May Abrahamse - Revision history

Darryl: /* Contribution to SA theatre, film, media and/or performance */

2025-12-09T14:48:26Z

Contribution to SA theatre, film, media and/or performance

Darryl: /* Contribution to SA theatre, film, media and/or performance */

2025-12-09T14:45:21Z

Contribution to SA theatre, film, media and/or performance

Darryl at 14:43, 9 December 2025

2025-12-09T14:43:28Z

Darryl at 14:35, 9 December 2025

2025-12-09T14:35:53Z

Darryl at 14:30, 9 December 2025

2025-12-09T14:30:13Z

Darryl: /* Sources */

2025-12-09T14:19:20Z

Sources

Darryl at 15:22, 30 July 2025

2025-07-30T15:22:58Z

Darryl at 09:20, 18 July 2025

2025-07-18T09:20:32Z

Darryl: /* Contribution to SA theatre, film, media and/or performance */

2025-07-18T09:16:29Z

Contribution to SA theatre, film, media and/or performance

Darryl at 09:09, 18 July 2025

2025-07-18T09:09:51Z

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 At the age of 14 years old she joined the [[EOAN Group]]. When she was a member of the [[EOAN Group]]'s Junior Choir in her early teens, [[Joseph Manca]] identified her and two other singers as worthy candidates for inclusion in the Adult Choir. Before long she was given solo parts in choral works performed by the group under Manca's baton. It seemed a natural progression for someone of Abrahamse's talent to go from choral singing to musical comedy to opera, and not surprisingly she found herself in the lead of all the [[EOAN Group]] productions from the mid-1950s.
-At the age of 19, in 1949, Abrahamse debuted as a soprano soloist in the [[EOAN Group]]'s Cape Town production of the operetta ''[[A Slave in Araby]]'', composed by Alfred J Silver. This marked the beginning of her association with the [[EOAN Group]], with whom she would perform for decades. She participated as a soloist in the productions ''[[The Maid in the Mountains]]'',  ''[[Hong Kong]]'', and ''[[The Gipsy Princess]]'', performed annually at [[Cape Town City Hall]] under the direction of [[Joseph Manca]].
+At the age of 19, in 1949, Abrahamse debuted as a soprano soloist in the [[EOAN Group]]'s Cape Town production of the operetta ''[[A Slave in Araby]]'', composed by Alfred J Silver. This marked the beginning of her association with the [[EOAN Group]], with whom she would perform for decades. She participated as a soloist in the productions ''[[The Maid of the Mountains]]'',  ''[[Hong Kong]]'', and ''[[The Gipsy Princess]]'', performed annually at [[Cape Town City Hall]] under the direction of [[Joseph Manca]].
 In 1956, she was first cast as Violetta in Giuseppe Verdi’s opera ''[[La Traviata]]'', a role she would perform multiple times until the Eoan Group's final production of the opera in 1975. This was the first Italian opera performed in its original language by an all-Coloured cast. Violetta became one of Abrahamse's signature roles, and her portrayal received critical acclaim.

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 At the age of 14 years old she joined the [[EOAN Group]]. When she was a member of the [[EOAN Group]]'s Junior Choir in her early teens, [[Joseph Manca]] identified her and two other singers as worthy candidates for inclusion in the Adult Choir. Before long she was given solo parts in choral works performed by the group under Manca's baton. It seemed a natural progression for someone of Abrahamse's talent to go from choral singing to musical comedy to opera, and not surprisingly she found herself in the lead of all the [[EOAN Group]] productions from the mid-1950s.
-At the age of 19, in 1949, Abrahamse debuted as a soprano soloist in the [[EOAN Group]]'s Cape Town production of the operetta ''[[A Slave in Araby]]'', composed by Alfred J Silver. This marked the beginning of her association with the [[EOAN Group]], with whom she would perform for decades. She participated as a soloist in the productions ''[[The Maid in the Mountains]]'', ''[[Hong Kong]]'', and ''[[The Gipsy Princess]]'', performed annually at [[Cape Town City Hall]] under the direction of [[Joseph Manca]].
+At the age of 19, in 1949, Abrahamse debuted as a soprano soloist in the [[EOAN Group]]'s Cape Town production of the operetta ''[[A Slave in Araby]]'', composed by Alfred J Silver. This marked the beginning of her association with the [[EOAN Group]], with whom she would perform for decades. She participated as a soloist in the productions ''[[The Maid in the Mountains]]'',  ''[[Hong Kong]]'', and ''[[The Gipsy Princess]]'', performed annually at [[Cape Town City Hall]] under the direction of [[Joseph Manca]].
-In 1956, she was first cast as Violetta in Giuseppe Verdi’s opera La Traviata, a role she would perform multiple times until the Eoan Group's final production of the opera in 1975. This was the first Italian opera performed in its original language by an all-Coloured cast. Violetta became one of Abrahamse's signature roles, and her portrayal received critical acclaim.
+In 1956, she was first cast as Violetta in Giuseppe Verdi’s opera ''[[La Traviata]]'', a role she would perform multiple times until the Eoan Group's final production of the opera in 1975. This was the first Italian opera performed in its original language by an all-Coloured cast. Violetta became one of Abrahamse's signature roles, and her portrayal received critical acclaim.
 Other roles Abrahamse performed with the [[EOAN Group]] include Mimì in Puccini's  ''[[La Bohème]]'', Santuzza in Mascagni's ''[[Cavalleria Rusticana]]'' and Butterfly in Puccini's  ''[[Madama Butterfly]]''.Beyond opera her work included performances of Verdi's '' Requiem'' and Handel's Messiah, as well as roles in musical theatre, including ''[[Carmen Jones]]'', an adaptation of Bizet's opera ''[[Carmen]]''.

