Xolane

Xolane is an artist from South Africa.

In his studies and international stage competitions, Xolane was awarded Diploma for Senior Vocal in Opera at the Knysna / Plett Eisteddfod competition and awarded Gold Certificate in 2009. In 2007, he had his first recording experience that was funded by the UK Lottery, with Joint Effort at Peace of Eden Recording Studio and toured England, performing in theatres and concerts halls around Doncaster, London and Brighton. In March of 2016, he was selected, as part of Top 30 singers around the world, to partake in the Debora Voigt Inaugural International Vocal Competition, Florida, USA. In 2011 he started his opera studies (training as lyric tenor under voice trainer Mr. Patrick Tikolo) at the University of Cape Town (College of Music), where he obtained his Performers Diploma in Opera in 2016 and his postgraduate Diploma in Music Performance in 2018. Xolane’s profession as an opera singer started in chorus parts in 2012 in the opera Les Contes d’Hoffmann. In 2013 he was a member of the “Viva Verdi Celebration” at the Baxter Theatre, and chorus member in the opera “Il Barbiere di Siviglia” at the ArtsCape Theatre. In 2014 he was a chorus member in the opera “Il Viaggio a Reims, by Rossini, Der Fliegender Holländer an opera by Wagner and began his first solo role in the opera “The Dialogues of the Carmelite” as the Commissioner. He featured the Cape Town Opera in collaboration with the South African College of Music (UCT) in 2015, as Guiseppe in the opera “La Traviata” by Verdi and appeared as Don Curzio in the SACM Opera Kaleidoscope "Le Nozze di Figaro", as Monostatos in the opera Die Zauberflöte by Mozart at the Cape Town Opera House.

As a stage director, he was an Assistant Director in the University of Cape Town “Le Nozze di Figaro” and the “Four:30” South African Operas (Blood of Mine and Bessie – The BlueEyed Xhosa. 2017 he directed the UCT Opera Kaleidoscope “Servants of Love”, which included Mozart’s La Clemenza di Tito extracts and full-scale intermezzo of Pergolesi’s La Serva Padrona. He completed his Opera Directing internship at the Nationaltheater Mannheim, Germany. He directed ‘Il Matrimonio Segreto’ for the UCT Opera school in early May 2018, and revived September 2019 at Baxter Theatre. In July 2018 was Assistant director to Ms. Claudia Blersch from Zürich Opernhaus, in Cape Town Opera House and UCT ́s Don Pasquale production and was awarded the Directors bursary by the International Opera Awards in London. December of 2018, Xolane joined the Opernhaus Zürich as trainee director in their production of Handel’s Semele, starring Cecilia Bartoli. In March 2019, he directed Mozart’s Cosi fan Tutte for the Darling Opera Company. June 2019, he co-directed Mozart’s Le Nozze di Figaro for the Berlin Opera Academy. In November 2020, will direct Puccini’s Gianni Schicchi for SA Operatunity at the ArtsCape Theatre.