Sakhiwe Mkosana is a South African baritone whose career continues to gain recognition in the international opera world. Known for his versatility, he has performed a wide range of roles across major opera houses.

Sakhiwe will make his debut in the 2025/26 season as Guglielmo in Così fan tutte at Oper Frankfurt, Martin Carter in The Knife of Dawn by Hannah Kendall at Dutch National Opera as part of the prestigious Forward Festival, and Escamillo in Carmen at Opera Ballet Vlaanderen in Antwerp. Other upcoming projects include the baritone part in Brahms’ Ein deutsches Requiem and a song cycle for baritone and orchestra by Swedish composer Tebogo Monnakgotla with the Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra.

A significant milestone in his development came with his second-place award at the 2022 Neue Stimmen International Singing Competition. From 2023 to 2025, he has been a member of the Opera Studio at Oper Frankfurt, where he has taken on roles such as Peter in Hänsel und Gretel and the Magister in Maskerade. His repertoire reflects strong artistic range, with performances including the Priest of Jupiter in Handel’s Hercules and Count Ceprano in Verdi’s Rigoletto.

Recent engagements include the role of Donny in Michael Tippett’s New Year with the Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, the baritone part in Bernstein’s Songfest with the Copenhagen Philharmonic Orchestra as well as concerts at the Mozartfest in Würzurg. Notably, Sakhiwe took on the title role in the German premiere of the Namibian opera Chief Hijangua at the Berlin Rundfunkhaus, reprising the role from the world premiere at the National Theatre of Namibia in 2022.

Sakhiwe’s career has been further recognized with prestigious awards, underscoring his talent and dedication to his craft. He won the Eva Kleinitz Prize at the 8th Concorso Lirico International Singing Competition in 2022, held in Portofino, Italy. His educational background include an advanced diploma in Opera Performance from the University of Cape Town and postgraduate opera studies.