Internationally acclaimed Welsh soprano named patron of opera company

An internationally acclaimed Welsh-Ukrainian soprano who has performed at some of the world’s leading opera houses has been named honorary patron of a Welsh opera company.

Born in Swansea, Natalya Romaniw has established an international career on some of the world’s leading opera stages, and has now been named Mid Wales Opera’s newest patron.

Natalya is recognised for her powerful voice and compelling performances, her accolades include being named Young Artist of the Year at the Gramophone Classical Music Awards and winning the Singer Award at the Royal Philharmonic Society Awards in 2020.

Her many other competition and prize wins include the First Prize and the Lovelady Song Prize from the Kathleen Ferrier Awards and from the Houston Grand Opera Eleanor McCollum Competition.

She is sought-after for her portrayal of the title role of Tosca and has sung previous performances of the role at the Royal Ballet and Opera and with Staatsoper Hamburg, Oper Frankfurt, Deutsche Oper Berlin, English National Opera, and Scottish Opera. 

Having built an international career, Natalya is now supporting Mid Wales Opera, which has been bringing live opera to communities across Wales and beyond since 1988, performing in theatres, village halls, churches and other venues where opera might otherwise be difficult to access.

Its work includes fully staged productions, education projects and opportunities for emerging performers, with a particular focus on reaching new audiences.

Natalya said: “I’m really delighted to become a patron for Mid Wales Opera, it’s something that feels particularly special to me, having grown up in Wales myself.

One of the things I really love about Mid Wales Opera is that they take opera out of the big cities and the major opera houses, and they bring it directly into smaller towns, schools, communities and to people who perhaps wouldn’t otherwise have the chance or experience to see it or hear it.

“I think that Mid Wales Opera are doing a wonderful job by planting that seed, instilling it in all of these small communities and towns around Wales, giving people the chance. They do a huge amount of work with young people and emerging artists and I’m really a big advocate of that.

“I think opera can sometimes feel like it’s a bit of an exclusive world, and it really shouldn’t, it belongs to everyone. And so I’m generally really proud to be joining Mid Wales Opera as a patron.

“I’m very excited to support them. You can catch them this autumn and I’m hoping to catch Gianni Schicchi myself- one of my favourite operas. 

“I will be supporting them, championing them, and spreading the word about the fantastic work they’re doing”.

This autumn, MWO will bring its SmallStages tour across Wales and the borders, with Gianni Schicchi touring to twelve venues.

With Puccini’s instantly recognisable music, plenty of comedy and a story driven by greed, family rivalry and a very determined outsider, Gianni Schicchi offers a lively introduction to staged opera as well as second half Italian concert with an eclectic mix of music for regular opera-goers to enjoy as well as those who want to experience something new.

MWO highlighted that Gianni Schicchi is a particularly accessible starting point for anyone who thinks opera might not be for them: it’s short, funny, fast-moving and packed with great characters and comic events.

Tickets for the tour, which opens at Hafren, Newtown on Friday 23 October, are available to purchase now. To find out more about Mid Wales Opera and how you can support their work, visit the Mid Wales Opera site here.

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