Chris Vale
Member, Soloist & Vocal Coach
South African baritone Chris Vale has captivated audiences with his refined voice and commanding stage presence. A BMus graduate (cum laude) from the University of Pretoria, and recipient of awards like the Mimi Coertse Bursary Competition, Chris’s talent has been undeniable from the start.
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His operatic debut in 2007 as Papageno in Die Zauberflöte paved the way for roles such as Schaunard in La Bohème and Leporello in Don Giovanni. From 2011 to 2013, he charmed audiences as a member of The Black Tie Ensemble, appearing in concerts like One Voice: An African Celebration and The Mozart Gala.
His operatic debut in 2007 as Papageno in Die Zauberflöte paved the way for roles such as Schaunard in La Bohème and Leporello in Don Giovanni. From 2011 to 2013, he charmed audiences as a member of The Black Tie Ensemble, appearing in concerts like One Voice: An African Celebration and The Mozart Gala.
Not limited to opera, Chris has excelled in musical theatre, portraying Henry Higgins in My Fair Lady and taking on roles in Shrek: The Musical Jr. He has also directed productions like Fiddler on the Roof and Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.
In 2021, Chris released his debut solo album Come Away, earning two Afri-Indie Awards. That same year, he performed with leading South African artists in Nagliedjies. In 2022, he appeared in the Al Om Antjie production at Toyota SU Woordfees and performed Songs of Travel and Dichterliebe with pianist Eugene Joubert.
Recent highlights include Schubert’s Winterreise with the Mzanzi Chamber Music Collective and baritone roles in Vaughan Williams’s A Sea Symphony and Brahms's Ein Deutsches Requiem with Maestro Richard Cock. As a core member and vocal coach for the award-winning Vox Chamber Choir, Chris's contributions extend beyond solo performance, including the choir's SAMA Award-winning album Firebeast. His most recent album, By alle skone dinge, celebrates two decades of the art song of composer Franco Prinsloo.
In addition to his performance career, Chris co-founded the Legato Choral Festival in 2022, creating a platform for choirs in Gauteng to perform. His unwavering commitment to music continues to shine, making him a paragon of vocal artistry across genres.