One of the world’s most celebrated opera singers is set to return to his North Wales roots to open this year’s North Wales International Music Festival in spectacular style.

Global bass-baritone Sir Bryn Terfel will headline the opening concert at St Asaph Cathedral on September 10, performing a selection of his favourite pieces and sharing stories from a distinguished international career spanning decades.

The acclaimed singer, who grew up at Pant Glas near Penygroes in Gwynedd, said he was “thrilled” to make his debut performance at the festival, which runs until September 19.

“St Asaph Cathedral has a resonance unlike anywhere else,” he said. “It will be a privilege to let my voice travel through a space shaped by centuries of worship and music.

“Performing in North Wales always feels like coming home. There’s something about these walls, this community, this landscape — it reminds me why I became a singer.”

He added that it was especially meaningful to perform during the 40th anniversary year of headline sponsors Pendine Park.

The opening concert will also reunite Sir Bryn with composer and festival Artistic Director Professor Paul Mealor, with whom he has collaborated on major occasions including the Coronation of King Charles III in 2023, where Sir Bryn performed Mealor’s Kyrie at Westminster Abbey.

Professor Mealor described the opening night as a significant moment for the festival, praising Sir Bryn’s appearance as a major musical coup.

“It will be an event that will be hugely anticipated and will surely be a memorable occasion spoken about for many years,” he said.

Sir Bryn will be accompanied by pianist Ellis Thomas, and will also take part in a conversation with the Bishop of St Asaph, the Right Reverend Gregory Cameron, reflecting on his life and career.

This year’s festival theme, Macrocosm: Music and Conservation, explores the connection between music and the natural world, with a programme spanning orchestral works, choral performances, youth music and new commissions.

Among the highlights is the final of the Pendine Young Musician of Wales competition on September 16, which offers £4,000 in prize money and the Pendine Trophy to emerging talent from across Wales.

Festival organiser Mario Kreft MBE said Sir Bryn’s homecoming reflects both the cultural importance of the event and Pendine Park’s long-term commitment to the arts.

“It is a tremendous honour to welcome Sir Bryn Terfel, one of the world’s greatest opera singers and a proud son of North Wales,” he said.

“His appearance is especially meaningful as it coincides with Pendine’s 40th anniversary, and our support for the festival reflects our commitment to nurturing artistic talent and enriching communities through culture.”

The wider programme includes a performance by the BBC National Orchestra of Wales, conducted by Tianyi Lu, featuring harpist Alis Huws and works including Vaughan Williams’ The Lark Ascending and Beethoven’s Sixth Symphony.

The NEW Sinfonia orchestra will also mark the 90th anniversary of Prokofiev’s Peter and the Wolf, narrated by Zeb Soanes and presented with British Sign Language interpretation. The concert will also feature new commissions inspired by endangered species in North Wales.

The festival concludes with a unique choral collaboration between Anglesey-based ensemble Encôr and Cardiff’s Hen Nodiant, two choirs with a long-standing competitive rivalry who will perform together for the first time.

Performances from young musicians of the Denbighshire Music Co-operative will also feature, continuing the festival’s focus on nurturing emerging talent, following their acclaimed performances during the Royal Maundy service at St Asaph Cathedral earlier this year.

Tickets and full programme details are available at www.nwimf.com.