Zanne Stapelberg

Zanne Stapelberg is a young soprano whose unique talents have brought her critical acclaim, widespread media attention, and a devoted following. The combination of a pure, creamy voice, with an infectious personality and powerful acting abilities, have made her South Africa’s best-loved young diva. Her appearances on the operatic stage throughout South Africa have made her a favourite with opera enthusiasts, while her performances in other contexts (such as the hit dance show Queen at the Ballet, and at Cape Town Fashion Week in 2006) have brought her art to a far wider audience. Now, Zanne’s talents are showcased in a unique performance vehicle called ZANNE, in which highlights of the operatic and lighter soprano repertoire are presented in a new and innovative way.

Traditional classical recitals can be intimidating for the unitiated. ZANNE presents outstanding performances of soprano arias and songs in a format which is appealing and accessible to a wider audience than a conventional recital. The show is constructed with a cabaret-like structure, with witty linking narrations from Zanne contextualising the music, and leading old and new opera admirers through the choices of music. Repertoire ranges from the familiar, including Carmen, Madama Butterfly and Romeo et Juliette, to exciting discoveries which will be new to most audience members, such as Astor Piazolla’s tango-opera Maria de Buenos Aires. The show also features spine-tingling reworkings of Cole Porter and Gershwin standards. The sumptous monochrome production features a whimsically elegant set, lush costumes and a selection of props to evoke the glamour of the full operatic experience.

Zanne is accompanied by Stefan Lombard at the piano. The production is directed by young Fleur du Cap-winning director Matthew Wild, with production design by Fleur du Cap-nominee Angela Nemov.

ZANNE STAPELBERG - BIOGRAPHY
Zanne Stapelberg is one of South Africa’s best loved opera divas, and one of the art form’s brightest young stars in this country. The numerous full operatic roles which Zanne has undertaken successfully in recent years include Angelica in Suor Angelica, Nella in Gianni Schicchi, Mimi in La Bohéme, Ilia in Mozart’s Idomeneo, Pamina in Mozart’s Die Zauberflöte, the title role in Handel’s Alcina, Marguerite in Gounod’s Faust, Rosalinde in Strauss’ Die Fledermaus, as well as various roles in Bravo! A Night at the Opera at the Durban Playhouse. Zanne’s operatic performances have been met with sensational critical acclaim and established her as one of South Africa’s most exhilarating voices. Concert appearances include performances of Handel’s Messiah, Vivaldi’s Gloria, Haydn’s Die Schöpfung, Mozart’s Dixit Dominus, Mass in c minor and Requiem, Brahms’ Ein Deutsches Requiem, Dvorak’s Requiem, Carla in William Kentridge’s European tour of his performance art piece, Confessions of Zeno, composed by Kevin Volans, as well as the starring role in the highly successful Aqua Opera at the V&A Waterfront in 2003 and 2004. In 2004 she appeared in Cape Town City Ballet’s electrifying sold out season of Queen at the Ballet and, due to popular demand, again in 2005, and in January 2006 she starred in Stravinsky’s Pulcinella in Marthinus Basson’s staging at Spier. She has recently completed a run of highly acclaimed performances in La Bohéme at Artscape in Cape Town.
At the behest of acclaimed South African composer Hendrik Hofmeyr, she sang the solo in the South African premiere of his award winning work, Byzantium for Soprano & Orchestra, as well as the highly dramatic The Death of Cleopatra. Zanne has also performed a multitude of his song-cycles. One of them, Die Stil Avontuur, comprising settings of the doyenne of South African poetry, Elizabeth Eybers, was composed for Zanne’s voice. They are currently in the process of recording.

STEFAN LOMBARD - BIOGRAPHY
Stefan Lombard was 16 years old when he made his solo debut as pianist with the CAPAB orchestra. He went on to study music at UCT under Lamar Crowson and Laura Searle and subsequently studied abroad at the Royal Northern College of Music, Manchester, England.

He has worked with many of South Africa’s top classical and contemporary performers, and performed with the Cape Town Symphony Orchestra, CAPAB orchestra and more recently Cape Philharmonic Orchestra on several occasions , both as soloist and orchestral musician. His solo performances included concertos by Rachmaninov, Beethoven, Khatchaturian and the Poulenc Concerto for Two Pianos. He has worked as an accompanist at the University of Stellenbosch and has coached for Cape Town Opera.

His classical background, combined with his interest in more contemporary musical styles has presented him with opportunities to work or record in a wide variety of musical styles. His theatrical credits include musical direction for Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Carousel, Divine Divas, Grease (3 productions including the 2002 Johannesburg Stadium Production), The Rocky Horror Show and New Rocky Horror Show, I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change and the VITA award-winning production of HONK! The Ugly Duckling. Highlights in his career include a performance in the Royal Festival Hall in London with the Divine Divas, and being the musical director and conductor for Cats in South Africa, Lebanon, Malaysia, China, South Korea, Taiwan, Scandinavia and Qatar. More recently he was Assistant Musical Director and alternate conductor for the South African production of Phantom of the Opera. In 2005 was assistant musical director/conductor and first orchestral piano for the South African production of Chicago. Television credits include arranging the theme song for “Liriekeraai” and writing the music for the documentary Scorched Earth which has had screenings on South African TV and abroad. He has recently returned from New Zealand where he was assisting on recordings made by the Wellington Orchestra.

MATTHEW WILD – BIOGRAPHY
Matthew Wild first came to fame as the writer and director of the cult youth drama, More, in 2000, while completing his studies for a Bachelor of Arts degree in English and Drama and a Performers Diploma in Speech and Drama. In 2001 he was awarded the Fleur du Cap Award for Most Promising Student. After graduating, he worked as Assistant Director for Cape Town Opera for two years. As an actor he has appeared on stage frequently throughout South Africa, in productions including The Bacchae, King Lear, Cry the Beloved Country, Jocasta Rising and Much Ado about Nothing at Maynardville. In 2004 he directed New Day for Artscape, a large-scale celebration of ten years of democracy in drama, song and dance written by, amongst others, Fiona Coyne, Antjie Krog, Fatima Dike, Nadia Davids and Greig Coetzee, which has since been performed at Parliament, the Grahamstown Schools Festival 2004, and for a special gala performance for Deputy President Phumzile Mlambo-Nguka and Minister Pallo Jordan in the Artscape Opera House. His production of the late Brett Goldin’s one-man play Bad Apple enjoyed cult success in Cape Town and Johannesburg, and in 2005, he directed Brent Palmer’s crime drama Witnesses for Artscape, which won him the Fleur du Cap Rosalie van der Gucht Prize for Best New Director. To date in 2006, Wild has written and directed a new play about backpackers called Transitory (featuring City Varsity final year acting students) which premiered to sold out houses at the Grahamstown National Arts Festivals, and directed Nhlanhla Mavundla’s critically acclaimed one-hander A Man and a Dog for Langa-based theatre company Siyasanga, which has been seen in Grahamstown, the Artscape Arena and festivals in Cape Town, Durban and Johannesburg. He is currently directing Crooked by John van der Ruit for Artscape.