New Song Prize honours Welsh heritage and promotes diverse young voices in global song.
As part of its 75th birthday celebrations the Royal Welsh College is launching a significant new song prize in partnership with its Vice President Sir Bryn Terfel, one of the world’s most esteemed opera singers and performers of song.
The College will host the first Sir Bryn Terfel Song Prize for young singers in November 2025, initially open to singers nominated by UK conservatoires, with plans to extend this to international conservatoires in future years. The biennial prize, worth £15,000, will be one of the most valuable anywhere in the world, and will be awarded during a pivotal transition from undergraduate to postgraduate studies when sources of funding become limited to continue training.
In a competition that highlights cultural and linguistic diversity, competitors will be required to sing at least one song in Welsh and one in their native language, celebrating the importance of song in global traditions and the Welsh language, Bryn’s mother tongue.
Bryn speaks passionately about song and his cultural heritage. Coming from a nation renowned for its love of singing, and winning the BBC Cardiff Singer of the World Song Prize in 1989, it’s particularly important that this prize in his name focuses on the artistry that song requires.
‘Welsh song, or Caneuon Cymraeg, has been part of my life since I was a child. Throughout my career, as well as being a proud exponent of the great German Lieder, French Chansons and English Song, I have always championed the folksongs and art songs of this musical nation.
But Welsh song is still something of an unknown outside Wales so I’m excited to share these wonderful gems with emerging singers and to use Cronfa Syr Bryn Terfel, my new Foundation and partnership with the Royal Welsh College, to support them in their development of artists.
I hope students will find a love of these songs, and of singing in Welsh that they will take with them in their future careers.’
- Sir Bryn Terfel, Vice President, RWCMD
Song Prize finalists will come to the College for a fully funded three-day residency, with a programme of group classes and masterclasses focusing on song, text and performance from staff and associates, including time with Bryn.
The competition concert will be hosted at RWCMD in its Dora Stoutzker Hall.
‘As the national conservatoire of Wales we are determined to make sure that young people - from Wales and the UK and also internationally – understand everything that this country and the College has to offer them. Amplifying, championing and sharing the Welsh language and Welsh culture is a vital part of this and is a place where Bryn’s passions and ours exactly meet.
We are absolutely delighted and inspired to be working with him to develop his Cronfa Foundation to fund projects, like the Song Prize, that will help us to do this’
- Helena Gaunt, Principal RWCMD
As part of this focus on Welsh culture and language, the College has announced a new partnership with the Urdd Gobaith Cymru (Wales’ largest youth organisation), to create performance and development opportunities for some of Wales' most promising artistic talents.
Through this partnership, six young performers were chosen to be Young Cultural International Ambassadors at this year’s annual Welsh language festival, Eisteddfod yr Urdd. Two of the winners, Owain Rowlands and Eiriana Jones-Campbell, are current students at the College.