Buddug Verona James

Buddug Verona James is a Welsh mezzo-soprano opera singer who studied at the Guildhall, National Opera Studio and Rome. She was born in Cardigan, Wales.

Career

Among her operatic roles Buddug has performed Gluck's "Orfeo" in America and Canada, Dardano in Handel’s "Amadigi" in New York and Europe, and Cherubino in Mozart's "The Marriage of Figaro" in Tokyo and Toronto.

She has worked with Netherlands Opera, Cleveland Opera (USA), Glyndebourne, Almeida Opera, Opera Theatre Company, Opera Northern Ireland, Opera North, Opera Atelier, Opera Circus, English Pocket Opera, Opera 80, Cambridge Handel Opera Group, Operavox Cartoons, Siobhan Davies Dance Company, Music Theatre Wales and Mid Wales Opera.

On her website, she describes herself as “Opera Singer, Actress and Butcher”, because before pursuing her studies she worked in one of her father's butcher shops in Cardigan and won an award for her artistry in the Royal Welsh Show in 1978.

She has premiered in operas by Gerald Barry, Jonathan Dove, Deirdre Gribbin, Wolfgang Rihm and John Woolrich.

She has filmed numerous straight acting roles for BBC, HTV and S4C and recently performed Lady Capulet in Romeo and Juliet for the National Theatre of Wales. Buddug teaches voice at the Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama (RWCMD). She has also directed "The Pirates of Penzance", "Ruddigore", "Acis and Galatea", "Dido and Aeneas", "Orpheus in the Underworld" and "Hercules" for RWCMD.In 2001 Buddug and her siblings performed in the Millennium Stadium as pre match entertainment before a Wales/Ireland rugby union match.

Discography

* Buddug Verona James "Castradïva" [ [http://www.fflach.co.uk/shop/product_info.php?products_id=63 "Castradïva"] ]

* Buddug Verona James "Songs of the People" [ [http://www.fflach.co.uk/shop/product_info.php?products_id=120 "Songs of the People"] ] .

She also appears on:

* Thomas Chilcot "Songs and Concertos" [ [http://www.meridian-records.co.uk/cgi-bin/sh000005.pl?REFPAGE=http%3a%2f%2fwww%2emeridian%2drecords%2eco%2euk%2f&WD=james%20buddug%20verona&SHOP=%20&PN=Online_Catalogue_CDE_84428_299%2ehtml%23a299#a299 "Songs and Concertos"] ] .

* "The James Sisters Sing Gospel" [ [http://www.fflach.co.uk/shop/product_info.php?products_id=64 "The James Sisters Sing Gospel"] ]

Awards

* Welsh Singers Competition 1986

* In 2001 Buddug was honoured with the Druidic White Robe of Gorsedd y Beirdd at the National Eisteddfod.

Notes

External links

* [http://www.buddug.co.uk/ Official site of Buddug Verona James]
* [http://www.bbc.co.uk/wales/mid/halloffame/arts/buddug_james.shtml BBC site]
* [http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendid=181964379 myspace.com site]
* [http://www.concertartist.info/bio/JAM001.html World Concert Artist Directory]