On Jul. 2, 2019, British conductor James Hendry will make his Welsh debut at the Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod.

He will lead the British Sinfonietta through an “opera pick and mix” concert, with repertoire ranging from opera to orchestral works to musical theatre.

According to the press release, the Kingston upon Hull native’s “raw, emotive conducting style” is inspired by his mentor, Sir Antonio Pappano. “I wear my heart on my sleeve and the audience in Llangollen will experience first-hand my own ‘verissimo’ style of conducting,” he says, “which follows the truth of the music, using my whole body, not just my stick, to connect with the meaning of the piece, the orchestra and the singers. Many conductors train for years using the stick to lead their performance, for me the passion is in the drama as well as the music, the stick is secondary.”

At this year’s festival, Hendry will be joined by acclaimed tenor Rolando Villazón, Welsh soprano Rhian Lois, and rising star soprano Charlotte Hoather. Hendry expresses his excitement for the upcoming performance: “I can’t wait to work with Rolando. He is planning to bring a few surprises to his performance, including an unexpected Verde song. Verde is known more as a composer than a songwriter, this will be really special. Rolando is famous for his versatility and passion, so together we will ignite the stage with our pure passion and energy . . . I’m also really excited to work with local Welsh lyric soprano Rhian Lois for the first time.”