Gweneth Ann Jeffers

Among the best of today's young British singers, Gweneth-Ann Jeffers is noted for her commanding voice and vivid personality. She has already been heard in an exceptionally wide range of repertoire including leading roles for Welsh National Opera and Oper Köln as well as concert engagements in Britain, Europe, Australia and Japan. In the 07/08 season she made several role debuts: as Gutrune GÖTTERDÄMMERUNG at the BBC Proms with Donald Runnicles; the title roles in TOSCA at the Teatro São Carlos in Lisbon; the title role in LA GIOCONDA for Opera Holland Park; and the title role in PORGY AND BESS for the Basel Chamber Orchestra and the Macedonian Philharmonic. She also performed Messiaen's HARAWI as part of the Southbank Centre's composer centenary celebrations From the Canyons to the Stars and at the 2008 BBC Proms. Plans for 08/09 and further ahead include her role-debut as Senta DER FLIEGENDE HOLLÄNDER with London Lyric Opera and the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra at the Barbican; Leonora LA FORZA DEL DESTINO for Opera Holland Park; Ravel's SCHEHERAZADE at the Nuremberg Chamber Music Festival; and Rachmaninov's THE BELLS with the Cambridge Philharmonic.

A music graduate of the University of Exeter and Goldsmith's College, London, Gweneth-Ann Jeffers completed a postgraduate Diploma in Vocal Training at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama. As well as receiving prizes including the 1999 Maggie Teyte, Ian Fleming and Sybil Tutton Awards, she represented England in the 2001 Cardiff Singer of the World Competition and was a member of the Royal Opera's Young Artist Programme.

Gweneth-Ann's operatic roles include Leonora IL TROVATORE for Welsh National Opera, the title role in ARIADNE AUF NAXOS with the Orchestre de Picardie, Leonora LA FORZA DEL DESTINO for Oper Köln and appearances for the Royal Opera Covent Garden in ELEKTRA and DAPHNE. For Guildhall she also sang the title role in LA NAVARRAISE.

Her concert engagements emphasise her authority in a rich variety of repertoire. They include the VERDI REQUIEM in Truro Cathedral; EIN DEUTSCHES REQUIEM and VIER LETZTE LIEDER in Canterbury Cathedral; Messiaen's HARAWI at the Cheltenham Festival and at the Wigmore Hall; a Michael Berkeley programme with the Endymion Ensemble; Zemlinsky's DER KÖNIG KAUDALES in Gran Canaria; the DVORAK STABAT MATER in Madrid; Tippett's A CHILD OF OUR TIME with the NDR Hannover, the CBSO and with the Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra under Robin Ticciati; Britten's WAR REQUIEM in Warsaw; and Mahler's DAS KLAGENDE LIED in Rome and at the BBC Proms. She has appeared regularly at the Proms as well as at the Aldeburgh, Cheltenham and Edinburgh Festivals.

Recent engagements include a seven-concert residency at the Perth Festival, Australia; recitals at the Chelsea and Henley Festival and at the Wigmore Hall; and two further engagements with the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra (the European premiere of Elliott Carter's OF REWAKING, and Vaughan Williams's THIRD SYMPHONY. She sang Poulenc's GLORIA for the Gloucester Three Choirs Festival and Schoenberg's GURRELIEDER with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra under Markus Stenz, and also in Japan.

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