Kelebogile Besong

Soprano from South Africa, 28 years old

Born in Pretoria and studied singing at Tshwane College.

In 2013 named Africa’s Most Influential Woman in Business & Government (Arts).

Awards include first prize South African Opera Student in the SA International Opera Competition in 2006 and the 2012 Standard Bank Young Artist Award. In 2013, named Africa’s Most Influential Woman in Business & Government (Arts).

Roles performed with Opera Africa include Musetta La bohème, Micaëla Carmen and Susanna Le nozze di Figaro. Appeared at the Innsbrucker Festwochen der Alten Musik in 2013 in the roles of Venus in Venus and Adonis and the Sorceress Dido and Aeneas. Other recent highlights are debut as Violetta La traviata at the Opéra national de Montpellier, role debut as Contessa Le nozze di Figaro at Tampere Opera and a solo recital at the Operadagen Rotterdam.

In the season 2014/2015 made my debut in the title role Aida at Malmö Opera and sang Musetta at Grange Park Opera. Touring Holland singing Contessa Le nozze di Figaro with the Orchestra of the Eighteenth Century and will appear at the Bregenz Festival as Fiordiligi Così fan tutte in a young artists production.