A native of Port Elizabeth, South Africa, bass-baritone Musa Ngqungwana graduated with Honors in Performance (Magna Cum Laude) from UCT and is also a graduate of the prestigious Academy of Vocal Arts (AVA) in Philadelphia.He is the author of a memoir, “Odyssey of an African Opera Singer: From Zwide Township to the World Stage”, which was published in 2014 and is available on Amazon and CreateSpace. He is represented worldwide by William Guerri at Columbia Artists (CAMI). In 2014, he was the  2014 winner of the Cesare Santeremo / Dr Campbell Award from Opera Index in New York City, and a third prize winner of the Giulio Gari and Gerda Lissner International Vocal Competitions. In 2013, he was the Grand Finals Winner of the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions and was a recipient of the Lissner Charitable Award from the Licia Abanese / Puccini International Vocal Competition, and of the Apollo Music Trust. Other recognitions include the 2011 Oppenheimer Memorial Trust award and the 2010 winner of the WBHO / Jan Kaminski Award. Mr. Ngqungwana was a finalist in the 29th International Hans Gabor Belvedere Competition in Vienna, Austria, and in 2007 was the winner of the Schock Prize for Singing at the Baxter Theatre in Cape Town.He  makes his Dallas Opera debut in Eugene Onegin this year and also performs the role of Leporello in Don Giovanni at Florentine Opera.