+++
date = "2016-11-14T06:46:00-05:00"
discipline = "Bass-baritone"
lastmod = "2017-10-06T21:27:00-04:00"
primary_image = "https://res.cloudinary.com/schmopera/image/upload/v1546110277/media/2018/12/SimonShibambupcChrisGloag.jpg"
primary_image_credit = "Chris Gloag"
publishDate = "2016-11-14T06:47:00-05:00"
related_companies = ["scene/companies/royal-opera-house.md", "scene/companies/salzburg-festival.md"]
slug = "simon-shibambu"
title = "Simon Shibambu"
website = "http://www.simonshibambu.com/"
[[social_media]]
platform = "Facebook"
template = "social-media"
url = "https://www.facebook.com/SSShibambu/"
[[social_media]]
platform = "Twitter"
template = "social-media"
url = "https://twitter.com/SimonShibambu"

+++
Rising bass Simon Shibambu recently graduated from the Royal College of Music,
and in 2017 enters his second season as a member of the Jette Parker Young Artists
Programme at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden. Born in Johannesburg, South
Africa, Shibambu studied vocal arts at Tshwane University of Technology and vocal
performance at the RCM with Graeme Broadbent, as an Association Board of the
Royal Schools of Music scholar supported by the Oppenheimer Memorial Trust and
Minerva Trust. In competition, he won first prize in the Amazwi Omzansi Africa Opera
Singing Competition, first prize and audience prize at the Clonter Opera Competition,
and an International Opera Awards Bursary.

The 2017/18 season brings a host of new roles for Shibambu at the Royal Opera
house. He can be seen as Second Armed Man *Die Zauberflote*, Le Sire de Bethune
*Les Vespres Siciliennes*, Ghost of Nino *Semiramide* under Antonio Pappano, Ceprano
*Rigoletto*, Angelotti *Tosca*, Doctor *Macbeth*, Sentry *Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk*, and
Fourth Brabantian Noble in David Alden’s new production of *Lohengrin*.

In August 2016, Shibambu participated in the prestigious Young Singers Project at the
Salzburg Festival, where he was featured as Naval Captain in Puccini *Manon Lescaut*
alongside Anna Netrebko and conducted by Marco Armiliato, and as Palémon in
Massenet *Thaïs*, sharing the stage with Plácido Domingo. As a young artist with the
Royal Opera House in the 2016/17 season, Shibambu was cast as Quinault in David
McVicar’s production of Cilea *Adriana Lecouvreur*, Flemish Deputy in Verdi *Don Carlo*,
and Montano in Verdi *Otello* under the baton of Antonio Pappano. He also sang
Toante in the Jette Parker production of Handel *Oreste* at Wilton's Music Hall. A 2015
recipient of the Opera Awards Bursary, he has appeared in recital for the Opera
Awards Foundation.

Previous highlights include King of Scotland in Handel *Ariodante* for the London
Handel Festival at the Barbican, under the musical direction of Laurence Cummings,
where Shibambu was praised by the Guardian for his “huge, resonant tone”. At the
RCM, he performed Sarastro and Speaker of the Temple in Mozart *Die Zauberflöte*,
Leporello in Mozart *Don Giovanni* and Méphistophélès in Gounod *Faust*. Concert
performances include Mozart *Requiem*, Rossini *Petite Messe solennelle*, Puccini
*Messa di Gloria*, Gounod *Messe solennelle de Sainte Cécile* and Verdi *Requiem*.

While studying at RCM, Shibambu was chosen to sing for the First Lady of China
during her visit to London, as well as for HRH the Prince of Wales during a visit to the
College. In March 2016, he was also selected to perform for Her Majesty the Queen
during the Commonwealth Day service at Westminster Abbey, which was broadcast
on the BBC.