Rhys Meirion Musical artist
Rhys Meirion was born in Porthmadog, Gwynedd, and is a Welsh opera and concert singer. He worked as a primary school headteacher at Ysgol Pentrecelyn near Ruthin before leaving in 1997 to study opera at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London. He is one of 'The Three Welsh Tenors' and his album with Bryn Terfel, "Benedictus", was nominated for a Classical Brit Award in 2006. He has sung the part of Rodolfo with Frankfurt Opera, West Australian Opera and at Opera Australia, and the title role in Gounod's Faust at the Hong Kong Opera Society.He joined English National Opera in 1999 and later became Company Principal from 2001 to 2004. There he sang most of the leading tenor roles including Rodolfo in La Boheme and Pinkerton in Madam Butterfly. He also played the role of 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, title role in Ernani, Sailor in Tristan und Isolde, Rinuccio in Gianni Schicchi, Italian Singer in Der Rosenkavalier, Froh in Das Rheingold and Zinovy in Lady Macbeth of Mtzensk.