THE CHOIR PRESIDENT
Stuart Burrows OBE, D.Mus. President
Born in Cilfyndd, Wales, his first major international engagement was at the Athens Festival in Stravinsky's "Oedipus Rex", at the behest of the composer himself. Since his debut at the Royal Opera House in 1967, Stuart Burrows has established himself as one of the World's Greatest Lyric Tenors.
His performances at all the major Opera Houses have been widely and enthusiastically acclaimed. The Magic Flute, Don Giovanni, L'Elisir D'Amore, Manon Lascaux, Eugene Onegin, Louise and Manon at San Francisco Opera; Faust, Madam Butterfly, The Magic Flute and Don Giovanni at the Vienna State Opera; Don Giovanni and Die Entfuhrung at the Paris Opera; Tales of Hoffman and Idomeneo at the Theatre Cologne, Buenos Aires.
His roles at the Royal Opera House have included The Magic Flute, Don Giovanni, Manon Lascaux, Eugene Onegin, Faust, Madam Butterfly, Idomeneo, Clemenza di Tito, Maria Stuarda, Cosi fan Tutti, Don Pasquale and La Sonambula. As a guest with the Royal Opera he has toured the Far East and Japan and was also invited to sing Tamino in their visit to the Olympic Festival in Los Angeles in 1984.
Staurt Burrows has appeared in leading tenor roles at the Metropolitan Opera, New York on twelve consecutive seasons - a record for any British Singer. He also has the distinction of being invited by the Metropolitan Opera on four occasions to join them on tour of the USA.
He made his debut with La Scala Milan in 1978 singing the title role in Berlioz, La Damnation de Faust. Since 1981, Stuart Burrows has forged new links with the Theatre de la Monnaie in Brussels and has since then, performed their new productions of Don Giovanni, Tales of Hoffman and La Clemenza di Tito.
At New Yorks' Carnegie Hall, he has appeared in concert and recital with Solti, Barenboim, Mehta, Ozawa, Bernstein and Ormandy. Of special significance are his recital performances in the Brahmsaal in Vienna - considered to be the foremost venue for recital in Europe, and his appearances at the Tanglewood Festival, Boston Symphony Festival and Salzburg Summer Festivals.
Stuart Burrows has recorded for television in many parts of the world including Canada, Ireland, Finland, Belgium, Australia and France, in which he sang the Berlioz Requiem at Notre Dame Cathedral with Leonard Bernstein conducting (also filmed and recorded by CBS). A television series of six programmes was transmitted on BBC2 in 1978 and received immediate and overwhelming acclaim from the general public; and so was born "Stuart Burrows Sings". It became an annual musical programme for eight years, reaching up to eighteen million viewers per week throughout Great Britain.
In 1981 Stuart Burrows was awarded an Hon Doctorate of Music from the University of Wales, Cardiff. In 1989 he was awarded a Fellowship from Trinity College, Carmarthen and in 1991 and 1993 he received two more Fellowships from Welsh College of Music and Drama and the University College of Wales, Aberystwyth.
In recent years he has been in great demand as an adjudicator at some of the Worlds leading International Vocal competitions including the renowned Sommerakademie Mozarteum in Salzburg, the prestigious Queen Elizabeth International Music Competition of Belgium and the 1997 Cardiff Singer of the World Competition.
In September 1998 Stuart Burrows gave a week of Master Classes in London.
Also in 1998 Stuart Burrows became President of the Swansea Excelsior Ladies Choir.
In June 2007 he was awarded an OBE.
To visit Stuart Burrows Official Web Site please Click Here
HONORARY VICE PRESIDENTS
Councillor Mrs June Burtonshaw
John Davies BA, Cert Ed.
Mrs Bette Little.