Rolando Villazón is set to make his Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod debut at the festival’s Classical Gala on Jul. 2, 2019.

According to the press release, the star tenor is honored to be following in the footsteps of Luciano Pavarotti, who “first sang [on the Llangollen stage] with his father’s choir from Modena in Italy in 1955 before returning in triumph 40 years later as an international superstar.”

However, it was words from Sir Bryn Terfel that really filled him with excitement.

“I did not know a great deal about Llangollen and the festival but my great friend Bryn Terfel has told me what to expect and that makes me very excited,” Villazón shared. “I have performed in Wales before, twice at the Bryn Terfel festival. I remember how the Welsh audience completely connects to what we, as performers, sing on the stage and that is so important . . . I see my role as a performer to give my audience the best interpretation I can of the music and words that I sing, and to establish a unique bond with the audience every single time. I treasure this very much.”

Mario Kreft MBE and his wife Gill of Pendine Arts and Community Trust, whose sponsorship will make possible the Classical Gala and Pendine International Voice of the Future Competition, look forward to “a wonderful evening of music.” “[Villazón] is unquestionably a major talent and one of the very best tenors in the world right now,” says Kreft.

Last year’s competition winner soprano Charlotte Hoather will join Villazón on stage. Welsh soprano Rhian Lois will perform as well.

Conductor James Hendry, making his Welsh debut, will lead the British Sinfonietta.