Shirley Sutherland

Shirley Sutherland is a soprano who has performed in numerous successful opera and musical productions across South Africa  and beyond.

Shirley matriculated at Johannesburg School of Art, Drama, Music and Ballet.  She then graduated from UCT with a Diploma and went further with her Honours degree in Music under Sarita Stern and Angelo Gobbato.  She has also completed a National Higher Diploma in Opera (Cum Laude) at the Pretoria Technikon Opera School under the tutelage of Eric Muller.

Her many roles include Tytania in Britten’s “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” conducted by  Christopher Dowdswell at The Baxter Theatre, Adele in “Die Fledermaus” which was directed by Janice Honeyman at Cape Town’s Opera House, Hanna in Lehar’s “Die Lustige Witwe”, Pamina in Mozart’s “Zauberflote”, Micaela & Frasquita in Bizet’s “Carmen” which was performed at Cape Town’s Opera Houase, Lucy in Menotti’s “The Telephone” Madame Mademoiselle Warblewell in Mozart’s “The Impresario” and as well as Dvorjak’s “Rusalka” in Cape Town and Sweden.

She has performed in numerous musicals which include the roles of Eliza in “My Fair Lady” which was directed by Ralph Lawson in Cape Town’s Opera House, Magnolia from “Showboat” which was performed in Germany, Julie in “The Carousel” directed by Angelo Gobbato, Mabel in  “The Pirates of Penzance”, Meg in “Brigadoon” and Roxie in “Chicago” for which she  received the Cape Times Award for the best leading lady in a musical.

She has sung Gabriel in Haydn’s Oratorio “The Creation”, Pergolesi’s “Stabat Mater” and performed in Mozart’s “Coronation Mass” with the Johannesburg Symphony Orchestra.

Shirley has been part of the Pretoria based ‘Black Tie-Ensemble’ with Mimi Coertse, and the ‘Opera Studio’ with Cape Town Opera.  Apart from performing. she is also choir mistress of The Bergvliet Singers, in charge of Reddam’s Vocal Ensemble and part-time singing teacher at Reddam House, Bergvliet High and Pinelands High School in Cape Town.