Perth Festival of the Arts, which takes place from 16-27 May 2007, is delighted to announce that world-class Welsh bass baritone Bryn Terfel will sing with The Scottish Chamber Orchestra at the Closing Concert of Perth Festival 2007.
This concert will be conducted by Gareth Jones and will be unique to Perth Festival as it will not be performed anywhere else. Whether it's opera, art song, folk song, oratorio or popular song, live or recorded, Bryn Terfel is a towering presence in the international music world.
The combination of a great voice, immaculate diction, commanding stage presence and flair for acting has made Bryn Terfel the hottest property in opera throughout the world. Since his stage debut with Welsh National Opera in 1990, singing Guglielmo in Mozart's Cosi Fan Tutte, he quickly went on to build up his operatic repertoire. His first international offer came from Salzburg, and since then he has appeared in all the major opera houses of the world, with music as diverse as Mozart and Wagner, Puccini and Stravinsky, Verdi and Britten.
He has recorded a number of highly acclaimed CDs with the Scottish Chamber Orchestra, the most recent “Tutto Mozart!” conducted by Sir Charles Mackerass which has just received 5-star reviews.
"...he brings style and interpretative insights to everything... it is one marvellous thing after another" Sunday Telegraph (1st October 2006)
"This album is an absolute delight, the showman in Terfel revelling in the different characters" Gramophone (October 2006)
The concert will be held at the brand new Perth Concert Hall on Sunday 27th May 2007. Bryn will follow in the footsteps of artists such as Dame Kiri te Kanawa, Ann Sophie Von Otter, Lesley Garrett, Elaine Paige and Van Morrison who have attended the event in recent years.
Craig Dennis, Chairman of Perth Festival, said: "This concert will be one of the most internationally significant music events happening in Scotland in the first half of next year and is very much line with the Festival’s aim to make Perth the capital city of Scottish culture for the duration of each Festival.”
Other top-notch artists will include:
The Festival will open on Wednesday 16th May with Celtic band The Waterboys,
The Czech National Symphony Orchestra with Chloe Hanslip (violin) will play Bruch's Scottish Symphony and Tchaikovsky Symphony No 6,
English Touring Opera will return to Perth Theatre to perform "Seraglio" by Mozart and "Eugene Onegin" by Tchaikovsky,
The Artists in Residence will be the Kopelman Quartet from Russia. Mikhail Kopelman, first violin, was the renowned leader of the Borodin Quartet for 20 years,
Internationally acclaimed pianist Paul Lewis, sublime choir The Sixteen and Rodney Bewes of the BBC’s "The Likely Lads" who will perform "Diary of a Nobody", have all joined the Festival line-up.
The Festival takes place from 16th May to 27th May inclusive. Many more exciting announcements including dance, drama, comedy and rock music will be made in the coming weeks and months.
The Festival brochure will be available in late March 2007. You can call the Box Office 0845 612 6330 to reserve a copy. Friends of the Festival can book tickets from 19th March, public booking opens 7th April. Anyone can be a Friend, it only costs £10 - ask the Box Office for a form or download one from the Festival website.
Check out the festival website at www.perthfestival.co.uk
