South African baritone Luthando Qave (b. 1986) is one of the most talented and sought-after singers of his generation, currently based in Scandinavia. In the fall of 2023, he will perform the role of Mamoud in John Adams’ opera The Death of Klinghoffer at Norrlandsoperan, and he has a number of upcoming engagements that are yet to be announced. Not only does Luthando Qave possess a great stage presence, but he also boasts brilliant technique and vocal expertise that have earned him a stellar reputation in the opera world.
In December 2022, Luthando made two last-minute jump-in appearances as Marcello at the Royal Opera in Stockholm. In September 2021, he returned to the Danish Royal Opera to perform the roles of Valentin in Gounod’s Faust and Schaunard in La bohème, and also made his debut performance of Mahler’s Das Lied von der Erde. In 2022, Qave performed as Marcello in Glyndebourne Opera Festival’s critically acclaimed production of La bohéme – an opera that he has performed close to 100 times in numerous venues around the world, including at the International Vocal Arts Institute in Tel Aviv, Israel.
In September 2021, he returned to the Danish Royal Opera to sing Valentin in Gounod’s Faust and Schaunard in the following production of La bohème. In Copenhagen Luthando Qave sang the role of the barber Figaro in Rossini’s Il barbiere di Siviglia. In 2021, he made his debut performance of Mahler’s Das Lied von der Erde and during the season of 2022, Qave performed at Glyndebourne Opera Festival and the following tour of a critically acclaimed production of La bohéme, an opera that Qave has performed close to 100 times now in numerous houses all over the world, including at the International Vocal Arts Institute in Tel-Aviv Israel. During the Spring of 2023, Luthando is engaged as Marcello in Puccini’s La Bohème during 2022-23 in Göteborg.
Qave’s impressive list of achievements and productions includes engagements as Conte in Mozart’s Le nozze di Figaro, Fermer in Janáček’s Jenůfa at the Stockholm Royal Opera, Barbiere and Silvio in Pagliacci at the opera in Göteborg. He has performed as Herald in Verdi’s Otello, Fiorello in Rossini’s Il barbiere di Siviglia, a Flemish Deputy in Verdi’s Don Carlo, and Silvio in Pagliacci at the Finnish National Opera.
Qave has also performed in Henry Purcell’s The Indian Queen at the Bolshoi Theatre and at the ENO (English National Opera) as the Mandarin in Puccini’s Turandot at the Dalhalla Opera Festival, Dan Cairo in Bizet’s Carmen, Guglielmo in Mozart’s Così fan tutte, and Leporello in Mozart’s Don Giovanni, again at the Royal Opera in Stockholm. He has also sung the role of Guglielmo with the Drottningholm Court Theatre in Sweden. The Peter Sellars production of The Indian Queen in which Qave appeared was also presented in Perm, Russia and at Teatro Real in Madrid.
Luthando Qave is a graduate of The Lindemann Young Artist Development Program at the Metropolitan Opera in New York, having previously studied at the University College of Opera in Stockholm. He was a semi-finalist in the 2009 Neue Stimmen International Singing Competition and a finalist in the 2010 Hans Gabor Belvedere Competition.
Qave was a member of Cape Town Opera where he played Marco in Puccini’s Gianni Schicchi and Melchior in Amahl and the Night Visitors. In 2006, he made his European debut on tour with Cape Town Opera in Sweden as Jake in Porgy and Bess.
In 2011/2012, Qave made his Met debut singing Yamadori in Puccini’s Madama Butterfly and sang Guglielmo in the Met and Juilliard School’s joint production of Così fan tutte.
In New York, Luthando Qave has worked with renowned artists including James Levine, Fabio Luisi, Placido Domingo, Renata Scotto, Sir Thomas Allen, Ramon Vargas and Gerald Finley.
