WHEN someone opens up to you and shares the music (or movie or book or TV series) they enjoy, you should make the effort to at least give it some attention. It’s a love language and an insight into their world and mind to be treated with respect.
When Graham Bourne, longstanding member of Cape Town Opera’s Vocal Ensemble, is not working and fully devoted to opera — as he is now in the upcoming production of Carmen at Artscape, full details below — he doesn’t only listen to opera. In his off-time he listens to trip hop and electro, artists like Massive Attack, Portishead, Björk, Miss Kitten, and Beach House. “I’m obsessed with Beach House,” he says, and prescribed me homework to listen to it, singling out several tracks, and urging me to look at the lyrics first. I may or may not have cheated a bit on that last part, but it’s playing now as I write, and very beautiful.
We will pick this up again after Carmen. For now, Graham is all about the opera. He doesn’t see friends, and barely has a drink; he lives and breathes the work. “I just sleep and learn my music,” he says. “It’s quite crazy how completely I commit to it to the point nothing else exists.”
Graham has an extraordinary voice, a real true bass. He has pushed his range into bass baritone, and basso profundo, the lowest and rarest of all.
“It’s difficult to be agile with the voice but I’ve concentrated hard on that over the years,” he says. “It’s the only thing in my life I know I’m that good at.” He says this without a trace of vanity. “People who aren’t quite sure about what I mean should come along and listen for themselves. That is easier said than done, however; I have family who have never seen me perform. Some of my best friends neither because they just don’t like theatre and I respect that.”
Before he sang in the opera but after top tier church choirs, Graham played the cello, initially self-taught, practising up to six hours a day. When Cheryl de Havilland began teaching him, she got him up to the grade required to officially study the instrument. “Never in my wildest dreams did I think I’d go to university,” he says.
And then he saw a performance of The Magic Flute at Spier and knew he could sing deeper and louder. “I knew opera music, loved it, I grew up with oratorio,” he says. Add to that his mother sang in choirs until she was nine months pregnant so he really was born to do this.
When Graham auditioned for UCT he didn’t know he was supposed to sing an aria; he sang a recitative from Messiah. “They stopped me half way and I thought they hated it but they said do you realise the real bass voice is very rare — you are changing your course from cello to opera right now.”
CTO presented Graham with bursaries for three years, part of which meant he had to sing as an ad hoc member of its vocal ensemble.
On the day Graham did his last practical exam at UCT in 2005, he and friend went to Camps Bay beach. Just before that they had seen a sign at the College Of Music about auditions for Jesus Christ Superstar at Theatre On The Bay. It was a case of oh well, we’re right here, let’s do it. “Aviva Pelham always taught us go to audition, put your name out there. And it was on my birthday too,” he says.
He was cast as Caiaphas, and can still feel the excitement of the news of that day. It’s very fresh because right now he is just as excited to have been selected by Cape Town Opera as an understudy (Zuniga in Carmen).
“You dream of that and it’s happening and it’s the same excitement,” he says. “It’s a huge step up, and a huge show of trust.”
Between then and now, Graham followed Jesus Christ with more musical theatre including Chess and Evita, travelled extensively all over the world, and multiple CTO productions. “Never in a million years did I expect this. I think my mom is still flabbergasted,” he laughs.
Graham is one of the longest standing ad hoc members of the vocal ensemble (to be clear, it used to be called the chorus), and it is the core of the opera which holds the whole thing together. “The soloists are phenomenal and the chorus is the weight behind them, providing the gravitas of what is happening. There are these big moments with the soloists and then the chorus fills the gaps between, and tells the story.
“Soloists are key points, and to make it more realistic the chorus brings that life and continuity and it’s hella impressive. On the stage, with the orchestra, you get the full weight of it, especially when it’s CTO where there is a balance of different types of voices.”
This production of Carmen marks the first time Graham is working with director Steven Stead and he is loving it. “His process has brought something out in me. He works so quickly and when he talks to you, he looks at you, he sees you.”
