South African tenor Thando Mjandana is a Link Artist on the Jette Parker Young Artists Programme at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, and a student on the Opera Course at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London.
In recent seasons he has performed the roles of Odoardo Ariodante at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, Nelson and Crab Man Porgy and Bess at Dutch National Opera, and Nelson Porgy and Bess at English National Opera. At the Guildhall School of Music and Drama he has sung Beppe in Donizetti’s Rita. Upcoming roles include Renzo in Jonathan Dove’s The Little Green Swallow at GSMD and Nemorino L’elisir d’amore for Waterperry Opera Festival.
At Cape Town Opera he has performed Tamino The Magic Flute, Botshelo in Sibusiso Njeza’s Blood of Mine and Chief in Angelique Mouysis’s The Blue-Eyed Xhosa and covered the roles of Pedrillo Die Entführung aus dem Serail, Count Libenskof Il viaggio a Reims, Remendado Carmen and Don Basilio Le nozze di Figaro. His repertoire also includes Count Almaviva Il barbiere di Siviglia, Tom Rakewell The Rake’s Progress, Des Grieux Manon and Don Ottavio Don Giovanni.
Concert appearances include the Johannesburg Philharmonic and KwaZulu Natal Philharmonic Orchestra.
Thando is a graduate of the University Cape Town Opera School, where he studied with Patrick Tikolo and Juan Burgess. At GSMD, he studies with Adrian Thompson and will be performing in the Guildhall’s 2021 Gold Medal final in May. He has been awarded 1st and 3rd Prizes at the Amawzwi Omzansi International Opera Competition.
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Ariodante (Odoardo)
Royal Opera House, November 2020
My ear was also caught by a South African tenor Thando Mjandana in the tiny role of a biddable courtier: what a beautiful voice he has.
Rupert Christiansen, The Telegraph ****
Thando Mjandana sang with great beauty in the minor role of Odoardo
Mark Valencia, Bachtrack *****
South African tenor Thando Mjandana makes a notable contribution in the tiny role of the King’s favourite, Odoardo
George Hall, The Stage ****
The rest of the cast are equally fine […] Thando Mjandana does much with the little Handel gives him as Finley’s sidekick Odoardo
Tim Ashley, The Guardian ****
Thando Mjandana’s brief interventions as the King’s confidant, Odoardo, revealed a keen, youthful lyric tenor
Hugh Canning, The Times
Thando Mjandana sang promisingly in his brief appearances as Odoardo.
Jim Pritchard, Seen and Heard International
As Odoardo, Thando Mjandana […] acquitted himself well, and I look forward to hearing more of him
Robert Hugill, Planet Hugill ****
“South African tenor, Thando Mjandana (natty in braces) impressed as Odoardo, a servant, a small role which he made count
Kate Calder, Edinburgh Music Review
Thando Mjandana completed the superb cast in the minor role of Odoardo
Claire Seymour, Opera Today
Rita (Beppe)
Guildhall School of Music and Drama, November 2020
As Beppe Thando Mjandana’s tenor voice was projected with ease and had a natural bel canto charm
Jim Pritchard, Seen and Heard International
Il barbiere di Siviglia (Almaviva, Act II trio)
Jette Parker Young Artists Programme Summer Performance, Royal Opera House, July 2019
Thando Mjandana […] has a splendid voice which he uses well
Agnes Kory, Seen and Heard International
Thando Mjandana brought slick comic timing to Almaviva
Louise Flind, Opera Now
