Gé Korsten

Gérard Korsten (popularly known as Gé) (6 December 1927 – 29 September 1999) was a South African opera tenor and actor who had a great influence on Afrikaans culture.

Born in Rotterdam, The Netherlands as the youngest of eight children, Korsten and his family emigrated to South Africa when he was nine years old. He married Elna Burger and had five children.

Career

Initially he worked as an electrician, but from the age of 20, started singing in choirs, some of which were televised frequently by the SABC. However, he received his first formal vocal training in 1952, when he was well into his 20s, studying under Adelheid Armhold at the South African College of Music.

In 1955 he moved to Pretoria, where he was one of the founder members of the Pretoria opera company. In 1956, he debuted as Canio in Ruggero Leoncavallo's Pagliacci.

Korsten won a bursary to study in Vienna in 1962, where he received tution under Judith Hellwig. During this period he had the opportunity to perform in Vienna and Munich, but he never sang professionally outside South Africa, mainly due to family considerations. It was only in 1970 that Korsten sold his business to devote himself to full-time singing. In the course of his operatic career, Korsten appeared on stage more than 3,000 times, playing 23 roles in most of the major operas.

In 1965, Korsten started his career in light music, with his album "Gé Korsten Sing Uit Die Hart" ("Gé Korsten Sings From The Heart" ), and soon became a best-selling recording artist, with a career spanning 40 years. Nine of his 58 albums achieved gold status. Most of his recorded work is light Afrikaans music, including the song "Liefling" (Sweetheart), which is still performed at rugby matches in Bloemfontein and Pretoria. His popularity as a singer also lead to lead roles in films such as "Hoor My Lied" (Hear My Song), "Lied In My Hart" (Song In My Heart) and A New Life, all of which included singing scenes. He received six Sarie awards and, in 1979, an ARTES award for his TV program "Gé Sing" ("Gé Sings").

In his later life, Korsten was well-known for his role as family patriarch Walt Vorster in the long-running South African soap opera .

In 1985 he was appointed as the managing director of the Cape Performing Arts Board (CAPAB) in Cape Town, a post which he held until 1989.

Death

In 1999, while presumably suffering from cancer, he committed suicide.

External links

* [http://saoperasingers.homestead.com/Ge_Korsten_Bio.html South African Opera Singers]
* [http://www.artsmart.co.za/music/archive/217.html Report on Korsten's death]