Opera superstar Sir Bryn Terfel hosts new Classic FM series

Sir Bryn Terfel is bringing opera’s most notorious villains to Classic FM in a brand-new series.

Opera Villains with Bryn Terfel will run for four weeks exploring the ruthless rogues and complex tyrants who dominate some of the genre’s greatest works.

Across four sixty-minute programmes, the Welsh bass-baritone will guide listeners through characters he knows intimately from the stage.

The series launches this Friday, 9 January at 9pm, with the opening episode, titled The Ultimate Villains. It features Sir Bryn focusing on opera’s most fearsome foes, as he shares music from roles he has performed. These include Sweeney Todd and Faust.

Later programmes will look more closely at whether some operatic villains truly deserve their reputation, or whether they have been unfairly judged, with music featured from works such as La traviata and L’elisir d’amore.

Drawing on his own experience, Sir Bryn will explore what motivates these characters, how composers use music to define good and evil, and why flawed figures are often more compelling than straightforward heroes.

Sir Bryn Terfel said: “You know, they say the devil always gets the best lines — and in opera, that really is the case.

“When I sing roles like Scarpia or Mephisto, I try to find that little grain of truth in them, the human side beneath all the wickedness. That’s what makes them believable, and it’s what makes them so much fun to play.

“I can’t wait to take Classic FM audiences on that journey with me and show them what really makes a villain tick.”

Sir Bryn has taken on many of opera’s most demanding roles, released fifteen solo albums, and won major awards including a Grammy, a Classical BRIT and a Gramophone Award.

He is currently appearing at the Royal Opera House in the title role of Boris Godunov and as Captain Balstrode in Peter Grimes.

Joseph Zubier, Classic FM’s Managing Editor, said: “Sir Bryn Terfel is one of the greatest opera stars and storytellers of our time, and hearing him reveal the secrets of opera’s most vicious villains will be a real treat for our listeners. This series opens up the world of opera in a fresh, accessible and entertaining way.”