Opera is intense; on top of the singing and acting and emoting, there are the languages. (Carmen is sung, and spoken, in French.) “You have to know what every word means because you are acting and the minute you don’t it will show. The director can see,” says Graham. “I don’t only do my part but I learn it all, for reactions. You have to understand what the soloists are singing and saying. There is so much to react to.”
Having been in the ensemble for as long as he has, Graham gives everything he has to the opera and hopes his passion and dedication inspires the young blood coming into the genre. The stage is the only place he feels truly this confident, he says.
“You’re going to love Carmen!” Graham assures me in conclusion. “It’s gorgeous and emotional.”
PRESS RELEASE
From 19 to 31 May 2026, Cape Town Opera returns to the grandeur of the classic repertoire with a dazzling new production of Georges Bizet’s beloved opera Carmen. One of the most popular and electrifying works in the operatic canon, Carmen promises an unforgettable theatrical experience as Cape Town Opera (CTO) brings together a stellar cast, brilliant orchestration and vivid staging to Artscape that re-imagines Bizet’s timeless tale of passion, freedom and fate.
Directed by acclaimed theatre-maker Steven Stead (The Rocky Horror Show, Twelfth Night, My Fair Lady, The Sound of Music), this new production set in 1931/32 transports audiences to sun-drenched Seville where desire, jealousy and destiny collide with tragic inevitability. From the opening bustle of the cigarette factory to the exhilarating spectacle of the bullring, Bizet’s music pulses with Spanish colour and dramatic intensity. Aficionados and those new to opera will recognise many of opera’s most iconic melodies, from the seductive Habanera to the swaggering Toreador Song, in a score that has captivated listeners for more than a century, brought vividly to life by CTO’s Vocal Ensemble, the CTO Children’s Chorus, and the Cape Town Philharmonic Orchestra (CPO) conducted by Maestro Tim Murray.
The title role will be sung by the magnetic CTO house soloist Nonhlanhla Yende, whose rich mezzo-soprano voice and commanding stage presence make her a natural fit for Bizet’s fiercely independent heroine. Opposite her is tenor Lukhanyo Moyake as the ill-fated soldier Don José, whose obsessive love for Carmen drives the opera’s tragic arc. International star and guest artist Vuvu Mpofu brings lyrical warmth to the soprano role of the devoted Micaëla, while baritone Conroy Scott is the charismatic bullfighter Escamillo (above).
A distinguished creative team shapes the visual and physical world of the production. Set designer Greg King will conjure a striking vision of Seville while Maritha Visagie’s costumes evoke the sensuality of 20th century Spain. Choreography by Naoline Quinzin (The Rocky Horror Show, Spring Awakening) will be brought to life by a dynamic ensemble of professional dancers, seamlessly weaving movement into the storytelling and capturing the fiery spirit at the heart of Bizet’s masterpiece.
Since its premiere in 1875, Carmen has remained one of the most frequently performed operas in the world, admired for its vivid characters, irresistible melodies and unflinching portrayal of human desire. Cape Town Opera’s new staging embraces the opera’s emotional intensity while offering a fresh theatrical vision that resonates with contemporary audiences.
“We are also so thrilled to be opening Carmen on 19 May when Artscape celebrates its 55th anniversary, a tremendous milestone!” says CTO’s artistic director Magdalene Minnaar. “With an exceptional cast, bold creative direction and the thrilling power of live orchestral performance, Carmen at the Artscape Opera House promises to be one of the highlights on Cape Town’s cultural calendar this year.”
With only six performances (19, 21, 27 and 29 May at 7pm and matinees on 23 and 31 May at 2pm) in this much anticipated season, advance booking is highly recommended. Tickets are available only through Webtickets, and the Artscape website and box office on 021 421 7695. Discounts apply to students and pensioners upon presentation of a valid ID, and to group bookings of eight or more.
