returns to the Wiener Staatsoper for performances of Manon as well as a thoughtfully curated recital of art song. Ms. Yende has recently appeared with the company in leading roles that include Marie in La Fille du Régiment, Elvira in I Puritani, and Violetta in La Traviata.
On April 30, May 4, 7, 10, and 13, Yende stars as Jules Massenet’s Manon under the baton of Bertrand de Billy. Performing alongside Ms. Yende in Andrei Serban’s film-noir-inspired production includes Charles Castronovo as Chevalier des Grieux, Dan Paul Dumitrescu as Count des Grieux, Michael Arivony as Lescaut, Thomas Ebenstein as Guillot de Morfontaine, Martin Häßler as Brétigny, Miriam Kutrowatz as Poussette, Stephanie Houtzeel as Javotte, and Daria Sushkova as Rosette.
On May 3, Ms. Yende will collaborate with pianist Vanessa Garcia Diepa for an intimate recital featuring celebrated song repertoire by Gaetano Donizetti, Franz Lizst, and Claude Debussy.
On April 6, Pretty Yende will join pianist Michele D’Elia for a recital at Teatro di San Carlo featuring repertoire by Mozart, Debussy, Donizetti, and more.
See below for the full program details:
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
“Exsultate, jubilate”, motet, K. 165
On March 28, Pretty Yende will join L’Orchestre de chambre de Genève in celebrated arias by Mozart and Handel. Taking place at the Bâtiment des Forces Motrices in Geneva, this special performance will also feature Serbian violinist Gordan Nikolić, the former concertmaster of the London Symphony Orchestra.
See below for the full program:
JOSEPH HAYDN Symphonie concertante pour hautbois, basson, violon et violoncelle en si bémol majeur HOB. I :105 Solistes: Gilles Vanssons (hautbois), Catherine Pépin-Westphal (basson), Girolamo Bottiglieri (violon), Pascal Michel (violoncelle)
WOLFGANG AMADEUS MOZART Exsultate jubilate KV 165
IGOR STRAVINSKI Pulcinella Suite
GEORG FRIEDRICH HAENDEL Atalanta, Care selve HWV 35
Samson, Let The Bright Seraphim HWV 57
WOLFGANG AMADEUS MOZART Le Nozze di Figaro, Dove sono i bei momenti
This March, Pretty Yende makes her highly anticipated debut as Gilda in Giuseppe Verdi’s Rigoletto at Hamburg State Opera. Alongside Yende, the production boasts an impressive cast, including George Gagnidze as Rigoletto, Matthew Polenzani as Duke of Mantua, Tigran Martirossian as Sparafucile, Marta Świderska as Maddalena, and Blake Denson as Monterone. Under the baton of conductor Stefano Ranzani, Andreas Homoki’s colorful production, which premiered in Hamburg in 1994, promises to be a visual and auditory feast for the senses.
Pretty Yende reunites with Nadine Sierra to perform an incredible program of arias and duets on tour in Switzerland, Prague, and Paris. The duo first joined together for a concert at the Vienna Konzerthaus on March 3, 2022, accompanied by the Slovak Philharmonic under the baton of Pablo Mielgo. The great success of that event has brought together these exceptional stars for three more concerts this spring.
For their first concert on February 25, they are joined by a group of exceptionally talented musicians as part of the Lauenen Chamber Concerts series in Switzerland. For more information about the concert, check out their program notes here. On March 1, they will perform at Smetana Hall in Prague, accompanied by the fantastic Prague Philharmonia under the baton of Giacomo Sagripanti. Their final performance will take place at the Philharmonie de Paris on March 6, joined by Les Frivolités Parisiennes, led by Maestro Sagripanti.
Check out this excerpt of Bellini’s Norma duet “Mira o Norma…Si, fino all’ore estreme” from their first duo concert at the Wiener Konzerthaus:
Photo: Dario Acosta
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Pretty Yende is set to reprise the role of Micaëla in Georges Bizet’s classic opera, Carmen, at Staatsoper Berlin this February. Ms. Yende first made her professional debut in the same role at Latvian National Theatre in 2010.
Alongside an impressive cast, including Gaëlle Arquez as Carmen, Stanislas de Barbeyrac as Don José, and Lucio Gallo as Escamillo, Ms. Yende will be performing in Martin de Kusej’s innovative production of this searing thriller. With Bertrand de Billy conducting the opera, audiences can expect an unforgettable musical experience.
