©Photo: Edmond Choo Photography

©Photo: Edmond Choo Photography

©Photo: Edmond Choo Photography

Blaise Malaba

Bass

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“Blaise Malaba has the true bass voice and the undoubted gift of the born communicator.”
(The Arts Desk, October 2020)

Born in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, bass Blaise Malaba studied in Ukraine before training at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama and thereafter as a member of the Jette Parker Young Artist Programme at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden. Praised for his performances of “profundity and gravitas” (Opera Today), highlights as a young artist at Covent Garden included Abimélech in Richard Jones’ new production of Samson et Dalila under Sir Antonio Pappano, Montano in Keith Warner’s production of Otello conducted by Daniele Rustioni, High Priest in Daniele Abbado’s production of Nabucco under Daniel Oren, and Second Elder in a staging of Handel’s Susanna at the Linbury Theatre.

The 2023/24 season for Blaise Malaba includes a North American debut as Colline in La Bohème with Canadian Opera Company, conducted by Jordan de Souza, Zuniga in Covent Garden’s new production of Carmen under Sir Antonia Pappano and he joins the cast of both Turandot and Rigoletto on Covent Garden’s tour to Japan.

Recognised for a resonant and powerful bass, Blaise returned to Covent Garden last season as a guest in several productions: the King of Egypt in Robert Carsen’s new production of Aida under Sir Mark Elder, Mandarin in Turandot conducted by Sir Antonio Pappano, and Dottore Grenvil in Richard Eyre’s classic staging of La traviata under Keri-Lynn Wilson. Last season also saw Malaba make debuts with Opéra national de Montpellier as Sprecher in Anna Bernreitner’s new production of Die Zauberflöte conducted by Constantin Trinks, and with Teatro Colón in Weill’s The Seven Deadly Sins under Jan Latham-Koenig.

Named as a Rising Star in the October 2020 edition of BBC Music Magazine, highlights elsewhere have included Samuel (Un ballo in maschera) for Opera Holland Park and Alidoro (La Cenerentola) for the New Generation Festival, Florence and West Green House Opera. His growing operatic repertoire incorporates such roles as Sarastro (Die Zauberflöte), Don Basilio (Il barbiere di Siviglia), Publio (La clemenza di Tito), Sparafucile and Monterone (Rigoletto), Banco (Macbeth), Prince Gremin (Eugene Onegin), Somnus (Semele) and Il Re (Ariodante).

Concert repertoire includes Verdi’s Messa da Requiem, Puccini’s Messa di Gloria and Rossini’s La Petite Messe Solennelle. In competition, Blaise was a finalist in both the Toulouse International Singing Competition (2019) and BBC Cardiff Singer of the World (2015) and took First Prize in the Impreza International Vocal Competition in Ukraine (2015).

Gallery

Verdi, Don Carlos (Philippe II) © The Royal Opera House, Covent Garden

Thomas, Hamlet (Claudius) © The Royal Opera House, Covent Garden

“Blaise Malaba was a robust and rather slimy Zuniga”

Planet Hugill, April 2024

“Blaise Malaba is an imposing Zuniga – an Escamillo of the future, perhaps”

Bachtrack, April 2024

“A number of singers who have impressed many times before courtesy of the Jette Parker Artists scheme impressed again: Blaise Malabala was a strong Zuniga”

Seen and Heard International, April 2024

“The trio of dark male voices (Blaise Malaba as Abimélech, Łukasz Goliński as the High Priest and, especially, Goderdzi Janelidze as ‘Samson’s Rabbi’) were all impressive, all adding energy to the words and nuance to what is sometimes unforgivingly monochrome vocal material.”

Opera Magazine, July 2022

“In this bass monologue Blaise Malaba’s direct, incisive delivery…made a moving impact”

Opera Magazine, May 2022

“Pappano was a firmer hand for Rachmaninov’s Aleko, a simply brilliant account from all concerned: Blaise Malaba a superbly strong and ardent Aleko”

Seen and Heard International, July 2022

“Blaise Malaba shines briefly, especially from his gold-plated hairdo, as a Philistine henchman.”

(The Times, May 2022)

“Blaise Malaba ensured that the sympathetic ministrations of Doctor Grenvil registered in the finale.”

Opera Magazine, January 2022

“Blaise Malaba prowled the set as an imposing and threatening Philippe”

(Seen and Heard International, July 2021)

“Bass Blaise Malaba certainly has the voice for Philippe, booming and resonant, with a lovely sense of line”

(Bachtrack, July 2021)

“True bass Blaise Malaba does splendid solo and ensemble work here”

(The Arts Desk, April 2021)

“Blaise Malaba – a High Priest of Baal of profundity and gravitas… gave [an] impressed, poised performance”

(Opera Today, December 2021)

“Blaise Malaba has the true bass voice and the undoubted gift of the born communicator – he knew how to fix individual members of the audience with intense glances. Poulenc’s “La belle jeunesse” from Chansons Gaillardes was a spirited and meaningful delight, and the voice-type is perfect for Russian/Caucasian melancholy in Rachmaninov’s early Pushkin setting “Do not sing for me, o fair one, the sad songs of Georgia.”

(The Arts Desk, October 2020)

“Rossini’s L’Italiana in Algeri, in which Congolese bass Blaise Malaba and Tongan tenor Filipe Manu, both dashingly attired, rattled off the patter with infectious good humour”

(The Telegraph, June 2020)

“His effortlessly big voice and personality demonstrate his promise”

(Culture Whisper, June 2020)

“Blaise Malaba’s Second Elder was in deliciously inky voice, rich and oaky in his glorious bottom notes”

(Operawire, March 2020)

“Of the two Elders, it was the second, Congolese bass Blaise Malaba, who impressed the most, by far, his voice firm and powerful with real presence”

(Seen and Heard International, March 2020)

“Blaise Malaba was a sober yet warmly supportive presence as Alidoro, despite his youth Malaba created a nicely fatherly feel to the character, and his interventions as Deus-ex-Machina had a nice sympathy to them. Malaba’s dark hued voice added a touch of sobriety and sense to the busy excitement of the evening which made a nice contrast”

(Planet Hugill, June 2019)

“Finally, there was the sobering presence and rich tones of the young Congolese bass Blaise Malaba”

(Opera Today, June 2019)

“A kind of fairy godfather without a wand, Alidoro is given a dignified, solicitous and sonorous interpretation by Blaise Malaba”

(The Stage, June 2019)