ABOUT
Dr Wilhelm Lichtenberg
The singing surgeon
IT START WITH -
An endless passion for music, for voices,
for discovery, for people, for life.
Dr Wilhelm Lichtenberg is a husband to his beautiful wife and father of three wonderful children. South Africa’s “Singing Surgeon” lives in Cape Town, where he is in full-time practice as a Cardiothoracic Surgeon.
His father fostered his deep love of music and he dreamed of being an opera singer from a young age.
During his student years, he played the trumpet in a number of symphony orchestras.
He obtained his medical degree at the University of the Free State and went on to specialise, graduating with a Master’s Degree from the Christiaan Barnard Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery at the University of Cape Town in 2006.
He also holds a postgraduate certificate in Medico-legal Practice from the Law Faculty at the University of Cape Town.
To indulge his love of music, he studies singing with renowned mezzo-soprano Violina Anguelov and under her tutelage, he has matured and developed a rich, strong and soaring tenor voice, able to deliver both classical and contemporary genres with effortless clarity.
In 2019 he released his debut solo album entitled “Tale van my Hart”, which includes collaborations with the multi-award winning and internationally renowned singer-songwriter Stef Bos, as well as with the South African National Youth Choir.
Wilhelm is also a member of the Cape Town Gilbert and Sullivan company and has appeared as a soloist with them on a number of occasions.
IT NEVER ENDS
Passion never dies. It grows
stronger every day.
When he is not singing or performing open-heart surgery, he spends his time reading, cooking for his family, cycling, hiking or golfing with his son. Being in the front lines of the management of the pandemic, he understands the ravages and difficulties brought about by the current situation and its consequent devastating impact on particularly the marginalized members of South African society. This, coupled with his love of music, is what led to his initiative of creating a series of music videos to bolster the morale of healthcare workers.
