Magdalene Minnaar is a stage director and opera singer, and the Artistic Director of Cape Town Opera since 2021. Her creative work spans mainstage, site-specific and interdisciplinary performance, and is grounded in clear storytelling, strong musical-dramatic integrity, and a deep respect for the traditions of the operatic canon while remaining responsive to contemporary audiences and contexts. She has a particular affinity for comedic and buffo repertoire, and her directing approach often incorporates strong elements of physical theatre, with an emphasis on integrating vocal and dramatic performance in an organic and impactful way.

 

As a director and producer, she has spearheaded productions across a wide range of repertoire, from standard works to new and reimagined musical and theatrical projects. She moves regularly across genres, including opera, musical and experimental theatre. Her practice is informed by close collaboration with musical directors, designers and performers, and by a strong sense of dramaturgy, performer-led storytelling and practical rehearsal methodologies. She engages passionately in the development of new operatic work, frequently supporting projects from early conception through to performance, and is known for taking a facilitative, guiding role in this process, first as an independent producer and now at Cape Town Opera. At the company she is responsible for the artistic vision and programming, the commission and development of new work, and the nurturing of South African talent, new and established, while positioning the company visibly within the international operatic landscape.

 

Alongside her directing and leadership work, Minnaar has had a lauded career as a coloratura soprano and continues to appear in opera, oratorio, and concert repertoire in South Africa and abroad. Her vast experience as a singer and actress strongly informs her approach to directing, particularly in her understanding of technique, rehearsal psychology, and the physical and artistic demands placed on performers.

 

Minnaar is known for her ability to balance artistic ambition with organisational clarity, and for creating rehearsal environments that are rigorous, collaborative, and performer-centred. Her creative work reflects a long-term commitment to opera as a living art form, capable of honouring tradition while engaging thoughtfully with the present and imagining the future.