Royal Welsh College Semi-finalists
for BBC Radio 2 Kiri Prize
Three Royal Welsh College graduates have been selected for the
semi-finals of the BBC Radio 2 Kiri prize, a nationwide hunt with
Dame Kiri Te Kanawa to find an opera star of the future.
After attending masterclasses with Dame Kiri, mezzo-sporano Anne
Howells and renowned conductor Robin Stapleton, graduates
Catrin Aur, Rhian Lewis and
Gwawr Edwards were among the fifteen performers
selected to go through to the semi-final.
Catrin is currently at the International Academy of Voice in
Cardiff and Rhian has won a number of awards and is a former member
of the Glyndebourne Festival Opera Chorus. Gwawr is currently at
Glyndebourne and has just recorded a duet with Bryn Terfel.
The semi-finalists will perform in one of five special Friday
Night is Music Night programmes accompanied by the BBC Concert
Orchestra.
Five singers will then go forward to the final which will be
broadcast on Friday 3 September.
The winner will perform with Dame Kiri at BBC Proms in the Park
in London’s Hyde Park on Saturday 11 September and will be given
the opportunity to attend a three week residential course at the
Solti Te Kanawa Academia in Italy.