Welsh opera star Bryn Terfel was one of the artists performing at the Coronation of King Charles in May 2023. That day saw Terfel make a particular piece of musical history, of which more in a moment.
On the opera stage and in the recording studio, Terfel has captivated in everything from Wagner to Bing Crosby. Read on for a guide to the life and work of this Welsh force of nature.
Who is Bryn Terfel?
Bryn Terfel is an operatic superstar – unquestionably the most famous living Welsh operatic bass-baritone and one of the most famous Welsh singers ever.
Towards the start of his singing career, Terfel was most often heard singing Mozart roles – especially those of Figaro and Don Giovanni.
As his career has progressed, though, he has moved onto heavier roles, in particular those from the operas of Puccini and Wagner. His vocal heft has made him a particularly good fit for beefy Wagnerian roles such as Wotan, as well as one of opera’s greatest baddies: Scarpia from Tosca.
- Puccini’s Tosca: A guide to when and why this dramatic opera was composed
- Italian operas: 5 of the best to explore after Tosca
And he has embraced a good deal of non-classical music too, not least Stephen Sondheim‘s Sweeney Todd, in which he and Emma Thompson made a devilish double-act as the killer barber and his pie-baking accomplice.
How old is Bryn Terfel?
Bryn Terfel was born on 9 November 1965 in Caernarfonshire, the son of a farmer. His first language is Welsh. He was taught how to sing by a family friend, beginning with traditional Welsh songs.
Where did he study?
After moving to London aged 19, Bryn Terfel studied at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, winning both the Kathleen Ferrier Memorial Prize and the Gold Medal upon graduation.
In 1989 he came second in the Cardiff Singer of the Year award, behind Dmitri Hvorostovsky in a close competition which would become known as the ‘Battle of the Baritones’.
What was Bryn Terfel’s first operatic role?
In 1990 Bryn Terfel made his operatic debut as Guglielmo in Mozart’s Così fan tutte for Welsh National Opera.
And when was his big break?
Terfel’s big international breakthrough came in 1992, when he sang Jochanaan in Richard Strauss’s Salome at the Salzburg Festival.
The year 1992 was a big one for Terfel. He also made his Royal Opera House debut that year, playing the role of Masetto in Don Giovanni. That same year, Terfel took his first bow at the Salzburg Easter Festival, singing the role of the Spirit Messenger in Strauss’s Die Frau ohne Schatten (‘The Woman without a Shadow’). He also made his Vienna State Opera debut that year, singing Figaro, and his US concert debut singing in Mahler‘s Eighth Symphony with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra under James Levine.
Other prestigious roles soon followed and he went onto work with some of the most famous opera companies in the world and performed at some of the most famous opera houses, including Milan’s La Scala.
Bryn Terfel and Wagner
In 2010, Terfel played Wotan in Wagner’s Das Rheingold at the Metropolitan Opera, New York. As he recalled to us in an interview later that year: ‘This appearance as Wotan came after my time doing Die Meistersinger at Welsh National Opera (WNO). That production involved a hard three years of dedication – learning, coaching, language – everything.
‘In fact, Meistersinger was one of the most satisfying experiences I’ve had on the operatic stage, so Rheingold had big shoes to fill. When I got to New York, I saw the importance of this for the Met and their general manager Peter Gelb – it was a new production taking over from a very well-established Otto Schenk production, so the pressure for that company was pretty high.
We also kept the last-night HD performance to 49 countries at the back of our minds, particularly as there was a cinema at Bayreuth that took it! While on stage, I was thinking about the fact that we were in Prestatyn and Llandudno live in cinemas, too – people didn’t have to fly to New York. Peter Gelb has done something that everybody can be really really envious of. And I really pulled out the stops for that performance.’
‘I try to give Wales what it deserves’
Terfel went on: ‘I carry with me an ambassadorial hat for music, so I try to give Wales what it deserves. It was very supportive of me through my college days, gradually nurturing me in different ways, from WNO to concerts. Wales was where I first performed Handel’s Messiah, Mendelssohn’s Elijah, JS Bach’s Mass in B minor; I’ll never forget those experiences. I know where I began and I know I’m still striving to bring something into Wales.
Singing ‘alongside’ Bing Crosby
For his 2010 Christmas album, Terfel recorded a number of festive favourites. These included ten Christmas songs in Welsh, at the singer’s own request, plus a ‘duet’ with Bing Crosby on ‘White Christmas’. The recording featured Terfel singing over Crosby’s legendary ‘White Christmas’ from 1942.
‘Universal gave me ten [Welsh language] songs on a second CD, so the least I could do was to be open to the suggestion of doing this!’ Terfel recalls. ‘I never thought they’d get copyright or the proper permissions to go ahead. It was very interesting recording with Bing’s voice in my head, trying to get it to a certain level of a duet together.
‘I didn’t want perfection, I didn’t want every syllable or consonant together, but who hasn’t song along with White Christmas? Every Christmas concert that I’ve ever done has White Christmas in it. It’s an incredible song.’
Performing at the Coronation
At the Coronation of King Charles, Terfel memorably performed the ‘Coronation Kyrie’ composed by a fellow Welshman, the composer Paul Mealor. This was the first time that a Welsh language piece has been performed at a British Coronation.
Is Bryn Terfel married?
Terfel has been married twice. His first marriage was to his childhood sweetheart, Lesley. The couple were together from 1987 until 2013 and have three sons.
More recently, in 2019, Terfel married harpist Hannah Stone at Caersalem Newydd Baptist Church in Hannah’s home city of Swansea.
Does Bryn Terfel have any children?
He has three sons from his first marriage, and a daughter with Hannah.
What are Bryn Terfel’s best recordings?
Bryn Terfel has recorded plenty of wonderful stuff from the operatic world. Try these for starters:
Bryn Terfel sings Tutto Mozart!
Bryn Terfel / Scottish Chamber Orchestra/Charles Mackerras Deutsche Grammophon
Twilight of the Gods: the Ultimate Wagner Ring Collection
Metropolitan Opera/Fabio Luisi, James Levine et al
For a general introduction to Bryn’s art, try this excellent two-CD primer, featuring beautiful renditions of a mix of opera standards and popular songs such as ‘Amazing Grace’:
The Art of Bryn Terfel
Deutsche Grammophon
And, especially for all our Welsh readers, try this introduction to some of Wales’s finest folk songs, including ‘Men of Harlech’ and ‘Land of My Fathers’:
We’ll Keep a Welcome
Orchestra of Welsh National Opera / Gareth JonesDeutsche Grammophon