South Africa's foremost baritone, Fikile Mvinjelwa, has sung for President Nelson Mandela, President Thabo Mbeki and Archbishop Desmond Tutu. His wide range of roles include the title roles in Rigoletto and Nabucco, Griot in Masque, Porgy in Porgy and Bess, Orestes in Elektra, Zurga in The Pearl Fishers, Germont in La Traviata,  Scarpia in Tosca, Amonasro in Aida, Alfio in Cavalleria Rusticana and Tonio in I Pagliacci for Cape Town Opera.  Recent opera engagements for Mr Mvinjelwa include the Inaugural Gala Concert for Opera South Africa for Nelson Mandela, a concert Alfio in Cavalleria Rusticana in concert performance with Andrea Bocelli at the Deutsche Oper Berlin, Porgy in Porgy and Bess with the Cape Town Opera Tour at the Deutsche Oper Berlin and the Den Norske Opera in Oslo and Scarpia in Tosca with Cape Town Opera.. Mr Mvinjelwa made his USA operatic debut In 2008-09 as Antonio in Amistad at the Spoleto Festival and joined the roster on the Metropolitan Opera in New York covering the title role in Rigoletto.  In 2010-11 he made his Virginia Opera debut as Rigoletto. He also made Opera Orchestra of New York debut as Nelusco in L’Africaine in Lincoln Center and returned to the MET roster for Rigoletto, Amonasro in Aida and Ezio in Attila.   In addition he returned to the Deutsche Oper Berlin for Enrico in Lucia di Lammermoor and Escamillo in Carmen.  In 2011-12 he returns to Virginia Opera and the MET for Amonasro in Aida, returns to Opera Africa for their ten year anniversary production of highlights and makes his debut with the Savonlinna Festival also as Amonasro. Future engagements include a return to the Met roster for covers of Gianciotto in Francesca da Rimini by Zandonai and Gerard in Andrea Chenier. Previous engagements for Mr. Mvinjelwa include the title role in Brett Bailey's production of Macbeth at the Spier Summer Festival in Stellenbosch, Valentin in Faust for Opera Africa, Johnnie Fortune in Buchuland for the Pretoria State Theatre and Count di Luna in Il Trovatore for Cape Town Opera at Spier Festival, King Dinuzulu in Princess Magogo KaDinuzulu for Opera Africa at the Playhouse Theatre in Durban and at the Ravinia Festival in the USA for the African Renaissance Company.  Other South African works include the role of Charles in Roelof Temmingh's Enoch, Prophet of God, Naru in Temmingh's Sacred Bones and Toloki in Denzil Weale's Love and Green Onions. His many oratorio performances include the TRC (South African Truth and Reconciliation Commission) Rewind Cantata by Phillip Miller at the Brooklyn Festival in Prospect Park, NY and at the Royal Albert Hall in London in 2011.  The independent film Singing for Life – The Voices of South Africa which follows in part Mr. Mvinjelwa’s operatic journey was released in Europe in July 2010 and has won the Prix Italia 2011.