BIOGRAPHY - Bryn Terfel

The Welsh bass-baritone Bryn Terfel rose to prominence when he won the Lieder Prize in the 1989 Cardiff Singer of the World Competition. In 2003, Bryn was awarded a CBE for services to Opera in the Queen's New Year Honours list and received the Queen's Medal for Music in 2006. He is also the last recipient of the Shakespeare Prize by the Alfred Toepfer Foundation, Hamburg.

He has performed in all the great opera houses of the world, and is especially recognised for his portrayals of Figaro and Falstaff. Other roles include Wotan in Das Rheingold and Die Walküre, Holländer in Der fliegende Holländer, Méphistophélès in Faust, both the Title Role and Leporello in Don Giovanni, Jochanaan in Salome, Scarpia in Tosca for Royal Opera House, Nick Shadow in The Rake's Progress, Wolfram in Tannhäuser, Balstrode in Peter Grimes, Four Villains in Les contes d'Hoffmann, Dulcamara in L'Elisir d'Amore and the Title Role in Sweeney Todd.

Bryn is also known for his versatility as a concert performer, with highlights ranging from the opening ceremony of the Wales Millennium Centre to Last Night of the Proms and the Royal Variety Show. He has given recitals in the major cities of the world and hosts his own festival every year in Faenol, North Wales.

He is a Grammy, Classical Brit and Gramophone Award winner with a discography encompassing operas of Mozart, Wagner and Strauss, as well as more than ten solo discs including Lieder, American musical theatre, Welsh songs and sacred repertory.

In 2007 Bryn added the title-role in Gianni Schicchi to his repertoire performing it at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden. He also sang the title role in concert performances of Sweeney Todd as part of the re-opening of the Royal Festival Hall, London and gave his last performance in the role of Figaro in Le Nozze di Figaro at the Metropolitan Opera, New York.

Highlights in 2008 include his return to Welsh National Opera in the title role in Falstaff, recitals in the Concertgebouw, Amsterdam, Wigmore Hall, London, a recital tour of North America, and concerts in Denmark, Germany, Gran Canaria and a tour of Scandinavia.

Bryn is pleased to have an association with several companies, most notably Rolex, Clogau Gold and the Penderyn Distillery.

BIOGRAPHY - Royal Philharmonic Orchestra

Founded in 1946 by Sir Thomas Beecham, with his vision of bringing world-class performances of the greatest music written to the length of the country, the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra continues to maintain Beecham's legacy by offering audiences in the UK and abroad the highest possible standards of music-making, accompanied by some of the most acclaimed artists of the day. Read More...