Born in the small town of Piet Retief, South African soprano Pretty Yende has risen to the top of the classical music world with unparalleled speed. She discovered opera late in life after seeing an advert on TV that included the “Flower Duet.” Captivated, she demanded to be taught how to sing like it and her teacher responded by saying “but Pretty, you haven’t got a voice.”
Ms. Yende has always known two central truths – that nothing is impossible and that people’s assumptions aren’t gospel. In opposition to her teacher’s comments, she became the first student in her school to score over 90% in her singing exams, establishing a theme of success against the odds, one that has followed her in her short but impressive career.
Since making her professional operatic debut at the Latvian National Theatre in Riga as Micaela in Carmen, she has now graced the stage of nearly all of the major theaters of the world. In 2010, she became the first artist in the history of the Belvedere competition to win top prize in every category and, in the following year, she won first in the Operalia Competition.
Now one of classical music’s brightest stars, this season will see her return to her signature role of Violette in Verdi’s La Traviata and take on the role of Norina in Donizetti’s Don Pasquale. As well as making her debut as Olympia, Antonia, Giulietta and Stella in Offenback’s Les Contes d’Hoffmann, she will continue her international recitals, shows for which the tickets sell out quicker and quicker every year.
A recipient of the prestigious South African “Order of Ikhamanga in Silver,” for her international acclaim in opera and as a role model to aspiring young musicians, as well as the Italian Knighthood, Ordine Stella d’Italia, for her work in bridging different nations, Yende is a force to be reckoned with at a young age. She is a boundary-breaking artist who is only just getting started.
Qwest TV is proud to partner with Pretty, a musician whose tastes range far beyond opera to jazz, R&B, gospel, soul and much more. With aspirations of one day collaborating with the likes of Beyoncé, Jennifer Hudson and Celine Dion, Ms. Yende has the kind of crossover appeal that could open opera up to a whole new audience. Her playlist reflects this openness and curiosity.
Rowan Standish Hayes
