Terfel, Bryn (in full, Bryn Terfel Jones)

Terfel, Bryn (in full, Bryn Terfel Jones), outstanding Welsh bass-baritone; b. Pantglas, Nov. 9, 1965. He was a student of Arthur Reckless and Rudolf Piernay at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London (1984-89), winning the Kathleen Ferrier Memorial Scholarship (1988) and the Gold Medal (1989). After winning the Lieder Prize at the Cardiff Singer of the World Competition in 1989, he made his operatic debut as Guglielmo with the Welsh National Opera in Cardiff in 1990. In 1991 he sang Mozart’s Figaro at his first appearance with the English National Opera in London, which role he also sang that same year at his U.S. debut in Santa Fe. In 1992 he appeared for the first time at the Salzburg Easter Festival as the Spirit Messenger in Die Frau ohne Schatten; that same year, he also made his Salzburg Festival debut as Jochanaan and his first appearance at London’s Covent Garden as Massetto. In 1993 he made his debut with the Lyric Opera of Chicago as Dormer and at the Vienna State Opera as Mozart’s Figaro; also appeared as Verdi’s Ford with the Welsh National Opera. In 1994 he returned to the Vienna State Opera as Offenbach’s 4 villains, at Covent Garden as Mozart’s Figaro, and at the Salzburg Festival as Lep-orello. In 1994 he made an impressive appearance in the closing night gala concert of the 100^th annivesary season of the London Promenade Concerts as soloist with Andrew Davis and the BBC Sym. Orch. His highly acclaimed Metropolitan Opera debut in N.Y. followed on Oct. 19, 1994, as Mozart’s Figaro. On Oct. 24, 1994, he made his N.Y. recital debut at Alice Tully Hall. In 1995 he returned to the Lyric Opera of Chicago and at the Metropolitan Opera as Leporello. He portrayed Nick Shadow at the Welsh National Opera in 1996. In 1997 he was engaged as Mozart’s Figaro at Milan’s La Scala and the San Francisco Opera, and as Jochanaan at Covent Garden. He appeared as Mozart’s Figaro at the Metropolitan Opera and as Scarpia at the Netherlands Opera in Amsterdam in 1998. In 1999 he portrayed Don Giovanni in Paris and made his Australian debut as Falstaff in Sydney. In addition to his operatic repertoire, Terfel has won a wide following for his concert engagements, in a repertoire extending from Bach to Walton.

—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire