BLAISE MALABA, bass

Born in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), he has studied at the MA in Advance Opera Course of the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama (RWCMD) with Donald Maxwell and Michael Pollock. His studies at the RWCMD have been supported by The Leverhulme Trust scholarship, The Waterloo Foundation, The Rajeswari Scholarship, The Alan Rogers Scholarship and Dame Kiri Te Kanawa Foundation.

He started his vocal training with the Ukrainian baritone Orest Sydyr, in 2012, then in 2014, he has continued his training with Professor Bogdan Bazylykut at Ivan Franco National University of Lviv (Ukraine).

His repertoire includes Sarastro (Magic flute), Don Magnifico (La Cenerentola), Don Basilio (Il Barbiere di Siviglia), Sparafucile and Monterone (Rigoletto), Luka (The Bear), Gremin (Eugene Onegin), The Death (The Kaiser von Atlantis) and Simone (Gianni Schicchi with WNO orchestra, under the baton of Carlo Rizzi).

He has worked with conductors and directors including Carlo Rizzi, Gareth Jones, Wyn Davies, David Jones, Martin Constantine and William Kentridge, in this new piece The Head and the Load. Additionally, he has taken part in master classes with John Fisher, Dame Kiri Te Kanawa and Grace Bumbry.

In 2015, he was a finalist in the BBC Cardiff Singer of World competition (UK) and he won the first prize in the Impreza International Vocal Competition (Ukraine).

His future plan includes covering Frazier in the production of Porgy and Bess with the English National Opera.