B i o g r a p h y / Bywgraffiad
Welsh tenor Rhys Meirion has enjoyed international success in opera and recording and national success in broadcasting.
After two years on the Opera Course at The Guild Hall of Music and Drama in London, he joined the English National Opera Jerwood Young Singers Programme and was subsequently a Company Principal before becoming a freelance performer.
His roles include Rodolfo in La Boheme, Pinkerton in Madam Butterfly, Alfredo in La Traviata, Nemorino in L’Elisir d’Amore, Nadir in The Pearl Fishers, Marcello in Leoncavallo’s La Boheme, Duke in Rigoletto, Tebaldo in Capuletti e Montecchi, Tamino in The Magic Flute, Ernani, Sailor in Tristan und Isolde, Faust, Don Ottavio in Don Giovanni, Rinuccio in Gianni Schicchi, Italian Singer in Der Rosenkavalier, Froh in Das Rheingold, Zinovy in Lady Macbeth of Mtzensk, Fenton in Falstaff and more.
Concert highlights include The Karl Jenkins 70th Birthday Celebrations Concert at The Carnegie Hall New York, a gala concert at the Royal Albert Hall with Bryn Terfel, his BBC Prom debut at the opening night of the BBC Proms (televised on BBC 2), Desert Island Discs Anniversary Concert at London’s Royal Festival Hall, a live BBC recording of Beethoven’s 9th Symphony conducted by Richard Hickox, and Verdi’s Requiem at the Royal Albert Hall .
Rhys Meirion has an extensive catalogue of recording work, including a duet album with Bryn Terfel ('Benedictus on the SAIN label') which was nominated for a Classical Brit Award. He has also released two albums for the Australian label Stanza AV ('Bluebird of Happiness and Awesome Wonder'), and five solo CD recordings for the SAIN label, the most recent being In Verita. He has also released two albums with The Three Welsh Tenors.
Rhys Meirion is a regular presenter on the television and radio in Wales. Tv series on S4C include Deuawdau Rhys Meirion, Corau Rhys Meirion and Canu Gyda Fy Arwr. Rhys also presents the iconic series Ar Eich Cais on BBC Radio Cymru.
His Charity work has included three 200 mile walks to support the Wales Air Ambulance for whom he is an Ambassador and a Lap of Wales Challenge for Organ Donation Awarness and Elen's Fund www.facebook.com/cronfaelen'sfund
His autobiography for Welsh Publishers Y Lolfa was published in November 2014 and became the No 1 Best selling book in Wales.
Mae'r Cymro o denor Rhys Meirion eisioes wedi profi llwyddiant rhyngwladol ym maes opera a recordio, a llwyddiant darlledu yng Nghymru.
Ar ol dwy flynedd ar Gwrs Opera y Guild Hall School of Music and Drama, fe ymunodd â Rhaglen Cantorion Ifanc Jerwood gyda Opera Cenedlaethol Lloegr a bu'n brif artist gyda'r cwmni yn dilyn hynny cyn mynd yn berfformiwr rhyddgyfrannol.
Mae ei rolau'n cynnwys Rodolfo yn La Boheme, Pinkerton yn Madam Butterfly, Alfredo yn La Traviata, Nemorino yn L’Elisir d’Amore, Nadir yn The Pearl Fishers, Marcello yn La Boheme gan Leoncavallo, Y Dug yn Rigoletto, Tebaldo yn Capuletti e Montecchi, Tamino yn The Magic Flute, y rôl deitl yn Ernani, Faust, Don Ottavio in Don Giovanni, Y Morwr yn Tristan und Isolde, Rinuccio yn Gianni Schicchi, Canwr Eidalaidd yn Der Rosenkavalier, Froh yn Das Rheingold, Zinovy yn Lady Macbeth of Mtzensk, Fenton yn Falstaff ac eraill.
Ymhlith ei uchafbwyntiau mewn cyngerddau, mae Cyngerdd Dathliad Penblwydd Karl Jenkins yn 70 oed yn Neuadd Carnegie Efrog Newydd, Cyngerdd Gala yn Neuadd Frenhinol Albert gyda Bryn Terfel, ei berfformiad cyntaf yng nghyngherddau Proms y BBC, a hynny ar y noson agoriadol (a ddarlledwyd ar BBC 2), Cyngerdd Dathlu Desert Island Discs yn The Royal Festival Hall Llundain, recordiad byw gan y BBC o 9fed Symffoni Beethoven dan arweiniad Richard Hickox, a Requiem Verdi yn Neuadd Frenhinol Albert .
Mae Rhys Meirion wedi gwneud llawer o waith recordio, gan gynnwys albwm gyda Bryn Terfel ('Benedictus ar label SAIN') a gafodd ei enwebu am Wobr Classical Brit. Mae hefyd wedi rhyddhau dau albwm ar label Stanza AV o Awstralia ('Bluebird of Happiness ac Awesome Wonder'), a phump CD fel unawdydd ar label SAIN, y diweddaraf o'u plith yw In Verita. Mae hefyd wedi rhyddhau dwy albwm gyda Tri Tenor Cymru
Mae Rhys Meirion yn gyflwynwyr rheolaidd ar deledu a radio. Mae ei gyfresi ar S4C yn cynnwys Deuawdau Rhys Meirion, Corau Rhys Meirion a Canu Gyda Fy Arwr ar S4C. Mae hefyd yn cyflwyno'r rhaglen eiconig Ar Eich Cais ar BBC Radio Cymru.
Mae ei waith elusenol wedi cynnwys tair taith gerdded 200 milltir er bydd Ambiwlans Awyr Cymru y mae'n ei deimlo'n anrhydedd bod yn Lysgenad iddynt a Her Cylchdaith Cymru er bydd codi ymwybyddiath i Rhoi Organau yng Nghymru a Chronfa Elen www.facebook.com/cronfaelan
Fe gafodd ei hunangofiant ar gyfer y cyhoeddwyr Y Lolfa ei gyhoeddi yn Nhachwedd 2014 ac fe aeth i frig gwerthiant Llyfrau yng Nghymru.
