Wales’ longest serving Vice Chancellor will lead WNO’s Board when Yvette Vaughan Jones’ term ends in Autumn 2025
Welsh National Opera (WNO) has announced the appointment of Professor Medwin Hughes CBE DL as the new Chair of its Board of Directors.
Hughes is former Vice Chancellor of University of Wales Trinity St David and Vice Chancellor of the University of Wales. During his accomplished 23-year career in higher education he led some of the largest transformational projects in the educational landscape in Wales and he has played a key role in several strategic initiatives associated with the arts in Wales.
A fluent Welsh speaker, Hughes has served as the Deputy Chair of the Welsh Language Board and on numerous advisory committees of the Welsh Government and the Council of Europe regarding educational and cultural policy. His extensive service and leadership across many national charities and public bodies in Wales reaffirms his commitment and dedication to developing and supporting sustainable and resilient communities.
He joined the WNO Board in July 2022 and was appointed Senior Independent Director in January 2024. He becomes Chair in September 2025 when Yvette Vaughan Jones’ six-year term ends.
Medwin Hughes said: “It is a great privilege to be appointed WNO Chair at such an exciting and transformational time for the Company, and I’m grateful to my fellow trustees for their confidence in my leadership. I also wish to express my sincere gratitude to Yvette Vaughan Jones for her remarkable contribution during her tenure.
“We should take immense pride in WNO’s outstanding international reputation. This is a Company that consistently excels and demonstrates the best of our nation’s rich artistic tradition. As we celebrate 80 years of service, I’m delighted to be working with our new General Directors as they shape an inspiring future for the Company.”
Adele Thomas and Sarah Crabtree joined WNO as Co-General Directors and CEOs in January 2025 - sharing oversight of the artistic direction and management of the Company. Internationally acclaimed theatre and opera director Thomas previously directed WNO’s production of Verdi’s Rigoletto, while visionary producer Crabtree joined the Company from The Royal Ballet and Opera, where she was Creative Producer and Head of Linbury Theatre (opera).
Adele Thomas and Sarah Crabtree said: “We’re delighted to welcome Medwin Hughes as our new WNO Chair in the Autumn. Medwin comes from the long tradition of the quiet radical and his exceptional track record in leadership and transformation speaks for itself. He is passionate about the power of the arts to transform lives and the necessity of art even and especially in times of crisis. We look forward to working with Medwin, his guidance will be invaluable as we embark on this exciting new chapter in WNO’s story.
"We are also deeply grateful to Yvette Vaughan Jones, who has been a dedicated Chair during a challenging period for the Company. As she concludes her tenure, we celebrate her immense professional contribution and the generous spirit she brought to the role, which has allowed us to build the opera company of the future.”
Yvette Vaughan Jones has a distinguished career working in the arts - in Wales and internationally. She was the first woman in the Company’s history to hold the role of WNO Chair, when she joined the Board in October 2019.
Yvette Vaughan Jones said: "I am delighted that Medwin Hughes has agreed to take on the role of Chair of this wonderful Company. Medwin's wisdom, experience and vast networks of peers and friends will provide the best kind of leadership.
“I am also very pleased that the WNO Board members felt that the continuity of appointing an existing board member to provide that stability is what the Company needs at this moment in its history, under Sarah and Adele’s leadership. We are both keen to work together on the handover to provide a seamless transition and I very much look forward to working with him on this.”
Catryn Ramasut, Director of Arts for Arts Council of Wales, said: “We congratulate Medwin Hughes on his appointment as Chair and look forward to a positive and collaborative relationship as he navigates the company to a strong and sustainable future with excellence and inclusion at its heart. We also thank Yvette Vaughan Jones for her years of service to the Company and wider arts sector.”
Phil Gibby, South West Area Director at Arts Council England, said: "We are pleased to welcome Medwin Hughes as the incoming Chair of Welsh National Opera. His leadership working alongside the impressive new General Directors, Adele Thomas and Sarah Crabtree, will ensure that the company continues to go from strength to strength in the coming years. We thank Yvette Vaughan Jones for her service as a collaborative and forward-thinking Chair and look forward to working with both Chairs through the transition period in support of a strong future for the Company."
Full details of the WNO Board, including biographies, can be found here.
ENDS
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Notes to Editors
Welsh National Opera is the national opera company for Wales, funded by the Arts Councils of Wales and England to provide large-scale opera, concerts and outreach across Wales and to major cities in the English regions. We endeavour to provide transformative experiences through our education and outreach programme and our award-winning digital projects. We work with our partners to discover and nurture young operatic talent, and we aim to show future generations that opera is a rewarding, relevant and universal art form with the power to affect and inspire.
WNO production images are available for download at wno.org.uk/press