Bryn Terfel is a larger-than-life figure on stage who brings vocal power and presence to the big bass-baritone opera roles. Whether they’re villains like Puccini’s Scarpia and Stravinsky’s Nick Shadow, or lovable rogues like Verdi’s Falstaff, they connect with audiences and make him one of the world’s best-known, most-adored singers. Born in 1965 in Caernarfonshire, Wales, he's deeply involved in the life and culture of his homeland—where he managed not to win the 1989 Cardiff Singer of the World Competition but at least took the Lieder prize. Song recitals remain significant in his schedule. But his heart is in opera, with a career that developed in the early 1990s with Mozart, emerging as a go-to Figaro (in Paris, at Covent Garden, at the Met, at La Scala). He continues to sing Don Giovanni, but over time the roles have grown heavier in vocal weight—with Terfel turning more and more to Wagner in the new century, appearing as Wotan in 2012 Ring cycles at the Met and Covent Garden. He’s also been successful as Hans Sachs, the Dutchman and Mussorgsky’s Boris Godunov. But at the same time, Terfel can be more relaxed, partnering with Shirley Bassey at the Rugby World Cup or with Andrea Bocelli in New York's Central Park. He sings traditional Welsh songs. And an ongoing interest is Broadway musicals like Fiddler on the Roof and Sweeney Todd, where a lively (although in Todd's case, borderline demonic) personality shines through and fills the stage. He was knighted in 2017.