The approaching new 2024/2025 Season at Welsh National Opera also brings with it the arrival of a new cohort of WNO Associate Artists, and we couldn’t be more thrilled to welcome Eiry Price, Erin Rossington and William Stevens to our world-class training programme for emerging artists. Throughout the year, the three will receive professional training and support from industry experts and receive many performance opportunities through solo roles in WNO’s operas, concerts and community and engagement work.
Soprano Eiry Pricehails from Pencaenewydd in Gwynedd, North Wales, and studied at Royal College of Music in London and the Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama. She has previously collaborated with Opera Rara, performing in Offenbach’s La Princesse de Trébizonde with the London Philharmonic Orchestra and Mercadante’s Il proscritto under the direction of Carlo Rizzi. Eiry has also won the James Pantyfedwen Vocal Award, the Park Jones Scholarship, and the Towyn Roberts Scholarship at the National Eisteddfod.
Eiry’s future WNO engagements in the 2024/2025 Season include appearances as the Countess Ceprano in Rigoletto, Barbarina in The Marriage of Figaro and the Second Niece in Peter Grimes.
Fellow North Walian, soprano Erin Rossington, comes from Llanfair Talhaiarn in Conwy. Erin was an undergraduate at the Royal Northern College of Music before studying for her postgraduate degree and further opera studies course at the Guildhall School of Music & Drama. She made her Aldeburgh Festival debut as Ina in TIDE in 2022 and performed as Lady Billows in Albert Herring for Clonter Opera. Erin is a regular competitor, and her numerous accolades include the Llangollen International Eisteddfod’s International Voice of the Future award and the 2023 National Eisteddfod of Wales's Towyn Roberts Scholarship.
This Season, Erin will perform as the First Alms Sister in Il trittico and as the soprano soloist in WNO’s Opera Favourites at the Movies concert series. In 2025, Erin will take on the role of the Countess Almaviva in The Marriage of Figaro and appear as a soloist in WNO’s Play Opera LIVE family concerts.
Across the border and to the south, bass William Stevens was brought up in Keynham, Somerset, and studied at the Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama with the acclaimed baritone and current WNO board member, Donald Maxwell. A former choral scholar at Bristol Cathedral, William’s recent engagements include appearances at Cardiff Opera as Don Basilio Il barbiere di Siviglia and The Commendatore Don Giovanni (Hurn Court Opera).
During WNO’s 2024/2025 Season, William will appear as Maestro Spinelloccio in Gianni Schicchi (Il trittico)and as Figaro in The Marriage of Figaro.
We would like to offer all three new WNO Associate Artists a very warm welcome | croeso cynnes to WNO and wish them all the very best for their future performances with the Company.
You can find out more about the WNO Associate Artists programme and previous artists here.