Chineke! Orchestra / Cape Town Opera Vocal Ensemble

George Gershwin wanted Porgy and Bess to be performed exclusively by black singers. This makes it an ideal project for the first-class Cape Town Opera Vocal Ensemble from South Africa and the Chineke! Orchestra.
Founded by double bassist Chi-chi Nwanoku, the Chineke! Orchestra sees itself as a catalyst for change, working to achieve existing diversity goals within the classical music industry.

Program

The Gershwins®’
Porgy and Bess® (1935)
Opera in three acts
by George Gershwin, Erwin DuBose Heyward, Dorothy Heyward, and Ira Gershwin

• Concert performance
  

Cast

• Siyabulela Ntlale – bass-baritone (Porgy)
  
• Nonhlanhla Yende – soprano (Bess)
  
• Lukhanyo Moyake – tenor (Sportin' Life)
  
• Conroy Scott – baritone (Crown)
  
• Brittany Smith – soprano (Clara, his wife)
  
• Siphamandla Moyake – soprano (Serena, his wife)
  
• Lungelwa Mdekazi – mezzo-soprano (Maria, his wife)
  
• and others
  

• Cape Town Opera Vocal Ensemble
  
• Antoinette Huyssen – rehearsal
  
• Chineke! Orchestra
  
• Kwamé Ryan – conductor
  

Approximately 2 hours 40 minutes, including intermission
Introductory event: 7:10 p.m., South Foyer

• An event of the Berliner Festspiele / Musikfest Berlin