Pretty Yende

Pretty Yende, born in the small town of Piet Retief in South Africa, has risen to international acclaim as one of today’s leading sopranos. At the age of sixteen, she discovered opera by chance when she heard the famous “Flower Duet” in a television commercial, a moment that profoundly changed the course of her life. She went on to study at the South African College of Music at the University of Cape Town, graduating cum laude, and later continued her training at Milan’s Accademia Teatro alla Scala. Since her professional debut as Micaëla in Carmen at the Latvian National Theatre in Riga, Pretty Yende has appeared on the world’s most prestigious stages, including the Metropolitan Opera in New York, the Royal Opera House Covent Garden in London, La Scala in Milan, the Opéra National de Paris, the Vienna State Opera, the Deutsche Oper Berlin, the Bayerische Staatsoper in Munich, the Opernhaus Zürich and the Gran Teatre del Liceu in Barcelona. Renowned for the radiance of her voice and her captivating artistry, she has released celebrated solo albums such as A Journey and Dreams with Sony Classical, both of which received international critical praise. Her artistry has been recognized with numerous honors, including South Africa’s Silver Order of Ikhamanga for her outstanding achievements in opera, as well as distinctions from Italy and France, where she was named to the Order of the Star of Italy and the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres. She is also a prizewinner of the world’s leading competitions, among them Operalia and the Hans Gabor Belvedere Competition. In recent years, Pretty Yende has taken part in historic events, including performing at the coronation of King Charles III and Queen Camilla in Westminster Abbey in 2023, and appearing at the reopening concert of Notre-Dame in Paris in 2024. With her remarkable story, luminous voice and passionate artistry, she continues to enchant audiences across the globe.