Welsh soprano, Llio Evans, gained a first class honours degree at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama before going on to receive an MA with distinction from the Wales International Academy of Voice. A winner of numerous awards including Osborne Roberts Memorial Prize, Dame Anne Evans Award, and the Russell Sheppard Intercollegiate Award, Llio is a British Youth Opera and Welsh National Youth Opera alumna and a former Alvarez Young Artist at Garsington Opera where she recently received the Leonard Ingrams Award.

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This season Llio returns to Opera Holland Park to play Elsie Maynard  in The Yeomen of the Guard.

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Highlights in recent season include Celia Iolanthe for English National Opera; Rose Maybud Ruddigore and Josephine HMS Pinafore for Opera Holland Park; Iris Semele for Garsington Opera; Beatrice in the UK premier of Three Decembers for Opera Della Luna at Wiltons Music Hall; Melanto Il ritorno d’Ulisse in patria and Zerlina Don Giovanni for Longborough Festival Opera; soprano solo in Janáček The Danube with the BBC National Orchestra of Wales, conducted by Otto Tausk, for BBC Radio 3; soloist and presenter for BBC NOW's Christmas Classics From Around The World conducted by Adrian Partington for BBC Radio Wales.

 

Other notable appearances include The Little One in the UK premiere of The Golden Dragon (Peter Eötvös) for Music Theatre Wales; Modestina in Il viaggo a Reims and Cilla in Waxwings for English Touring Opera; Phyllis Iolanthe (Charles Court Opera); Musetta La Bohème (Putney Festival); Clorinda La Cenerentola (HighTime Opera); Blonde Die Entführung aus dem Serail (Pop-Up Opera); Yum-Yum The Mikado, Gretel Hansel and Gretel (Co-Opera Co.) and Susanna The Marriage of Figaro and Pamina The Magic Flute (Opera’r Ddraig). Roles covered include Nuria Ainadamar (Scottish Opera); Despina Così fan tutte and Mimi Vert-Vert (Garsington Opera); and Ilia Idomeneo (English Touring Opera). Llio sings the role of Barbe on the Chandos studio recording of Arthur Sullivan's, The Beauty Stone, with the BBC National Orchestra of Wales, conducted by Rory Macdonald and  Y Fon in Stephen McNeff and Gruff Rhys' new Welsh language opera 2117/Hedd Wyn for Welsh National Opera produced by Tŷ Cerdd.

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Equally in demand as a concert artist, Llio has appeared on BBC Radio 3, BBC Radio Wales, BBC Radio Cymru and S4C. Highlights include Mendelssohn Elijah (St John's Smith Square, Three Choirs Festival with Philharmonia Orchestra); Schubert Der Hirt auf dem Felsen (Leicester International Music Festival with Mark Simpson and Katya Apekisheva); Bach Schweigt stille, plaudert nicht (Ensemble Cymru); soloist for The 26th London Welsh Festival of Male Choirs (Royal Albert Hall); and Arwel Hughes' Gweddi with the BBC National Orchestra of Wales conducted by Owain Arwel Hughes for BBC Radio 3. Llio is also an accomplished recitalist having performed recitals for Garsington Opera, Cardiff Music Festival, Swansea Music Festival, Llandeilo Music Festival Conwy Classical Music Festival, and Ensemble Cymru. 

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During lockdown Llio shared some of her parodies of songs on social media to try and spread some joy. Since then has been invited to write more parodies (in English and Welsh), translations of songs as well as original material for the National Eisteddfod, Noson Lawen, Gŵyl Gerdd Dant, Charles Court Opera, Shakespeare Schools Foundation and the BBC National Chorus of Wales. Llio is also working as an animateur for Music Theatre Wales' Future Directions project and she is currently the president of the Brecon and District Male Voice choir.

 

Please contact Steven Swales for an up to date biography.