North-West University (NWU) music student and upcoming star, soprano Khayakazi Madlala, wowed the audience with a fierce, no-holds-barred performance at the recent prestigious Duet Gala Concert.

The music extravaganza, an annual fundraising event, was presented by the Cape Town Opera (CTO) and the Cape Town Philharmonic Orchestra (CPO).

Under the tutelage of NWU Prof Conroy Cupido, an associate professor of singing and opera, the second-year BA music and society student was chosen to perform at the concert following rigorous auditions earlier this year. She was sponsored by NWU Arts to audition for the event, and Prof Cupido helped her to prepare with vocal technique training.  

Khayakazi performed the well-known song "Song to the Moon" from Dvorak's opera, Rusalka. This was her first-ever Cape Town performance and she received thunderous applause.

Though she has performed on other stages worldwide, including in Sweden and Germany, she says this performance was nerve-wracking.

"The stage was big and intimidating, but through the guidance of Prof Cupido, who prepared me for the whole journey, I could hold everything together. He also helped me with musical interpretation and singing in various styles associated with classical music and opera," says Khayakazi.

She adds that she also had to learn lyric diction in Italian, French and German, and sometimes even Czech.

 Prof Cupido says he is proud of her achievements. "As voice teachers, working one-on-one with our students, we invest in their singing careers and in them as individuals. So, when I see a kind-hearted, hard-working student like Khaya flourish, I feel extremely happy for her," he says.

Khayakazi's journey started at a young age in Matatiele in the Eastern Cape, where she grew up in a musical family who sang in choirs. She says though she was not so keen on pursuing music, her family convinced her to be a chorister.

"Everyone in the family loved music, and everyone was in a choir; so, there was no option but to join. At first I did not being a choir member, but as time went by, I fell in love with it," she shares.

She says people encouraged her to study music after matric, but she did not qualify for the course. After improving her results, she was accepted at NWU, but she could not afford it, so her dream was delayed.

 After her mother passed away, she was able to qualify for a National Student Financial Aid Scheme bursary, which enabled her to continue with her studies.

On 17 June, Khayakazi and another NWU student Yolisa Ngwexana will perform at Erin Hall in Rondebosch, Cape Town,  accompanied by Jana Mathee on piano. The concert entitled "Delicious Divas" will be produced by Prof Cupido and is sponsored by NWU Arts. Tickets are available on Quicket 

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NWU music student and upcoming star, soprano Khayakazi Madlala.

Dr Conroy Cupido is Khayakazi’s tutor.