The Welsh National Opera has announced the launch of two new mini-series for its podcast, which seeks to shed light on the journey artists face in the development of their careers, from their first exposure to classical music, to their first professional production.

The English-language series, “The O Word,” will feature artists such as soprano Natalya Romaniw, Director of Music at Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama Tim Rhys-Evans, and WNO Conductor in Residence Tianyi Lu. They will meet and discuss a variety of topics with students artists, educators, and more.

The Welsh series, titled “Cipolwg,” will be hosted by WNO dramaturg Elin Jones, who will be joined by comedian and journalist Lorna Prichard as they travel and talk to students and professionals across Wales.

“We’re delighted to announce the return of our podcast series and are looking forward to sharing these new episodes over the coming weeks,” writes WNO General Director Aidan Lang.  “Despite the current situation, it’s more important than ever that we invest in nurturing and developing young artistic talent for the future, and during the lockdowns, we have found that many of our young participants have continued to enthusiastically engage with our online programs such as Youth Opera. We hope this mini-series gives a thoughtful and interesting insight into the process of becoming a young artist and will perhaps act as inspiration to the next generation of opera singers, musicians, and artists.”