Los Angeles Times: Nokuthula Ngwenyama is among '2011 Faces to Watch: Music'

[Violist: Nokuthula Ngwenyama (Darla Furlani) (Los Angeles Times)]

The violist Nokuthula Ngwenyama (b. 1976) is profiled at AfriClassical.com and has a website of her own at http://www.ngwenyama.com/. Today she makes the Los Angeles Times list of “2011 Faces to Watch: Music.”

Los Angeles Times

2011 Faces to Watch: Music

Mark Swed

“Nokuthula Ngwenyama has been a face to watch for a while: She brought her opulent tone to the viola solos in Berlioz's 'Harold in Italy' with the Los Angeles Philharmonic back in 2004. But maybe this Californian (of Zimbabwean and Japanese heritage), who also holds an advanced degree in theology from Harvard, has other priorities besides rushing her career. Her versatility in various kinds of music -- be it Bach, jazz or 'Che: A Musical Biography' for viola and guitar by Spanish composer Miguel Corella -- adds to the difficulty in finding a pigeonhole for her.

“No matter, Ngwenyama has lately begun to attract the right kind of attention. She's already an attraction in Japan. Last year she released an outstanding recording of viola sonatas by neglected 19th century Russian composer Anton Rubinstein. On Jan. 23, she joins the Claremont Trio in Dvorak's Piano Quartet in E-flat, Opus 87.”

Los Angeles Times: 'bass-baritone Cedric Berry (King Balthazar) performed solidly'

["Amahl and the Night Visitors" (Luis Sinco, Los Angeles Times / December 16, 2010). Robin Buck, left, Cedric Berry, Casa Grant and Stephanie Hullar perform in Intimate Opera of Pasadena's production of "Amahl and the Night Visitors" at the Pasadena Playhouse on Thursday.]

On Dec. 18, 2010 AfriClassical posted: “Bass-Baritone Cedric Berry is King Balthazar in Intimate Opera Company production of 'Amahl & The Night Visitors.'” John Malveaux of http://www.MusicUNTOLD.com sends this news to AfriClassical:

"Opera review: 'Amal and the Night Visitors' at the Pasadena Playhouse [Updated]

Los Angeles Times Blogs
December 17, 2010 | 2:00 pm
Richard S. Ginnell

“...'Amahl' made a near-ideal relaunching pad Thursday night for Intimate Opera of Pasadena (formerly known just as Intimate Opera), an outfit that has parked itself as the resident opera company in the Pasadena Playhouse as of this fall. The company aspires to be a regional force, and it is getting good help from the pros. Singer-turned-stage-director Stephanie Vlahos has become Intimate Opera’s artistic director.”

“Vlahos rounded up some fellow travelers from L.A. Opera’s ranks for the evening cast (the matinees feature a young second cast), starting with mezzo-soprano Suzanna Guzmán’s multifaceted portrayal of Amahl’s mom (as the composer himself once said about Guzmán, she does look and act like a young widow 'who is starving'). Tenor Greg Fedderly broadly played the hard-of-hearing King Kaspar for laughs; baritone Robin Buck (King Melchior) and bass-baritone Cedric Berry (King Balthazar) performed solidly; and the excellent boy soprano Caleb Glickman was a delightful Amahl.”