Few singers move as effortlessly through the stratospheric ornamentation of bel canto as the young South African tenor Levy Sekgapane. His bright, crystalline voice is sought after on major opera stages around the world, where he takes on the virtuoso and fiercely demanding leading roles in the masterpieces of Rossini, Donizetti and Bellini with apparent ease. Yet his generous tenor voice also has a deep affinity for more intimate song, and in this richly varied recital he invites the audience on a musical journey through both human emotion and musical history.

The programme begins in the early Italian Baroque and concludes with the passionate arias of opera’s 19th-century golden age, unfolding as a fearless tour de force – not only of vocal virtuosity, but also of love’s many disguises. From Scarlatti’s crystal-clear melodies, filled with tender longing and radiant joy, through Handel’s dramatic, almost sacred pleas on behalf of love’s unjust victims, to Rossini’s glittering virtuosity, where a pounding heart is painted with such intensity that it seems ready to burst on stage.

We will also hear shimmering gems by Fauré, before this journey through love reaches its natural climax in radiant operatic highlights by French and Italian masters. In works by Delibes and Donizetti, Levy Sekgapane spins vocal lines of such length and brilliance that they seem to rise all the way to the ceiling of Tivoli’s beautiful Glass Hall.