Lusibalwethu Sesanti

Uitenhage born Lusibalwethu Sesanti started vocal training with Sonja van Amstel at Rhenish Girls High School in 2010. She went on to become the youngest winner of the Mabel Quick Singing Competition in 2015, aged 19, under the tutelage of Minette Pearce. Notable achievements include being a top 10 Prizewinner for the Muziqanto Singing competition. (2018), 2x recipient of the UNISA Nellie du Toit award for singing, as well as being a 2x finalist at the Voices of South Africa Singing competition.

Operatic lead roles include The Old Maid and the Thief (Miss Todd) ,The Fairy Queen (Mopsa), Trial by Media (Judge) and Amagokra (Umfazi 2). Sesanti made her official musical theater debut as Sister Sophia in Pieter Toerien’s The Sound of Music, in collaboration with Cape Town Opera, and looks forward to her upcoming season as part of the cast for David Kramer's Orpheus McAdoo and My Fair Lady by PTP and CTO.

In addition to being a Performer, Sesanti is a composer on the rise, drawing from spiritual and worldly events to compose. Performances of her work include a world premieres of ‘Bhumi’ at the Glassbox Theater in New York, ‘Love Letters to God’ at the SoSAC/Songmakers Guild Art song competition. She was awarded the 2023 Festival prize for the latter composition, which saw her filling the role of composer in residence for the 2024 SoSAC proceedings in Stellenbosch, in which her work for Wind Band, Samsara, had its premiere.

Sesanti is currently reading for her MMus in ethnomusicology, and is a member of Cape Town Opera’s vocal ensemble, singing under the tutelage of Hanna van Schalkwyk