Welsh tenor Gwyn Hughes Jones has sung leading roles at many of the world’s major opera houses, including the Royal Opera House Covent Garden, the Metropolitan Opera, and Opéra national de Paris.
In the 2021-22 season he makes his role debut in the title role Otello
(Grange Park Opera). He also sings Calaf Turandot for Opéra national de Paris and returns to the Trondheim Symfoniorkester. Future plans include his role debuts as Tristan Tristan und Isolde.
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Cavaradossi, Tosca
Scottish Opera, October 2019
As Cavaradossi, Hughes Jones came into his own in the final act, his farewell impassioned and noble.
Rowena Smith, The Guardian, 17 October 2019
Gwyn Hughes Jones’ Cavaradossi is quite the rebel and the romantic. His impetuous running off with the escaped prisoner Angelotti in Act I feels less an act of folly, as it can do, but quite consistent with his utterly glorious Act III aria, as he loses all composure while attempting to write his final letter to Tosca.
Thom Dibdin, The Stage, 17 October 2019
As Cavaradossi, Gwyn Hughes Jones’s tenor is light rather than powerful, but he hits the notes with a ping and ease that few tenors in this production’s history have managed, and he’s fantastic in the love duets.
Simon Thomson, The Times, 17 October 2019
Gwyn Hughes Jones’ Cavaradossi is exhilarating vocally, evocative of the character’s vying sensitivities.
Ken Walton, The Scotsman, 18 October 2019
Cavaradossi is given great, tragic voice by superb Welsh tenor Gwyn Hughes Jones, not least in the despairing aria of the condemned man in Act 3. It is a performance that is entirely worthy of its ultimate, Goya-esque imagery.
Mark Brown, The Herald, 20 October 2019
Florestan, Fidelio
Welsh National Opera, June 2019
...Beethoven’s political prisoner, Florestan, the impassioned Gwyn Hughes Jones.
Rian Evans, The Guardian, 16 June 2019
Riccardo, Un ballo in maschera
Welsh National Opera, February 2019
Jones, whose voice seems to gain new layers of beauty and power every time I hear him, has never sounded more resplendent than here as the Governor, Riccardo
Mark Valencia, Bachtrack, 11 February 2019
tenor Gwyn Hughes Jones and soprano Mary Elizabeth Williams reinforce the successful pairing of last year’s La Forza del Destino, their singing as distinguished as it is moving... Hughes Jones is in excellent voice throughout as Riccardo
Rian Evans, The Guardian, 10 February 2019
Sung with sterling authority by Gwyn Hughes Jones
George Hall, Financial Times, 11 February 2019
Gwyn Hughes Jones’ Riccardo is generously voiced
Rupert Christiansen, The Telegraph, 10 February 2019
Audiences have been able to enjoy and appreciate the wonderful voice of Gwyn Hughes Jones at the Welsh National Opera, where he began his career, since 1995. The lead male role, Riccardo in Un Ballo in Maschera is a big one. From the outset, Jones gives us a wonderful, big performance... He expresses his delight in his opening aria and his ringing tenor voice wraps itself around the large Donald Gordon auditorium and our spines start to tingle.
Michael Kelligan, Theatre in Wales, 9 February 2019
She never puts a foot wrong; this is wonderful Verdi singing. The Riccardo, Gwyn Hughes Jones, is likewise completely on top of his more vivid part
Stephen Walsh, The Arts Desk, 11 February 2019
In his performance as Riccardo, Gwyn Hughes Jones united the disparate ideas of the pleasure-loving, theatrical, rather skittish ruler suddenly and seriously in love. Hughes Jones sang with an admirable sense of line and superb focus, and brought out the seriousness which underlay this rather frivolous man. You never doubted Riccardo's love for Amelia, and Hughes Jones duet with Mary Elizabeth Williams was one of the highlights of the evening. Without the need to have a stagey, long drawn-own dying, Hughes Jones was able to make Riccardo's final farewell rather noble and touching.
Robert Hugill, Planet Hugill, 10 February 2019
Mary Elizabeth Williams and Gwyn Hughes Jones appeared in Forza, and up their game as Riccardo and Amelia. Their love duet, lit by pure white, is beautifully judged
Rebecca Franks, The Times, 12 February 2019
Radames, Aida
English National Opera, September 2017
Hughes Jones makes a strong Radamès. There was some finely shaded singing in his duets with Moore, and a real edge of defiance in his confrontation with DeYoung
Tim Ashley, The Guardian, September 2017
Her Radamès was ENO stalwart Gwyn Hughes Jones in vibrant voice. “Celeste Aida” was sung ardently with a lovely diminuendo at the end, while his tone in the tomb was beautifully sweet.
Mark Pullinger, Bachtrack, September 2017
Cavaradossi, Tosca
English National Opera, October 2016
Gwyn Hughes Jones’s Cavaradossi certainly hasn’t dimmed since his last appearance, radiating vocal health and strength in every polished phrase. It’s a delight to hear a singer so utterly in his element.
Alexandra Coughlan, The Independent, October 2016
Gwyn Hughes Jones gave the standout performance as Cavaradossi, resplendent in sweeping trench coat. Working from a fundamentally attractive middle voice, he gave a superb “Recondita armonia”, thick and luscious with a lovely line and ringing, secure high notes. Dramatically he was convincing; a twinkle in his eye in the first act, bloodily angry in the second act and resigned in the third. Diction was sharp and not once was I forced to rely on surtitles when he was singing. A generous performance.
Dominic Lowe, Bachtrack, October 2016
As Cavaradossi, Gwyn Hughes Jones had volume to spare and his ringingly powerful tenor sailed as effortlessly through his cry of "death to tyrants" as the lyrical arias and duets
Rupert Christiansen, The Telegraph, October 2016
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