NAWF Brings Blue Riband Winner to Calgary

We are committed to bringing talented Welsh voices to an American audience.  For the third year, weare sponsoring the winner of the prestigious the National Eisteddfod’s Osborne Roberts Blue Riband competition to appear at the North American Festival of Wales.

Robert will be performing at the Foundation’s Gala Awards and Banquet in Calgary, Ontario on Friday 2 September.

Robert is a bright young star among the crowded firmament of promising young Welsh vocalists. In 2016 he became the youngest winner of the Eisteddfod’s Blue Riband at nineteen years of age.

A farmer`s son from Llanfyllin, Montgomeryshire, Robert is in his second year as an undergraduate in vocal studies culminating at the prestigious Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London studying under the tutelage of Adrian Thompson.

Robert is a familiar face on Welsh television having performed with “Ysgol Theatr Maldwyn” and having competed in eisteddfodau for many years. In 2013 and 2014 he won the under 19 years boys solo at the Urdd National Eisteddfod receiving the Mrs Olwen Phillips Scholarship and the Melbourne Australia Welsh Chapel Scholarship. He has already gained much success in Welsh opera. In 2013 he was a member of the cast of the Welsh National Youth Opera`s production of Paul Bunyan by Benjamin Britten. In 2015 Robert again joined the Welsh National Opera as a member of an eight part ensemble in their production of the Welsh opera “Gair ar Gnawd” by Pwyll ap Sion which was performed at the Ffwrness theatre in Llanelli and televised on S4C.

Many successes came Robert’s way in 2015 as a soloist in Eisteddfodau and open competitions in Wales and at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama. As Montgomeryshire hosted the National Eisteddfod at Meifod Robert enjoyed performing in the “Noson Lawen” evening concert as one of three tenors.  Later in the week he went on to win the National Eisteddfod’s prestigious Osborne Roberts Blue Riband competition and scholarship.  He also received the David Lloyd and Jean Skidmore prizes for the most outstanding tenor in the 19 to 25 age group.

In September he was one of four finalists in the Morriston Orpheus Coir Supporter’s Association.

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