Reviews / Adolygiadau
Karl Jenkins
I announce with great pleasure that the eminent Welsh tenor, Rhys Meirion, will sing the main role (King Edward) in the USA premiere of my work, The Bards of Wales, at Carnegie Hall on January 20th, 2014. We are fortunate in having such an outstanding soloist join us.
DCINY: The Music of Karl Jenkins 70th Birthday Celebration
by Jeffrey Williams
New York Concert Review
Rhys Meirion sang and acted his role with gusto in a performance that bespoke the haughty arrogance of Edward, his vanity, cruelty, and in the end, his tormen!t. He definitely has charisma in spades
Opera-Opera
Rodolfo in La Boheme for West Australian Opera Rhys Meirion gave a delightful display of lyrical singing. His vocal acting was aided by a silvery quality which charmed the ear.
Metro
Rodolfo in La Boheme for English National Opera Rhys Meirion is simply outstanding, and sings with a delicate sense of phrasing and a gloriously open-throated sound.
MusicOMH.com
Alfredo in La Traviata for English National Opera Rhys Meirion only made his opera debut in 1999 (at Glyndebourne) but is rapidly growing in stature. He has a wonderfully warm, rich tenor, perfectly suited to Verdi.
The Times
Nemorino in The Elixir of Love for English National opera Rhys Meirion has an engaging, clear tone, sings the words, and brought a sweet vulnerability to the role.
Opera News
Marcello in Leoncavallo’s La Boheme for English National Opera ENO provided convincingly Italianate singing in the main roles. Rhys Meirion projected a wide range of high powered emotion into the auditorium as the painter.
The Times
Soloist in Verdi Requiem at the Royal Albert Hall, London Tenor Rhys Meirion brought a rapt quality to his quietest supplications in the Ingemisco and Hostias et preces.
Opera
Fenton in Falstaff for Welsh National Opera Rhys Meirion’s Fenton was ardently lyrical.
musicweb-international.com
Rhys Meirion’s lyrical tenor brought a silvery grace to his work throughout, and an operatic phrasing by no means inappropriate here. ‘O Man of God’ was particularly striking, eloquently persuasive in a fashion both dignified and warm.
Seen and Heard International - Mendelssohn Elijah
Rhys Meirion’s lyrical tenor brought a silvery grace to his work throughout, and an operatic phrasing by no means inappropriate here. ‘O Man of God’ was particularly striking, eloquently persuasive in a fashion both dignified and warm
Operatic roles / Rhannau Operatic
Rodolfo in La Boheme |
English National Opera |
Pinkerton in Madam Butterfly |
English National Opera |
Alfredo in La Traviata |
English National Opera |
Nemorino in L’Elisir d’Amore |
English National Opera |
Nadir in The Pearl Fishers |
English National Opera |
Marcello in Leoncavallo’s La Boheme |
English National Opera |
Duke in Rigoletto |
English National Opera |
Tebaldo in Capuletti e Montecchi |
English National Opera |
Tamino in The Magic Flute |
English National Opera |
The Title Role in Ernani |
English National Opera |
Sailor in Tristan und Isolde |
English National Opera |
Rinuccio in Gianni Schicchi |
English National Opera |
ItalianTenor in Der Rosenkavalier |
English National Opera |
Froh in Das Rheingold |
English National Opera |
Zinovy in Lady Macbeth of Mtzensk |
English National Opera |
Rodolfo in La Boheme |
Western Australian Opera |
Rodolfo in La Boheme Don Ottavio in Don Giovanni |
Städtische Bühnen, Frankfurt-am-Main Opera Project |
The Title Role in Gounod’s Faust |
Hong Kong Opera |
Rodolfo in La Boheme |
Opera Australia, Sydney |
Lorenzo in Fra Diavolo |
Stanley Hall Opera |
Pinkerton in Madam Butterfly |
The Lithuanian National Opera |
Fenton in Falstaff |
Welsh National Opera |
Zorn in Der Meistersinger |
Welsh National Opera |
Here's a link to a Daily Post Article about Rhys Meirion's Organ Donation Awareness appeal
http://www.dailypost.co.uk/whats-on/arts-culture-news/singer-rhys-meirion-spreads-word-9524742
Rhys Meirion has performed in concert at /
Mae Rhys Meirion wedi perfformio mewn cyngherddau yn
The Albert Hall London
The Millennium Centre Cardiff
The Royal Festival Hall London
The Venue Llandudno
The Queen Elisabeth Hall London
The Rhyl Pavilion
The Birmingham Symphony Hall
The Galeri Caernarfon
The Bridgewater Hall Manchester
The Pavilion Theatre Bournemouth
The Liverpool Philharmonic Hall
The CIA Arena Cardiff
The Brangwyn Hall Swansea
The Novello Theatre London
The Grand Theatre Swansea
St David's Hall Cardiff
The Carnegie Hall New York
Birmingham Town Hall
The Coliseum London
The Liszt Accademy Budapest
International Performances in / Perfformiadau Rhyngwladol yn
Patagonia |
Buenos Aires |
San Fransisco |
Barbados |
Perth Australia |
Toronto |
Sydney |
Ottawa |
Melbourne |
Florida Lithuania |
Germany New York |
Hong Kong Paris |
Budapest |
Here's a link to a Karen Price Article in The Western Mail about Rhys Meirion's Carnegie Hall debut
http://www.walesonline.co.uk/whats-on/arts-culture-news/welsh-tenor-rhys-meirion-prepares-6521716