Wales has long been known as the land of song, originating the Male Voice Choir and producing stars from all genres of music from classical to pop and rock. The Welsh are very well represented in the world of opera particularly, and we’ve picked some of our favourites – in this first article we’re starting with two of our favourite divas.
Dame Gwyneth Jones
Dame Gwyneth Jones is a dramatic soprano, considered to be the greatest Wagnerian soprano that Britain has ever produced. Born in Pontnewynydd, before becoming a professional singer she worked as a secretary at the foundry in Pontypool. She studied music at the Royal College of Music, London, the Accademia Musicale Chigiana (Siena) as well as the International Opera Studio (Zürich). After making her professional debut in 1962 as a mezzo-soprano in Gluck's opera Orfeo ed Euridice, she was engaged by the Zurich Opera House. She discovered that her top range enabled her to sing soprano roles and she switched to the soprano repertoire, her first major soprano role being Amelia in Verdi's Un ballo in maschera.
Dame Gwyneth Jones sang at a 1997 concert at Swansea Grand Theatre, celebrating the venue’s centenary, recreating the performance of Madame Adelina Patti at the original opening. Patti, although of Italian parentage and born in Spain, later made Wales her home settling at Craig Y Nos Castle in Powys.
Rebecca Evans
WNO favourite Rebecca Evans was born in Pontrhydyfen near Neath (the same village as the actor Richard Burton). She studied at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, at the same time as Bryn Terfel. She performs regularly with Welsh National Opera, the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, English National Opera (London Coliseum) and Bayerische Staatsoper, Munich. She has also achieved much success in America where she has sung roles including Susanna (The Marriage of Figaro) for the Sante Fe Opera; Adele (Die Fledermaus) for the Chicago Lyric Opera; Zerlina (Don Giovanni), Ann Trulove (The Rake's Progress) and Adina (L'elisir d'amore) for San Francisco Opera; and both Susanna and Zerlina for the Metropolitan Opera, New York.
Rebecca is an Honorary Fellow of the Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama and was awarded an honorary Doctor of Music degree from the University of Glamorgan. Rebecca returns to WNO in Spring 2021 in Der Rosenkavalier where she sings The Marschallin, a role she sang for the first time with the Company in 2017.
With so many great singers to choose from, we had to leave some out. Who are your favourites? Look out for our next article, focusing on our favourite Welshmen.