South African mezzo-soprano Siphokazi Molteno is quickly establishing herself as one of the most important voices of her generation. In the 2025-26 season, engagements include a return to the Metropolitan Opera as La Bersi in Andrea Chénier alongside Piotr Beczała and Sonya Yoncheva, under the baton of Daniele Rustioni. The production will be broadcast “Live in HD” to cinemas worldwide. Molteno sees her house debut with Lyric Opera of Kansas City the title role of La cenerentola, and returns to the role of Rosina in Il barbiere di Siviglia with Calgary Opera
On the concert stage, she makes her debut with the LA Philharmonic under Gustavo Dudamel and performs a solo recital under the auspices of Wigmore Hall with her frequent recital partner, pianist Kamal Khan.
In the 24-25 season, Siphokazi Molteno made her Carnegie Hall debut in collaboration with the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra’s Chamber Ensemble, performing Ravel’s Chansons Madécasses and Brahms’ Two Songs for Voice, Viola and Piano, Op. 91, as part of the Voices from South Africa series. She made an acclaimed debut with the Dallas Symphony Orchestra under the baton of Fabio Luisi as soloist in the Stabat Mater of American composer Julia Perry; saw her first performances with the Dallas Opera as Flora in La traviata; and will star alongside Michael Spyres and the Tonkünstler-Orchestra in the “Summer Night Gala” at the Grafenegg Festival in Austria. The concert will be broadcast on European television.
As an ensemble member of Teatro Regio di Torino in the 2024-25, Molteno debuted as Cherubino in Le nozze di Figaro, followed by performances of Rosina in Il barbiere di Siviglia, Maddalena and Giovanna in Rigoletto, Yelena Ivanovna Popova in William Walton’s rarely-performed The Bear, and La volpe in Pierangelo Valtinoni’s operatic setting of Antoine de Saint-Exupéry’s beloved Il piccolo principe, which last season premiered at Teatro alla Scala.
A recent alumna of the Metropolitan Opera’s Lindemann Young Artist Development Program, Siphokazi Molteno made her mainstage Met debut as Flora in La traviata, followed by Soeur Mathilde in Dialogues des Carmélites. During her tenure as a member of the Young Artist Program at Cape Town Opera, Siphokazi performed roles including Romeo in I Capuleti e i Montecchi, Dorabella in Così fan tutte, and Third Lady in The Magic Flute. She was twice the recipient of the Fleur Du Cap Theatre Award for “Best Performance in an Opera” (Female Division) for her performances as Dorabella (2022) and Romeo (2020). Additionally, she was a world finalist in the Operalia Competition and the BBC’s Cardiff Singer of the World Competition Molteno was honored with the Rising Star Award in the 2020 Glyndebourne Opera Cup, and received both the Ana María Martínez Encouragement Award and the Audience Choice Award at Houston Grand Opera’s Eleanor McCollum Competition in 2017.
