South African tenor Thando Mjandana was a member of the Jette Parker Young Artists Programme Anniversary Company at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden. At the ROH, he has appeared as Odoardo Ariodante, Messenger Theodora, Philistine Samson et Dalila, Noble of Brabant Lohengrin and Gastone La traviata.
In 2022/23 he created the role of Caliban in the world premiere of Georg Friedrich Haas' Sycorax for Theater Bern, appeared as Policeman and Congregant in Blue at Dutch National Opera, and sang the role of Tamino The Magic Flute for Welsh National Opera. He finishes season as Nemorino L'elisir d'amore for Longborough Festival Opera and with role debuts as Acis Acis and Galatea (Waterperry Opera Festival) and Jupiter Semele (Blackheath Halls).
His repertoire also includes Don Ottavio Don Giovanni, Pedrillo Die Entführung aus dem Serail, Count Libenskof Il viaggio a Reims, Count Almaviva Il barbiere di Siviglia, Tom Rakewell The Rake’s Progress, and Des Grieux Manon.
Thando is the Winner of the Samuel Coleridge-Taylor Award at the 2022 Voice of Black Opera Competition. He trained at the University of Cape Town Opera School and the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London, and made debuts at the ROH, English National Opera, Dutch National Opera and Cape Town Opera while still a student.
This biography is for information only and should not be reproduced.
Jonathan Dove's 'Odyssey' World Premiere
Bristol Beacon, January 2024
As the young man urged by his desperate mother (Francesca Chiejina) to flee the marauding forces destroying their homes, tenor Thando Mjandana embodied the plight of all such individuals with a quiet nobility. His voice carried well against the full power of the combined choirs . . .
Rian Evans, The Guardian
Sung with nuance and conviction
Rebecca Franks, The Times
Our narrator (just named “Him”) was Thando Mjandana, whose appealing tenor gave us earnestness, tenderness, strength of character.
David Karlin, Bachtrack
Songs at Day, Songs at Night
Birmingham Contemporary Music Group, October 2023
The tenor Thando Mjandana did a great job at delivering [Cradle Song] with power and control. As he did Harrison Birtwistle's elliptical miniature for acoustic guitar, flute and voice Today Too.
Rebecca Franks, The Times
Semele (Jupiter)
Blackheath Halls, September 2023
Chiejina is balanced by Thando Mjandana’s powerfully focused, heroically voiced Jupiter. Dramatically as well as vocally, he’s a tenor of real heft.
David Benedict, The Stage
Acis & Galatea (Acis), Dido & Aeneas (Sailor)
Waterperry Opera Festival, August 2023
It comes as an exciting shock when Acis turns furious and Mjandana unleashes serious vocal power as he fights for Galatea.
David Benedict, The Stage
Thando Mjandana’s rich tenor suits the amiable Acis, slow to anger and whose brief outburst is his downfall...
Robin Burfield, Opera Scene
L'elisir d'amore (Nemorino)
Longborough Festival Opera, June 2023
“Thando Mjandana as Nemorino won the audience’s heart long before Adina’s. If, like all four principals, he sometimes oversang in Longborough’s compact auditorium with its immediate acoustic, in ‘Una furtiva lagrima’ he evoked an aptly plaintive poetry.”
Yehuda Shapiro, Opera Magazine
Making his Longborough debut, Thando Mjandana, with his highly pleasing tenor, possesses both the innocence to make us feel for Nemorino and the sharpness to make his interactions with the other characters entertaining.
Sam Smith, musicOMH
I also like very much the Nemorino of Thando Mjandana, from South Africa, a more muscular tenor than often in this role, but perfectly capable of tender shades in “Una furtiva lagrima”, and a clever actor between the forlorn and the cocky that alternate in this interesting character.
Stephen Walsh, The Arts Desk
The Magic Flute (Tamino)
Welsh National Opera, April 2023
"The voice of Thando Mjandana as Tamino stood out"
Richard Evans, Theatre North Reviews
"Thando Mjandana was convincing as Tamino , with a strong clear voice that distinguished himself both in his solo work and when cutting through ensembles."
Robert Gainer, bachtrack
"As Tamino, South African tenor Thando Mjandana has a beautiful heroic voice. He has recently played Nemorino and Don Basilio but he clearly has a non-comic tenor persona inside him too."
Adrian Mourby, Opera Now Magazine
Theodora (Messenger)
Royal Opera House, January 2022
Thando Mjandana makes a positive impression in the small role of Marcus.
George Hall, The Stage
With the excellent chorus, and the young tenor Thando Mjandana as a very fine messenger, the performance came together beautifully.
Mark Ronan, The Article
The tiny role of Marcus, limited to recitative but involved in certain key moments of the drama, finds in Thando Mjandana [with] a vocal energy giving bel cantist colours to his tenor.
Mark Everist, Olyrix
La traviata (Gastone de Letorières)
Royal Opera House, October 2021
Each member of the supporting cast was excellent, with a particularly noteworthy Gastone from Thando Mjandana – an Alfredo waiting in the wings if ever we heard one.
Keith McDonnell, Music OMH ****
L'elisir d'amore (Nemorino)
Waterperry Opera Festival, August 2021
Thando Mjandana was a sympathetic Nemorino, vulnerable and guileless but blest with a sweet tenor voice (‘Una furtiva lagrima’ was wholly entrancing)
Mark Valencia, Opera Magazine
Vocally there was not a weak link in the cast, headed by a Nemorino of exceptional promise from Thando Mjandana with his – all-too-rare these days – true, clear and musical Italianate lyric tenor. His highlight just had to be his nuanced heartfelt romanza ‘I saw a tear fall silently’ (‘Una furtiva lagrima’).
Jim Pritchard, Seen and Heard International
South African tenor Thando Mjandana made an appealing Nemorino, ensuring that the character's lack of confidence simply came from his menial position.
There is still the problem accepting the character's dimness at believing in Dulcamara, but perhaps more problematic is the underlying cruelty of the plot (in fact both Donizetti's popular comedies have a strong element of cruelty to them). It was Mjandana's finely judged performance which took the edge of this, and his winning way with Donizetti's beautiful lines.
Robert Hugill, Planet Hugill
Thando Mjandana (Nemorino) has the kind of sublime tenor voice that I could happily have listened to all night, as the audience chuckles at his comic antics and facial expressions while tugging at the heartstrings as he despairs of ever winning Adina’s love. Instinctively, you find yourself rooting for this hapless underdog in the battle of the two lovers.
Nicola Lisle, Ox in a Box
[Thando Mjandana's] voice has an outstanding lyric tenor ring to it, and I can easily imagine him singing many a Mozart role. His warmth and enthusiasm for singing and being on the stage was a joy to see. Mjandana’s una furtiva lagrima – that audition warhorse for many a lyric tenor – was sung delicately, honestly and with just the right amount of nectar.
Diary of a Londoness
Beginnings: New and Early Opera
Guildhall School of Music and Drama, June 2021
…Mjandana – tickled by his mistress’s feathers – soared to the aphrodisiacal heights… (The Apothecary)
Mjandana was a fine storyteller as Historicus, drawing us into Solomon’s dilemma… (Judicum Salomonis)
Claire Seymour, Opera Magazine
...tenor Thando Mjandana a fine Historicus... (Judicum Salomonis)
Mihaela Bodlovic, Opera Now
These photos are available to be downloaded.
Right click on a desired image and select the "Save Link As" option.
