Luvuyo Mbundu, a South African baritone, joined from 2022/23 season the ensemble at the Staatsoper Hannover, where he sang various roles, including Marcello in La Bohème, Gatekeeper in Rusalka and title role Orfeo in Monteverdi’s Orfeo. In Staatsoper, Figaro (Il Barbiere di Siviglia), Guglielmo (Cosi fan tutte) and Ping (Turandot).
His upcoming engagements for the 2024/25 season with the Staatsoper Hannover will include the role of Demetrius in (Midsummer Night’s Dream), Marcello in (La Boheme), Ringer in (Israel in Munich) and Hajný in (Rusalka).
He was a member of the Opera Studio at the Deutsche Oper am Rhein, Düsseldorf (2019-2021) and participant in Academy at the Festival d’Aix en Provence in July 2021 where he sang the title role of Mendelssohn’s Elias with the Balthasar Neumann Ensemble conducted by Duncan Ward.
Luvuyo’s engagements include his debut at the Glyndebourne Festival in 2022 as Schaunard in a new production of La bohéme; he will also make his debut at the Vlaamse Oper as Schaunard and return later in the season as Rabbi Obidiah in the World Premiere of The Convert by Wim Henderickx and he will return to the Deutsche Oper am Rhein as Fiorello (Il barbiere di Siviglia and)as the Steuermann (Tristan und Isolde).
Studied roles for debut as Silvio (Pagliacci) and Papageno (Die Zauberflöte) at the Deutsche Oper am Rhein; where he also would have appeared as Moralès (Carmen); Steuermann (Tristan und Isolde); the Messenger (Aida) and as Gregorio (Roméo et Juliette) (cancelled due to Covid restrictions).
At the Deutsche Oper am Rhein, Luvuyo made his house debut as 2nd Philistine (Samson et Dalilah); he also sang The Imperial Commissioner (Madama Butterfly); Gregorio (Roméo et Juliette); 2nd Nazarene (Salome) and Flemish Deputy (Don Carlos). Also in the 2019/20 season, Luvuyo appeared in New Year Concerts with the Thuringia Philharmonic Orchestra, Gotha.
Luvuyo was awarded the 1st Prize at the Gabriela Benackova’s International Vocal Competition in the Czech Republic in 2018; he was a participant of the Les Azuriales Festival Young Artist Programme in 2017, and was awarded the 3rd Prize in their Annual International Competition.
