About

Sylvester Makobi, a native of Nairobi, Kenya, made his Carnegie Hall debut in May 2024. He is a recipient of both the Emerging Artist Award and the Artistic Advancement Award, granted by the Bloomington Arts Commission, IN. Makobi has won first prize in three solo singing categories for university students and faculty at the Kenya Music Festival. Makobi began his music training at the Kenya Conservatoire of Music and later attended Kenyatta University, where he majored in singing and expanded his studies to include various Kenyan instruments. Makobi's professional career began with the Kenyan Boys Choir, and later Taifa Mziki. He has also performed with Mushandirapamwe Singers, a group of classically trained singers from the Pan-African Diaspora. His performances have allowed him to traverse four continents. Makobi is pursuing graduate studies at the Jacobs School of Music, Indiana University, studying singing with Marietta Simpson and coaching with Kimberly Carballo.

Music

Sylvester Makobi’s concert repertoire includes tenor soloist in Mozart’s Mass in C Minor, Requiem Mass, Coronation Mass, Haydn’s Creation, and Handel’s Messiah. His operatic roles include Don Basilio and Don Curzio in Mozart’s Le Nozze di Figaro, Ferrando in Mozart’s Cosí Fan Tutte, Second Priest in Mozart’s The Magic Flute, Rev. Horace Adams in Britten’s Peter Grimes, Nate in William Grant Still’s Highway 1 U.S.A, Elder in Ondieki the Fisherman by Francis Chandler, Tenor roles in the world premiere of The Firebringers by Chappell Kingsland, and most recently, Dr. Albert Düssel in the world premiere of Anne Frank by Shulamit Ran. Makobi is passionate about sharing art music by African composers and showcasing their work in his performances. With pianist Kimberly Carballo, Makobi performed the world premiere of “Kumbukumbu za Utotoni,” a song cycle by Dr. Eddie Mony. In addition to singing, Makobi plays various Kenyan instruments, including Ohangla drums, Chivoti, Nyatiti, and Kĩĩgamba.

Videos