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 In 1956, she was first cast as Violetta in Giuseppe Verdi’s opera La Traviata, a role she would perform multiple times until the Eoan Group's final production of the opera in 1975. This was the first Italian opera performed in its original language by an all-Coloured cast. Violetta became one of Abrahamse's signature roles, and her portrayal received critical acclaim.
-Other roles Abrahamse performed with the Eoan Group include Mimì in Puccini's La Bohème, Santuzza in Mascagni's Cavalleria Rusticana, and Butterfly in Puccini's Madama Butterfly. Beyond opera her work included performances of Verdi's Requiem and Handel's Messiah, as well as roles in musical theatre, including Carmen Jones, an adaptation of Bizet's opera Carmen.
+Other roles Abrahamse performed with the [[EOAN Group]] include Mimì in Puccini's  ''[[La Bohème]]'', Santuzza in Mascagni's ''[[Cavalleria Rusticana]]'' and Butterfly in Puccini's  ''[[Madama Butterfly]]''.Beyond opera her work included performances of Verdi's '' Requiem'' and Handel's Messiah, as well as roles in musical theatre, including ''[[Carmen Jones]]'', an adaptation of Bizet's opera ''[[Carmen]]''.
-In 1979, Abrahamse and Jephtas gave a recital at the Nico Malan Theatre in Cape Town, a venue that had only recently opened its doors to performers and audiences of all races. The recital was praised and marked an important moment in South African classical music. It was not until the 1987 and 1988 seasons, aged 57, that Abrahamse was given the opportunity to sing professionally alongside white singers, when she accepted a two-year contract as a chorus member with the Performing Arts Council of the Orange Free State in Bloemfontein.
+In 1979, Abrahamse and Jephtas gave a recital at the [[Nico Malan Theatre]] in Cape Town, a venue that had only recently opened its doors to performers and audiences of all races. The recital was praised and marked an important moment in South African classical music. It was not until the 1987 and 1988 seasons, aged 57, that Abrahamse was given the opportunity to sing professionally alongside white singers, when she accepted a two-year contract as a chorus member with the Performing Arts Council of the Orange Free State in Bloemfontein.
 [[Gordon Jephtas]], an opera coach and conductor, shared a long-lasting professional relationship with Abrahamse. Jephtas recognized Abrahamse's potential early in her career, and their collaboration spanned nearly three decades, often maintained through letters and tape recordings, as Jephtas spent much of his career abroad. He coached her on pronunciation, character interpretation, and musical nuances.

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 ==Training==
 ==Career==
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 ==Contribution to SA theatre, film, media and/or performance==
-Abrahamse’s interest in singing began at a young age, when her access to formal training was limited. She began vocal studies with [[Billie Jones]], a theatre producer, and later with [[Beatrice Gibson]], neither of whom was formally recognized as a singing instructor. Later in life, she received vocal coaching from [[Olga Magnoni]], an established opera singer, but was not able to access the conservatoire education available to white South Africans.
+At the age of 14 years old she joined the [[EOAN Group]]. When she was a member of the [[EOAN Group]]'s Junior Choir in her early teens, [[Joseph Manca]] identified her and two other singers as worthy candidates for inclusion in the Adult Choir. Before long she was given solo parts in choral works performed by the group under Manca's baton. It seemed a natural progression for someone of Abrahamse's talent to go from choral singing to musical comedy to opera, and not surprisingly she found herself in the lead of all the [[EOAN Group]] productions from the mid-1950s.
-At the age of 19, in 1949, Abrahamse debuted as a soprano soloist in the Eoan Group's Cape Town production of the operetta A Slave in Araby, composed by Alfred J Silver. This marked the beginning of her association with the Eoan Group, with whom she would perform for decades. She participated as a soloist in the productions The Maid in the Mountains, Hong Kong, and The Gipsy Princess, performed annually at Cape Town City Hall under the direction of Joseph Manca.
+At the age of 19, in 1949, Abrahamse debuted as a soprano soloist in the [[EOAN Group]]'s Cape Town production of the operetta ''[[A Slave in Araby]]'', composed by Alfred J Silver. This marked the beginning of her association with the [[EOAN Group]], with whom she would perform for decades. She participated as a soloist in the productions ''[[The Maid in the Mountains]]'', ''[[Hong Kong]]'', and ''[[The Gipsy Princess]]'', performed annually at [[Cape Town City Hall]] under the direction of [[Joseph Manca]].
 In 1956, she was first cast as Violetta in Giuseppe Verdi’s opera La Traviata, a role she would perform multiple times until the Eoan Group's final production of the opera in 1975. This was the first Italian opera performed in its original language by an all-Coloured cast. Violetta became one of Abrahamse's signature roles, and her portrayal received critical acclaim.

