Pretty Yende has performed at major opera houses, but nothing is likely to compare to May 6, when she sings before a global audience of tens of millions at Westminster Abbey for the coronation of King Charles III.
It will mark the first time an African singer has performed solo for the coronation of a British monarch.
"I feel very, very honoured because it is something that has never happened before," she says.
"Generations from now they will read about the British monarchs... and they'll see the name of a girl from the tip of Africa written in there — that she was actually invited by the king himself to sing at Westminster Abbey."
Yende, 38, born at the height of apartheid in 1985 in a township in eastern South Africa, would sing traditional Zulu songs on the way to church and gospel music with the choir.
It was hearing Leo Delibes's operatic Flower Duet on a British Airways advert that changed her life.
Opera "is a gift to humanity and there's something divine about it too," Yende says, adding that she hopes her performance will encourage more people to try it.
Some critics have called on her to boycott the coronation in protest at Britain's colonial past, but that is not her style.
"I see each and every opportunity I get as a possibility for my gift to reconcile, to heal, to love, to give joy, to give hope and to give dreams for the future," she says.
"We cannot change the past but each generation... with a small action can give hope for tomorrow."
Yende, who will sing Sacred Fire, a new piece by British composer Sarah Class, has been in demand at the world's leading opera houses for a decade, with critics praising her charisma and luminous, bel canto timbre.
King Charles III, a classical music fan, saw her perform at Windsor Castle a year ago when he was still Prince of Wales.
"It's a dream come true, because when I found out that I have this incredible gift I wanted to share it with as many people as possible," Yende says.
Sharing positive messages to her legions of #PrettyArmy fans, she says she is excited for the big day.
"I am counting the hours now. The preparations are going very well and I can't wait," she says. "I know that my life will no longer be the same."
Yende's will not be the only unprecedented performance, with Bryn Terfel set to be the first to sing in Welsh at a coronation.
The UK prepares for the coronation of King Charles III — in pictures
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Royal enthusiasts at their impromptu campsite on The Mall in London, where they await the May 6 coronation procession of King Charles III. Getty -
Police officers patrol near Westminster Abbey as security is heightened for the coronation. AFP -
A telephone box in the village of Compton, Surrey, decorated with the ears, nose and crown of King Charles. AFP -
A royal fan takes a break after booking his spot on the coronation route in London. AP -
Town crier Tony Appleton takes the train into central London. AFP -
The drum major's state coat, adorned with the new CR III cypher, to be worn during the coronation. AFP -
Decorations are put up outside Number 10 Downing Street in London. AP -
A royal fan gets into the spirit of the coronation on the Mall outside Buckingham Palace. Reuters -
Yeoman of the Guard, the British sovereign's bodyguards, prepare to board a bus in London. Getty -
The UK's military held a full dress rehearsal for the coronation ceremony of King Charles III on Tuesday night. Reuters -
A royal fan sleeps at The Mall outside Buckingham Palace as the countdown to the coronation continues. Reuters -
Big Ben, in central London, is lit up during a rehearsal for the ceremony. PA -
An art installation in London depicts St Edward's Crown. AP -
Madame Tussauds in Sydney, Australia, unveils a waxwork figure of King Charles, alongside figures of Prince William and his wife Kate. Reuters -
Royalists have slept out on The Mall in London for days for the best view of the ceremony. EPA -
A knitted coronation-themed postbox topper in Isleworth, London. AP -
Tailor William Skinner with a ceremonial uniform on Savile Row, London, before the coronation of King Charles III and Queen Consort Camilla, on May 6. Reuters -
Caroline de Guitaut, deputy surveyor of the King's Works of Art, adjusts the imperial mantle, a part of the coronation vestments, in the Throne Room at Buckingham Palace. AFP -
A banner celebrating the coronation at Kings Cross Station in London. AP -
Upholsterer Beatrice Ekwalla works on restoring a throne chair for the coronation at the Marlborough House workshops in London. AFP -
Royal fan Margaret Tyler poses for a portrait in the living room of her home in north London. EPA -
Parliament Speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle with the Speaker's State Coach. PA -
Violinist Adrianna Forbes-Dorant, 17, takes part in a rehearsal with the Brixton Chamber Orchestra for coronation performances in London. AP -
British Army soldiers rehearse at RAF Odiham for a coronation parade. Getty -
Shoppers browse souvenirs for the coronation of King Charles III outside the Houses of Parliament in London. Reuters -
Temporary stands are constructed on The Mall outside Buckingham Palace, central London. PA -
Members of the military pass by Westminster Abbey in central London during a night-time rehearsal for the coronation. AP -
Britain's Prince Edward, the Duke of Edinburgh, attends a Coronation Big Lunch at Westminster Abbey. Reuters -
The London Scottish Band in Burlington Arcade, London, at an unveiling of a celebratory installation to mark the coronation. PA -
A crown is placed on top of a flagpole on The Mall in London. Getty Images -
The official 'Crowning of the King' souvenir programme sits on a shop shelf in central London. AFP -
Workers prepare the balcony of Buckingham Palace for the big event. AFP -
Ardent monarchist Anita Atkinson sits among her 13,283 pieces of royal memorabilia at her Weardale farm near Bishop Auckland. AFP -
Members of the Household Cavalry take part in a rehearsal for the coronation at Buckingham Palace. Getty Images -
King Charles and Queen Consort Camilla will travel to the coronation in the modern Diamond Jubilee State Coach and return in the Gold State Coach, pictured. PA -
A potter works on chinaware produced for the coronation at a factory in Stoke-on-Trent. AFP -
The Coronation Chair, also known as St Edward's Chair or King Edward's Chair, at Westminster Abbey in London. AFP -
King Charles is presented with the first struck £5 coronation coin by Royal Mint chief executive Anne Jessopp and director Rebecca Morgan at Windsor Castle. Reuters -
The first struck £5 coronation coin. Reuters -
A member of staff at Fudge Kitchen puts up bunting in Windsor. PA -
A crown made by British milliner Justin Smith, created using 319 Scrabble tiles to mark the board game's 75th anniversary and the coronation. PA -
People browse a souvenir kiosk in London. Reuters -
The new commemorative 50p coin, part of the coronation coin collection. PA
