On Friday 29th April, Member of Parliament for Clwyd South, Simon Baynes MP, visited the The Stiwt Theatre in Rhosllanerchrugog and met with North Wales Opera Studio singers before watching their performance of Verdi's tragic love story La Traviata.
The international cast comprised singers from many countries and talented people from the local area, and the opera itself was performed in its original Italian.
Anne Williams-King (international operatic soprano and singing teacher) along with her husband, David Bartleet (tenor and singing teacher) created the North Wales Opera Studio in 2015 with a view to bringing their expertise to North Wales and beyond; and it has since gone from strength to strength. The Studio provides top-class training and performance opportunities to singers who have been nurtured and taught within its educational endeavours.
Anne Williams-King, the Director of North Wales Opera Studio, said:
“I was delighted that Simon Baynes MP and his wife Maggie Baynes came to support our performance of La Traviata. Our next step is to get funding for our company in order to carry on the valuable training and performing opportunities we are providing for young singers in the North Wales area – we are unique in this respect! Our endeavours ensure that our performances are top class giving our students a taste of what it's like actually working as a professional singer in the opera business, but in a nurturing, encouraging environment."
Commenting after the visit, Simon Baynes MP said:
“Many congratulations to Anne Williams-King and North Wales Opera Studio for a wonderful performance of La Traviata at The Stiwt Theatre in Rhosllanerchugog which my wife Maggie and I both greatly enjoyed. It was a pleasure for us to meet Anne and some of the opera singers before the performance and the magnificent Stiwt Theatre made the perfect setting for this iconic opera which combines romance and tragedy in equal measure.”
