The BBC Cardiff Singer of the Year was first held in 1983 to celebrate the opening of St David's Hall in Cardiff and is now regarded as the most important operatic competition in the world. The most famous contest year was that of 1989, when in the legendary Battle of the Baritones, Bryn Terfel won the Lieder prize and Dmitri Hvorostovsky took the overall title.  Twenty five contestants come from all over the world after a series of auditions and can enter for both the song and opera prizes.  The jury is made up of a distinguished panel of former singers. There is also an audience prize and there is usually a noticeable tension between the two views.  Our tour includes two main Competition recitals, the Master Classes and the Song and Main Competition Finals.  The four earlier days of the competition are also available at an additional cost.

Cardiff has added to the regeneration of the docks area with the building of the Millennium Centre, the new home of the Welsh National Opera.  Cardiff is also home to one of the finest Impressionist Art collections, formed by the Davies sisters from the early 1900s.  The Marquis of Bute, whose family had become wealthy from their interests in coal, employed the great Victorian designer, William Burges, to reinterpret Cardiff Castle in the fashionable styles of Mediterranean and Oriental decorations.  Within a Gothic exterior he created a fantasy of marble, stained glass and gilded wood.

Hotel: We stay in premium double rooms at the 4-star Angel Hotel. A Victorian landmark in the heart of the Welsh capital between the awe-inspiring Millennium Stadium and Cardiff Castle. The hotel is within walking distance of St David’s Hall..

Programme details for the 2009 competition will be available shortly.