Rising star Masabane Cecilia Rangwanasha won the Song Prize at the 2021 BBC Cardiff Singer of the World Competition and is a current BBC Radio 3 New Generation Artist. Most recently, Rangwanasha was awarded the 2024 Herbert von Karajan Prize. In 2024/25, Rangwanasha will perform, among others, Beethoven Symphony No. 9 with Munich Philharmonic Orchestra, Verdi Requiem at the Wiener Konzerthaus, Vaughan Williams A Sea Symphony with the London Symphony Orchestra, Rossini Stabat Mater with the ORF Vienna Radio Symphony Orchestra or Strauss Vier letzte Lieder with Orquesta Sinfónica de Castilla y León. Rangwanasha has also performed Barber Knoxville: The Summer of 1915, Mendelssohn Symphony No. 2, Mahler Das Klagende Lied, Tippett A Child of Our Time, and other roles including Élisabeth de Valois (Don Carlos) or Elettra (Idomeneo).

Simon Lepper read music at King’s College, Cambridge before studying piano accompaniment at the Royal Academy of Music and later at the Fondation Royaumont. He is Assistant Head of Keyboard (collaborative piano) and a vocal repertoire coach at the Royal College of Music, London. Since 2003 he has been an official accompanist for the BBC Cardiff Singer of the World Competition. Performance highlights included an invitation from the Wigmore Hall to present a three concert project on the songs of Joseph Marx; recital tours with Stéphane Degout; performances of the Schubert song cycles with Gerald Finley and Mark Padmore, recitals with Christiane Karg or an all-Schubert programme with Ilker Arcayürek. Recent highlights include recitals with Masabane Cecilia Rangnawasha, a recital in Santa Fe and his Korean debut with Benjamin Appl as well the complete Messiaen songs with Gweneth-Ann Rand at the Aldeburgh Festival.