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 Originally from District Six, May Abrahamse attended Zonnebloem Girls Primary School and Zonnebloem Secondary School until Grade 9, when she left to work as a domestic worker in the same house where her mother worked as a cook. A few months later, she bumped into a friend who encouraged her to do more with her life, and she applied at the ''[[Cape Times]]'' newspaper, in the printing section, where she worked for years.
-She died in Belgravia in 2025.
+In 1956, Abrahamse married John Rushin, but continued to perform under her maiden name. Abrahamse and Rushin had two daughters. Between 1968 and 1972, she and her family relocated to Durban, but she returned to Cape Town occasionally to perform, notably in 1971 when she sang Nedda in Leoncavallo's I Pagliacci.
 ==Training==
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 ==Contribution to SA theatre, film, media and/or performance==
-Her passion for music started at a young age, and at the age of 14 years old she joined the [[EOAN Group]]. When she was a member of the [[EOAN Group]]'s Junior Choir in her early teens, [[Joseph Manca]] identified her and two other singers as worthy candidates for inclusion in the Adult Choir. Before long she was given solo parts in choral works performed by the group under Manca's baton. It seemed a natural progression for someone of Abrahamse's talent to go from choral singing to musical comedy to opera, and not surprisingly she found herself in the lead of all the [[EOAN Group]] productions from the mid-1950s, starting with ''[[A Slave in Araby]]'' (1949).
+Abrahamse’s interest in singing began at a young age, when her access to formal training was limited. She began vocal studies with [[Billie Jones]], a theatre producer, and later with [[Beatrice Gibson]], neither of whom was formally recognized as a singing instructor. Later in life, she received vocal coaching from [[Olga Magnoni]], an established opera singer, but was not able to access the conservatoire education available to white South Africans.
 Other productions include:
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 ==Awards==
-In 2005, May Abrahamse received a gold Molteno medal from the Tricentenary Foundation for her life contribution to arts and culture, and in 2007, May Abrahamse was awarded a [[Kanna]] from the [[Klein Karoo National Arts Festival]] for her life contribution to arts and culture.
+In 2005, May Abrahamse received a gold Molteno medal from the Tricentenary Foundation for her life contribution to arts and culture, and in 2007, May Abrahamse was awarded a [[Kanna]] from the [[Klein Karoo National Arts Festival]] for her life contribution to arts and culture. She was also honoured with the KykNET Lifetime Achievement Award in 2013.
 ==Sources==

← Older revision		Revision as of 14:19, 9 December 2025
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	https://www.artscape.co.za/artscape-honours-the-life-of-celebrated-international-soprano-may-abrahamse-who-died-shy-of-her-95th-birthday/		https://www.artscape.co.za/artscape-honours-the-life-of-celebrated-international-soprano-may-abrahamse-who-died-shy-of-her-95th-birthday/
		+
		+	https://www.facebook.com/100064466929129/posts/may-abrahamsemay-6-1930-to-may-5-2025age-94notable-for-south-african-soprano-bor/1082670470558507/

	==Return to==		==Return to==

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 Other productions include:
-Violetta in ''[[La Traviata]]'' (1956, [[EOAN Group]]), ''[[Rose-Marie]]'' (1958, [[EOAN Group]]), ''[[We'll Gather Lilacs]]'' (1978), Annina in ''[[La Traviata]]'' (2004, [[Cape Town Opera]]).
+Violetta in ''[[La Traviata]]'' (1956, [[EOAN Group]]), ''[[Rose-Marie]]'' (1958, [[EOAN Group]]), ''[[La Boheme]]'', ''[[Madame Butterfly]]'', ''[[We'll Gather Lilacs]]'' (1978), Annina in ''[[La Traviata]]'' (2004, [[Cape Town Opera]]).
 She was vocal coach for the [[EOAN Group]] and taught singing at the [[Joseph Stone]] in Athlone for many years, and loved putting on concerts where she showcased her adult students.
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 Nabeelah Mohedeen. 'SA soprano May Abrahamse dies at 94'. ''[[The Athlone News]]''. 12 May 2025.
 ==Return to==

← Older revision		Revision as of 09:20, 18 July 2025
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	She was vocal coach for the [[EOAN Group]] and taught singing at the [[Joseph Stone]] in Athlone for many years, and loved putting on concerts where she showcased her adult students.		She was vocal coach for the [[EOAN Group]] and taught singing at the [[Joseph Stone]] in Athlone for many years, and loved putting on concerts where she showcased her adult students.
		+
		+	==Awards==
		+
		+	In 2005, May Abrahamse received a gold Molteno medal from the Tricentenary Foundation for her life contribution to arts and culture, and in 2007, May Abrahamse was awarded a [[Kanna]] from the [[Klein Karoo National Arts Festival]] for her life contribution to arts and culture.

	==Sources==		==Sources==