Congolese bass Blaise Malaba trained at the Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama, where he is now an Honorary Associate. In 2019, he was an Opera Holland Park Young Artist, and from 2020 to 2022, he was a member of the prestigious Jette Parker Artists Programme at the Royal Ballet & Opera House, Covent Garden.
Recognised for his resonant bass voice and commanding stage presence, Blaise Malaba’s operatic repertoire spans a wide range of roles. These include Publio (La clemenza di Tito), Sarastro and Sprecher (Die Zauberflöte), Alidoro (La Cenerentola), Don Basilio (Il barbiere di Siviglia), Sparafucile and Monterone (Rigoletto), Samuel (Un ballo in maschera), Banco (Macbeth), the King (Aida), King Philip II (Don Carlo), Ferrando (Il trovatore), Fotis (The Greek Passion), Il Re (Ariodante), Somnus (Semele), Aleko (title role), Prince Gremin (Eugene Onegin), Colline (La bohème), Vodník (Rusalka), and Raimondo (Lucia di Lammermoor).
He has performed with esteemed companies including Lviv National Opera, Opera Holland Park,The New Generation Festival, West Green House Opera, Opéra de Baugé, Opéra Orchestre National de Montpellier, Opéra National du Capitole de Toulouse, Teatro Colón, Canadian Opera Company,and the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden.
Named a Rising Star in the October 2020 edition of BBC Music Magazine, Blaise Malaba's repertoire also encompasses concert works, including Verdi’s Requiem, Mozart’s Requiem, Handel’s Messiah, Rossini’s Stabat Mater and Petite Messe Solennelle.
Upcoming engagements include his role debut as Raimondo in a new production of Lucia di Lammermoor for Opera Holland Park. In the 2025/26 season, Blaise will return to the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden to sing Béthune in a new production of Les Vêpres Siciliennes, Monterone in Rigoletto, and Gualtiero in a new staging of I Puritani. He also makes his company debut at Opéra national de Lorraine as Colline in La Bohème, and at Opera North as Hobson in Peter Grimes.
Recent highlights include his critically acclaimed debut as Zuniga in Damiano Michieletto’s new production of Carmen, Ferrando in Adele Thomas’ Il trovatore—both for the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden—his company debut at Opéra National du Capitole de Toulouse as the High Priest in Stefano Poda’s production of Nabucco, and his debut as Colline in La Bohème with the Canadian Opera Company
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Lucia di Lammermoor (Raimondo)
Opera Holland Park, July 2025
Among the supporting roles, Blaise Malaba is a genially resonant Raimondo...
Clive Paget, The Guardian
Blaise Malaba's full-bodied bass drew shivers whenever his (mostly) virtuous character, Chaplain Bidebent, invoked the Lord to the hell-bound Lammermoors.
Mark Valenica, Bachtrack
Blaise Malaba’s smooth, substantial bass as the Ashton family’s chaplain Raimondo.
George Hall, The Stage
Blaise Malaba projected a fine solidity and sense of purpose.
Robert Hugill, Planet Hugill
Carmen (Zuniga)
Royal Opera House, April 2025
Blaise Malaba is an imposing Zuniga – an Escamillo of the future, perhaps.
David Karlin, Bachtrack
Congolese bass Blaise Malaba brings physical heft and a warmth of tone to the role of the Captain Zuniga.
Fiona Maclean, London Unattached
La bohème (Colline)
Canadian Opera Company, October 2023
Blaise Malaba’s Colline maintains a philosophical quietude that blossoms in his final-act eulogy to his overcoat.
Michelle Assay, Bachtrack
Of the smaller roles, the Congolese bass Blaise Malaba was remarkable as the philosopher Colline. He was persuasive in “Vecchia zimarra”, a farewell ode to his long‑worn winter coat that he sold in order to buy Mimì’s medicine. His deeply resonant bass was as appealing as his Italian diction.
Ossama el Naggar, Concertonet
Congolese bass Blaise Malaba made an auspicious COC debut as Colline.
Joseph So, Ludwig van Toronto
Rounding out the male quartet of Bohemians, Congolese bass Blaise Malaba made his company debut as the philosopher Colline, singing farewell to his great coat to raise funds for Mimì’s medicine with grace.
Wayne Gooding, Opera Canada
Turandot (Mandarin)
Royal Opera House, March 2023
...Blaise Malaba was the authoritatively voiced Mandarin.
Jim Pritchard, Seen and Heard International
Blaise Malaba's Mandarin harangues the crowd with a sharp and authoritative voice in his two speeches.
Jeanne Auffret, Olyrix
The Magic Flute (Speaker of the temple)
Opera Orchestre National de Montepellier, January 2023
Blaise Malaba's Speaker is characterized by his natural stage presence and good projection and articulation. His dramatic range and his high harmonics allow him to compete with Tamino in duets without being eclipsed.
Olyrix
..In contrast, the power and vocal authority of bass Blaise Malaba (the Speaker) is widely convincing...
Premiere loge
Samson & Dalila (Abimélech)
Royal Opera House, May 2022
Blaise Malaba added yet another vivid character, this time Abimelec, to his growing list of expectionally well-sung comprimario roles for the company
Keith McDonnell, MusicOMH
Blaise Malaba was a robust Abimelech with a wonderful gilded bald head
Robert Hugill, Planet Hugill
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