Classical performer, Golda Shultz is one of a handful of South African opera singers within the world of classical music and opera. She has been praised for her musicality and intelligence for every delightful performance she has ever delivered.
Before opera music came her way, she wanted to be a contestant on South Africa’s Idol.
“I remember when South African Idols were being pitched; it was the first time the franchise was coming to South Africa and I desperately wanted to audition. My father said, ‘not in your life, young lady!’
He was also very aware I wasn’t good with criticism so he knew if I was going to expose myself like that on national television, he said, ‘you’re not going to survive, you’re going to cry.’
Golda did cry. She cried because she was not allowed to go on the show she thought would kick start her music dreams.
“Then I cried because I wasn’t allowed to go on Idol but then I thought if I’m so desperate and I still want to go and sing maybe I should go study music.
So I wanted to study music and my father once again, a professor of mathematics puts his foot down and says, ‘not at all will you go and study music. You’ll study something else, yes you can be creative but it has to be something where there is at least an opportunity for you to have some fixed income’. So he convinced me to either try out law or journalism at Rhodes.”
Following her father’s advice, Goulda went to Rhodes University and she loved it.
“What I liked about Rhodes and the reason I went to Rhodes is really a kind of university where you can structure your degree to your interest in the humanities faculty.
So there were journalism students studying economics, chemistry, philosophy, politics, and then people like me who did philosophy, literature and music performance.”
It was in this way Goulda found her voice in music, and began to pursue her dream of becoming a performer.
When Golda sings now, there is always one feature of her that is very joyful, her smile.
“I’ve always been a smiley singer. I think it’s part of my technique. But also my family is quite religious, we are Christians and I’m always reminded of a bible quote whenever I feel frustrated or run down.
I remember ‘My strength is the joy of the Lord’ and that’s a phrase I translated for myself that my truest form of artistry comes from my joy and my joy is my strength and that’s what makes my technique – the way that I sing comes from an optimistic outlook, it’s joyful.”
