Johan Botha (19 August 1965 â€" 8 September 2016) was a South African
operatic tenor.Born in Rustenburg, South Africa, Botha began his vocal
training with Jarmilla Tellenger from the age of 10 through 17. He
then served for two years in the South African Air Force before
pursuing further studies in Pretoria with Eric Muller. His voice
initially was trained as a bass-baritone and his first opera
performance was portraying the title role in a student production of
Verdi's Falstaff. As his studies progressed under Muller his voice
moved towards that of a tenor. In 1990 he moved to Europe and became a
longtime pupil of Irmgard Hartmann.Botha made his professional stage
debut at the municipal theatre in Roodepoort as Max in Der Freischütz
in 1989. He then became a member of the opera chorus at the Bayreuth
Festival in 1990. In 1991 he sang Riccardo in Un ballo in maschera at
the Pfalztheater Kaiserslautern. This was followed by performances at
opera houses in Dortmund, Hagen, Hildesheim and Bonn. His
international breakthrough occurred in 1993 at the Opéra Bastille as
Pinkerton in Puccini's Madama Butterfly. Since then he performed at
leading opera venues around the world such as the Metropolitan Opera,
Vienna State Opera which made him a Kammersänger in 2003, Opera
Australia, Royal Opera House (London), La Scala and the Salzburg
Festival.
operatic tenor.Born in Rustenburg, South Africa, Botha began his vocal
training with Jarmilla Tellenger from the age of 10 through 17. He
then served for two years in the South African Air Force before
pursuing further studies in Pretoria with Eric Muller. His voice
initially was trained as a bass-baritone and his first opera
performance was portraying the title role in a student production of
Verdi's Falstaff. As his studies progressed under Muller his voice
moved towards that of a tenor. In 1990 he moved to Europe and became a
longtime pupil of Irmgard Hartmann.Botha made his professional stage
debut at the municipal theatre in Roodepoort as Max in Der Freischütz
in 1989. He then became a member of the opera chorus at the Bayreuth
Festival in 1990. In 1991 he sang Riccardo in Un ballo in maschera at
the Pfalztheater Kaiserslautern. This was followed by performances at
opera houses in Dortmund, Hagen, Hildesheim and Bonn. His
international breakthrough occurred in 1993 at the Opéra Bastille as
Pinkerton in Puccini's Madama Butterfly. Since then he performed at
leading opera venues around the world such as the Metropolitan Opera,
Vienna State Opera which made him a Kammersänger in 2003, Opera
Australia, Royal Opera House (London), La Scala and the Salzburg
Festival.
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