“When Vuyani Mlinde is on stage, you don't take your eyes off him: the timbre of voice and vividness of performance demand attention”
Michael Church, The Independent, Dec 2008
Vuyani began his training with Wilhelm Theunissen at the Free State Musicon, South Africa. He won an eight month scholarship on the Opera Queensland Young Artists’ Programme, a full scholarship for 2004/2005 at the Royal College of Music, and a full scholarship for the Benjamin Britten International Opera School, RCM, from 2006. He was the 2007 recipient of the coveted Clonter Opera Prize, and finalist in the prestigious Neue Stimmen International Singing Competition in Germany and in was a member of the Jette Parker Young Artist Programme at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden from 2007 - 2009.
While on the Jette Parker programme he sang Zaretsky Eugene Onegin with Jiří Bělohlávek, Jake Wallace La Fanciulla del West under Antonio Pappano, Cappadocian Salome with Philippe Jordan, Tutor Elektra under Mark Elder, Count Ceprano Rigoletto with Daniel Orén, 4th Edler Lohengrin with Semyon Bychkov and Tom Un ballo un maschera with Maurizio Benini as well as Leporello Don Giovanni in the showcase under Rory McDonald.
Operatic roles for other companies have included Sparafucile Rigoletto, Bonze Madama Butterfly, Angelotti Tosca, Leporello and Commendatore Don Giovanni, Colline La Boheme, Palemon Thais, Prince Gremin Eugene Onegin, Seneca L’incoronazione di Poppea, Bartolo Le nozze di Figaro, Doctor Pelléas et Mélisande and Sarastro Die Zauberflöte.
His concert repertoire includes the Mozart Requiem, Bach St. Matthew Passion, Rossini Stabat Mater, Beethoven Symphony No.9, the Verdi Requiem and Haydn Creation which he has performed at venues including the Royal Festival Hall and Cadogan Hall in London.
Engagements in the 09-10 season include Doctor Macbeth with the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra at the Edinburgh International Festival, Haydn’s Creation with John-Eliot Gardiner at Carnegie Hall New York, the Concertgebouw, Amsterdam and Pisa Festival, Beethoven Symphony No.9 with the London Symphony Orchestra in London, Paris and Madrid, Creation with the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra and Andris Nelsons, Bach Magnificat at de Doelen, Rotterdam, with Concerto Copenhagen, Colline La Boheme and 2nd Nazarene Salome at the Royal Opera House, and Tchelio The Love for Three Oranges at Grange Park Opera.
Looking further ahead Vuyani also has invitations from Opera Oviedo, Cincinnnati Opera, Houston Grand Opera and the Residentie Orkest and will join the ensemble of Oper Frankfurt from the 10-11 season.
Vuyani Mlinde is represented worldwide by Intermusica.
December 2009 / 399 words. Not to be altered without permission. Please destroy all previous biographical material.
Jette Parker Young Artists Programme Summer Concert
Royal Opera House / cond. Rory Macdonald, Dominic Grier & Daniele Rustioni/ dir. Thomas Guthrie
“Vuyani Mlinde stood out as a quick-witted and fine-voiced Leporello.”
Kate Molleson, Opera, October 2009
“Vuyani Mlinde’s seemed more at ease with Leporello, in turns cowardly, amusing and teasingly flirty with Donna Elvira. He has a powerful stage presence, fine comic timing and possesses a powerful, rich bass-baritone voice.”
Andrew Maisel, Classical Source, July 2009
“Vuyani Mlinde as Leporello proved to be a hit with the audience. He carried the role with real humour and wit, and his resonant bass deftly rattled through the 'catalogue' aria to great effect.”
John-Pierre Joyce, Music OMH, July 2009
“Vuyani Mlinde‘s richly-sung Leporello.”
Simon Thomas, What’s On Stage, July 2009
“Vuyani Mlinde’s richly-sung, sharply delineated Leporello.”
Stephen Jay-Taylor, Opera Britannia, August 2009
Tom in Verdi’s Un ballo in maschera (revival)
Royal Opera House / cond. Maurizio Benini / dir. Mario Martone
“Of the smaller roles, Vuyani Mlinde's Tom really stood out for the polish and passion he brought to the character”
Musical Criticism, June 2009
Jake Wallace in Puccini’s La Fanciulla del West
Royal Opera House / cond. Antonio Pappano / dir. Piero Faggioni
“There was also much to enjoy in the supporting cast: Vuyani Mlinde was impressive in Jake Wallace's hymnic opener.”
Music OMH, September 2008
“Vuyani Mlinde...was arresting as Jake Wallace, the minstrel.”
Musical criticism.com, September 2008
La Roche in R. Strauss Capriccio
Royal Opera House Jette Parker Young Artists Programme Showcase
“Vuyani Mlinde made a sonorous, courtly La Roche”
Neil Fisher, The Times, July 2008
Seneca in Monteverdi L'incoronazione di Poppea
Royal College of Music
"Vuyani Mlinde has a gorgeous velvety bass and all the hangdog presence for Seneca"
Robert Thicknesse, Opera Now, February 2007
Commendatore in Mozart Don Giovanni
cond. Alexander Ingram / dir. John Lloyd Davies
Prince Gremin in Tchaikovsky Eugene Onegin
cond. Peter Robinson / dir. Will Kerley
British Youth Opera / South Bank Sinfonia / Peacock Theatre
"But the real vocal star of the evening is the mighty basso profundo of the South African Vuyani Mlinde as an awesome Commendatore. Mlinde's first name apparently means "rejoice"; and he had rather more to be happy about the following evening in Eugene Onegin , where he appeared as a twinkly-eyed Prince Gremin."
Hilary Finch, The Times, September 2006
Palemon in Massenet Thais
Grange Park Opera / cond. Martin André / dir. David Fielding
"Vuyani Mlinde displayed a fine bass voice"
Rodney Milnes, Opera, August 2006
"Vuyani Mlinde's gently spiritual Palemon"
George Hall, The Guardian, June 2006
"Among the smaller roles a stunning young South African bass called Vuyani Mlinde, playing a fellow monk, reveals a potentially exciting talent."
Richard Morrison, The Times, June 2006
"Vuyani Mlinde was a young bass worth noting."
Richard Fairman, The Financial Times, June 2006
"The audience, rightly, liked the monk Palémon (the impressive South African bass Vuyani Mlinde, making his British debut), who wisely denigrates his friend's proselytising zeal."
Roderic Dunnett, The Independent, June 2006
"Among the smaller parts, the South African Vuyani Mlinde revealed a bass of exceptional promise. "
Hugh Canning, The Times, June 2006
Bach St Matthew Passion
Worcester Cathedral / Elgar Chorale / cond. Barry Smith
"Vuyani Mlinde is a bass in a thousand - tough, virile and seemingly bottomless - yet with all the sensitivity to diction and phrasing which Bach demands."
BH. The Organ Magazine, March 2005
Colline in Puccini La Bohème
Black Tie Ensemble / Johannesburg Music Initiative Orchestra / dir. Neels Hansen / cond. Graham Scott
"Vuyani Mlinde was in fine voice and his excellent acting animated the character of Colline."
J Brooks Spector, Sunday Independent, June 2004