Alumni Awards Recipient - Siyabonga Maqungo

Alumni Awards

Siyabonga Maqungo: world-class tenor is true to his roots

As a student in Potchefstroom, it was clear that Siyabonga Maqungo’s singing talent was remarkable. Today, amplified and refined, that great talent is gracing the stages of Europe’s top opera houses and his roles as a tenor are becoming ever more thrilling and complex.

Think Count Almaviva in Rossini’s masterpiece “Il Barbiere di Siviglia”; think Prince Tamino in Mozart’s “Die Zauberflöte”; think Alfred in Strauss’s “Die Fledermaus”. Siyabonga’s performances in roles such as these have been met with acclaim.

Currently, Siyabonga is a member of the ensemble of the Staatsoper Unter den Linden in Berlin. He has also performed at Chemnitz, Wuppertal and Leipzig in Germany and at the Austrian festival “Oper Burg Gars”, and appeared at symphony concerts in Brazil, China and the United States of America.

And yet he has never forgotten his roots. He regularly returns to South Africa to perform and to visit his home town of Katlehong, inspiring other young musicians to pursue their dreams.

His success comes as no surprise to those who knew him as a student at the NWU’s School of Music, where he obtained his BA in Music and Society. Siyabonga won the NWU Singing Competition for three consecutive years, 2009 to 2011. He was also named Best Pukke Arts Student in both 2012 and 2013.

Bravo, Siyabonga!

 

Siyabonga Maqungo: wêreldklastenoor bly getrou aan sy herkoms

Toe Siyabonga Maqungo nog ’n student in Potchefstroom was, was dit reeds duidelik dat sy sangtalent iets besonders is. Vandag, met daardie talent versterk en verfyn, sien ’n mens hom op die verhoë van Europa se voorste operahuise, en sy rolle as tenoor is besig om al hoe opwindender en ingewikkelder te raak.

Dink maar net aan graaf Almaviva in Rossini se meesterstuk “Il Barbiere di Siviglia”; en aan prins Tamino in Mozart se “Die Zauberflöte”; en Alfred in Strauss se “Die Fledermaus”. Siyabonga se optredes in rolle soos hierdie het al toejuiging van gehore sowel as beoordelaars ontvang.

Siyabonga is tans ’n lid van die ensemble van die Staatsoper Unter den Linden in Berlyn. Hy het ook by Chemnitz, Wuppertal en Leipzig in Duitsland opgetree, asook by die Oostenrykse fees Oper Burg Gars, en in simfoniekonserte in Brasilië, China en Verenigde State.

En tog het hy nog nooit vergeet waar hy vandaan kom nie. Hy keer gereeld na Suid-Afrika terug om sy tuisdorp, Katlehong, te besoek en om ander jong musici te inspireer om hulle drome na te jaag.

Sy sukses is geen verrassing vir diegene wat hom as ’n student aan die NWU se Skool vir Musiek geken het, waar hy sy BA in Musiek en Samelewing verwerf het nie. Siyabonga het drie agtereenvolgende jaar – van 2009 tot 2011 – die NWU Sangkompetisie gewen. Hy is ook in 2012 en 2013 as die Beste Pukke Kunsstudent benoem.

Bravo, Siyabonga!

 

Siyabonga Maqungo: seopedi sa maemo a a kwa godimo sa thenara ga se lebale kwa se tswang gone

Jaaka moithuti kwa Potchefstroom, go ne go bonala sentle gore talente ya go opela ya ga Siyabonga Maqungo e ne e gakgamatsa tota. Gompieno jaana, talente e kgolo eo e e godisitsweng le go tokafadiwa, e utlwala kwa diraleng tsa matlo a kwa Yuropa a a tumileng ka mmino wa opera e bile thenara ya gagwe e e seng motlhofo go opelwa ke ba bangwe e kgatlha go ya pele.

Akanya ka Count Almaviva mo pineng e e monate ya ga Rossini e e reng “Il Barbiere di Siviglia”; akanya ka Prince Tamino mo “Die Zauberflöte” ya ga Mozart; akanya ka Alfred mo “Die Fledermaus” ya ga Strauss. Go opela dipina tseno ga ga Siyabonga go ne ga babatswa fela thata.

Ga jaanong jaana, Siyabonaga ke leloko la setlhotswana sa mmino sa Staatsoper Unter den Linden kwa Berlin. Gape o tsere karolo kwa Chmenitz, Wuppertal le kwa Leipzig kwa Jeremane le kwa moletlong wa kwa Austria wa “Oper Burg Gars”, mme o ne a tlhaga mo dikonsarateng tsa mmino kwa Brazil, kwa China le kwa United States of America.

Mme ga a ise a ke lebale kwa a tswang gone. O boela Aforikaborwa gangwe le gape go tla go diragatsa le go etela legae la gagwe kwa Katlehong, a rotloetsa baopedi ba babotlana go gagamalela ditoro tsa bone.

Go atlega ga gagwe ga go gakgamatse ba ba neng ba mo itse e le moithuti kwa Sekolong sa Mmino sa YBB, kwa a neng a iponela gerata gone ya BA le ya Mmino le mo Setšhabeng. Siyabonga o ne a fenya Kgaisano ya Mmino wa YBB dingwaga di le tharo ka go tlhomagana, 2009 go fitlha ka 2011. Gape o ne a bidiwa Moithuti yo o ba Gaisitseng Botlhe wa Diatshe ka 2012 le ka 2013.

Bravo, Siyabonga!