Gwyn Hughes Jones

Gwyn Hughes Jones was born on 25 October 1969 in Llanbedrgoch, Anglesey, Wales. He began his singing career as a baritone, studying at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, London, and the National Opera Studio, London. Hughes Jones won the prestigious Kathleen Ferrier Scholarship in 1992. Gwyn later transfered to the tenor repertoire, and studied with David Pollard. He was given the first prize in the 1995 Neue Stimmen Competition in Gütersloh, the 1996 Arts Council of Wales Young Welsh Singer and was a finalist in the 1997 Cardiff Singer of the World Competition.

He made his operatic debut in 1995 with the Welsh National Opera as Ismaele. Among the roles he has sung for the Welsh National Opera are Duca, Rodolfo, Nemorino, Faust, Pinkerton and José. Roles for other British companies include Pinkerton and Macduff for Covent Garden, Lenskij, Rinuccio, Rodolfo and Pinkerton for the English National Opera.

Crossing the channel, Hughes Jones made his debut as Ismaele at the Paris Opéra and subsequently sang Camille de Rossillon there. Other appearances outside Great Britain include Werther for Lyon Opéra, Fenton for La Monnaie, Rodolfo for the Norwegian National Opera, José for the Norwegian National Opera and Music Theatre Trondheim and Pinkerton at the Festival Lírico Internacional de San Lorenzo de El Escorial.

In 1999, Hughes Jones crossed the Atlantic and made his American debut as Fenton for the Lyric Opera of Chicago. In the same year, he appeared at the San Francisco Opera singing Rodolfo and Ismaele. In 2001, Gwyn made his debut at the Metropolitan Opera singing Ismaele. Hughes Jones sang also Fenton at the Metropolitan Opera, Pinkerton and Rodolfo for the Lyric Opera of Chicago and Ernesto for the Florida Grand Opera. In 2007, Hughes Jones made his debut with the Santa Fe Opera singing Rodolfo and in 2008, made his debut for Los Angeles Opera singing Cavaradossi.

In 2009, Hughes Jones sang Calaf for the English National Opera, Don José and Duca for the Welsh National Opera. during 2010, Hughes Jones returned to the English National Opera to sing Rodolfo and to the Welsh National Opera as Manrico.
Mr. Hughes Jones, on a YouTube video, talks about Nessun dorma but does not sing it which is probably a good thing. In the old times at the Marseille Opéra, he would have been either pelted with vegetables and/or small coins or if the audience liked him as a person they would have sung with him Give up singing and return to your old job.

Gwyn Hughes Jones singsIl trovatore: Di quella pira
At least one knowledgeable person among the New York audience.

Gwyn Hughes Jones sings Rigoletto: Parmi veder
In RA format

Gwyn Hughes Jones sings Rigoletto: La donna è mobile
In RA format

Gwyn Hughes Jones sings Tosca: E lucevan le stelle
In RA format
I wish to thank Ross Halper for the recording (Tosca).
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