Welsh bass-baritone Bryn Terfel is a knight.

The opera superstar was given the title in the New Year Honours by Queen Elizabeth II.

“This is monumental for people to receive such an accolade,” he stated according to BBC News. “I’m immensely proud to accept this and I think of my family, I think of my sons, I think of my fans, I think of the great British public.”

Sir Terfel, CBE, has had a tremendous  international career that has seen him become one of the great bass-baritones of the modern era. His repertoire has ranged from prominent roles in such Mozart opera’s as “Don Giovanni” and “Le Nozze di Figaro” to widely acclaimed performances as Wotan in Wagner’s “Der Ring des Nibelungen” at the Metropolitan Opera.

His operatic debut came in 1990 in “Cosi fan ttute” at the Welsh National Opera before singing Figaro in “Nozze.” He debuted at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden in 1992 as Masetto in “Don Giovanni” and his Metropolitan Opera debut came in 1994 as Figaro in “Le Nozze di Figaro;” he made his La Scala debut in 1997 in the same role. He made a famed tour as “Sweeney Todd” in 2007 and finally came around to singing Wotan at the Met between 2010-12.

He has recorded numerous albums and has won Grammy and Classic Brit Awards. He started the Faenol Festival in 2000, an annual event that features internationally recognized opera singers and popular Welsh artists.

He recently added the role of Mussorsky’s “Boris Godunov” to his repertoire at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden.