Michelle Veenemans - Dramatic Coloratura Soprano

Michelle Veenemans – Soprano

Hailed by the South African media as "The Nightingale of South Africa", South African-based dramatic coloratura soprano, Michelle Veenemans, regularly appears in recitals, oratorio concerts, opera and operetta concerts as well as charity gala events, collaborating with various South African orchestras, ensembles and accompanists.

Veenemans’s singing has been described as “exhilarating” by Artslink SA, as ”one of South Africa’s most entertaining sopranos” by the SA Jewish Report, as a “prima donna and 'drama queen' deluxe” by the Cue Newspaper, as “a superb interpreter” by the Beeld Newspaper and “having an unusual voice” by the Rapport Newspaper. Singing the role of the Queen of the Night in Namibia, the Algemeine Zeitung writes, “... She interprets the difficult and dramatic coloratura soprano magnificently and creates a spontaneous burst of applause...”. As an operetta singer, William Charlton-Perkins writes: "She deploys her creamy soprano’s extensive range, from a lusciously developed chest register to gleaming high notes, with a heady combination of abandon and control that constantly enlivens the music at hand".

As a concert artist, Veenemans travels throughout Southern Africa and her concert career has also taken her to Poland, Germany, the United Kingdom and Namibia. Veenemans has also performed for Musica Festiva's Dis Opera and Organ Fanfare concert series. For internationally renowned ballet choreographer Martin Schoenberg, she starred in Ballet Theatre Afrikan's Hooked on Classics show. She performed a special Christmas concert in Johannesburg for Classic FM in collaboration with the Chamber Orchestra of South Africa.  She also appeared in Classic FM's Operetta Extravaganza with Salon Five under the direction of Jacobus Swart in Johannesburg. She sang the role of The Queen of the Night in Mozart's opera The Magic Flute to great acclaim for Pro Musica Productions at the Roodepoort Theatre and for Classic Music Productions at the National Theatre of Namibia.

Veenemans has also sung numerous operetta concerts for Fanie Smit Musiekproduksies and Radio Sonder Grense (RSG), at the Oude Libertas Amphitheatre in Stellenbosch and the ZK Matthews Concert Hall in Pretoria. She gave recitals at the National Arts Festival in Graham’s Town and she was invited by Kammersängerin Mimi Coertse to perform a Lieder-recital for the University of South Africa's (UNISA) Music Foundation and appeared in the Dance for a Cure concert series at the State Theatre in Pretoria and the Lyric Theatre in Johannesburg.

Veenemans regularly performs as a soloist with the Akustika Chamber Singers under the direction of Maestro Christo Burger.

She also performs regularly with the Concert Master of the Johannesburg Philharmonic Orchestra, Maestro Miroslav Chakaryan, in solo recitals and at corporate events.

She was a guest artist at the Burger-Pops concerts at the Artscape Theatre Centre and the Afri-Klassiek concert at the Grand West Arena in Cape Town. Veenemans had the great honour of performing for the former President of South Africa, Mr Thabo Mbeki.

Veenemans has made television recordings for kykNET's Reik na die Sterre series, including a Christmas special and a classical programme. She has recorded seven albums; Schenkt man sich Rosen, a collection of operetta arias, Lentelied, a collection of mainly Afrikaans art songs, Bravura!, a compilation of opera arias and a recording of Pergolesi's Salve Regina in A minor.  She recorded her first big band CD, Wonderful World of Jazz, which was released in 2018. In 2019, she released her album, Musica Sacra, a compilation of her favourite oratorio arias. Her second big band album, For Once in My Life, was released in 2020.

Veenemans is frequently asked to adjudicate at various vocal and music competitions and is a regular adjudicator for the National Eisteddfod Academy (NEA), the Centurion Arts Festival, the Pretoria Eisteddfod, the Afrikaanse Kunsvereniging, the Sing It! Choir Competition and the Tshwane Youth Arts Festival.

She studied classical vocal and ensemble singing with German soprano Anita Nobel at the Ludwig van Beethoven Musikschule in Bonn, Germany from 1993 - 1995. She then received fourteen years of classical vocal training, specialising in opera, from South African tenor George Kok from 1996 - 2010.  She holds a Master’s Degree in German Literature from the University of Pretoria and a Certificate in Digital Music Production from Steinberg.

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