Born in in the small town of Piet Retief, South African soprano Pretty Yende has risen to the top of the opera world with unparalleled speed. With her magnetic charm, acclaimed operatic and solo performances worldwide, and a critically lauded discography, Yende has quickly become one of the brightest stars of the classical music world. Since making her professional operatic debut at the Latvian National Theatre in Riga as Micaela in Carmen, she has been seen at nearly all of the major theaters of the world, including the Royal Opera House-Covent Garden, Opéra National de Paris, Metropolitan Opera, Teatro alla Scala in Milan, Deutsche Oper Berlin, Staatsoper Berlin, Bayerische Staatsoper in Munich, Opernhaus Zürich and Gran Teatre del Liceu in Barcelona, Vienna Staatsoper as well as many major concert venues. Notably, Yende performed during the coronation of King Charles III at Westminster Abbey in 2023. She became the first African solo artist to perform at the coronation of a British monarch. She sang “Sacred Fire,” a piece written by composer Sarah Class specifically for the occasion, followed by Handel’s “Oh, had I Jubal’s lyre” from Joshua and “Care selve” from Atalanta.