The Eastern Cape has proved rich territory in this year's Standard Bank Young Artist Awards.
The Eastern Cape has proved rich territory in this year's Standard Bank Young Artist Awards.
Atri-Patra Ruga (featured in last week's Grocott's Mail), this year's winner for performance art, is from Mthatha, and Musa Ngqungwana, the chosen young artist in the music category is from Port Elizabeth.
A bass baritone, Ngqungwana was brought up in Port Elizabeth's Zwide township by his mother and grandmother.
As a child he loved everything from rugby to reading, but he discovered a passion for performance at a young age, taking part in small theatre productions in the township. He joined the school choir, which then drew him towards singing.
He says he always wanted to improve his circumstances and work towards a better life than the one he knew as a child.
“From a very young age I was driven by my focus not to be a statistic and to achieve whatever was possible," Ngqungwana said.
"This hard journey has always propelled me to always rise above any challenges, knowing very well that I have crossed harder bridges."
His first introduction to opera was as a teenager when he saw a 1978 video performance of Die Zauberflote with Sir Willard White as Die Sprecher.
He says, “I was sold by the notion of a black man doing a major role. The art form was a novelty to me and I was fascinated by the German language, the costumes, the singing and scenery.”
After school Ngqungwana studied building science at the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University for one year, until he realised that his true passion was for music – dashing his grandmother's hopes of his becoming a doctor or engineer.
He was encouraged to apply for – and was awarded – a scholarship to the SA College of Music at UCT.
He graduated with a Performer's Diploma in Opera and a Bachelor of Music Honours Degree in Performance (magna cum laude).
From there, he won a scholarship to study at the prestigious Academy of Vocal Arts in Philadelphia, graduating in May 2014 with an Artist Diploma.
Since he's been singing he's won a variety of awards and competitions starting with the Schock Foundation Prize for Singing, an annual vocal competition held by UCT.
He then went on to win the International Turandot Competition organised by the International Institute for Opera and Poetry.
Two of his fellow UCT students were also winners.
"For us isiZulu and isiXhosa speakers, to sing in a foreign language, in front of its people, and excel was phenomenal," he said at the time.
In 2013, he was chosen from 1 500 aspiring singers from across the US as the Grand Finals Winner of the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions.
In 2014, Ngqungwana was a nominee for the Marian Anderson Award at the Kennedy Center in Washington DC.
He made his debut with the Washington National Opera as Colline in La Boheme, and has appeared as Zuniga in Carmen with the Norwegian National Opera.
Ngqungwana is currently based abroad, performing in The United States and Europe.
This will be his first appearance at his home country's National Arts Festival. He says he is very proud to be coming to the Festival and receiving the Standard Bank Award.
“I always longed to be part of the Festival, but not once did I ever think I would be one of the people who would receive this prestigious award. Therefore this is very humbling for me," he said.
“It is a recognition from home soil that folks are watching us and wishing for us to rise to ever great spheres of achievement. I thank you, Standard Bank, from the bottom of my heart.”
He will be giving two solo performances (Rhodes Chapel 4 and 5 July) and singing at the gala concert with the KZN Orchestra (Sunday 5 July).
He will also talk about his recent memoir, Odyssey of an African Opera Singer, at Think!Fest (Monday 6 July) where he will reflect on his extraordinary journey and the how his art has, indeed, given him the better life he hoped for as a child.
"Singing was my salvation and something that could keep me intact without having to think about the troubles that surrounded us."
* For full details on Musa Ngqungwana's Festival performances, consult the programme or go to www.nationalartsfestival.co.za.
Bookings can be made via the website: www.nationalartsfestival.co.za or with the call centre on 0860 002 00.
Pick up a programme from Standard Bank, Makana Tourism or Van Schaik's Bookshop.
