Biography

The Welsh baritone opera singer, Gavin Davies, was born in Cardiff and educated at the University of Wales. Whilst at University in Cardiff he studied with Beatrice Unsworth. He is a former vocal scholar of the Welsh College of Music and Drama and has studied with Mark Wildman (Royal Academy of Music, London). Gavin has also studied with Sir Thomas Allen, Laura Sarti and Paul Hamburger. He currently studies with Gerald Wragg and the baritone Eric Roberts.

Gavin has an extensive oratorio repertoire and has appeared as a soloist with many choirs and choral societies at home and abroad. In 1992 he was soloist at the 61st American-Welsh National Gamanfa Ganu in Kansas City, USA.

His oratorio performances include: Messiah, Judas Maccabæus, Creation, A Child of Our Time (Tippett), and St. Matthew Passion with the National Chamber Orchestra of Wales at the Brangwyn Hall, Swansea. He was also the baritone soloist in the World Premiere of Morfydd Owen's Pro Patria at Llandaff Catherdral.

In recital he has performed Beethoven's An Die Ferne Geliebte and Vaughan Williams' The Songs of Travel. On the concert platform he recently was a guest artist at a Celebrity Concert with the pianist, Ingrid Surgenor, and the 1997 Winner of Cardiff Singer of the World, Chinese mezzo-soprano, Guang Yang.

Gavin also has an extensive operatic repertoire from Britten to Verdi and has worked with companies including: Welsh National Opera, Mid-Wales Opera, Opera Box, Burry Port Opera, Duchy Opera, Neath Opera, Cadoxton Opera, Cardiff Opera Workshop, Opera for All, Beaufort Opera and Opera Lirica (Holland Park Festival)

Recent performances include: Dvorak Stabat Mater , Verdi Requiem and guest soloist for the Cwm Male Voice Choir's annual concert with Chris Needs MBE (BBC Radio). On the operatic stage: Banquo (Macbeth) and Raimondo (Lucia di Lammermoor) for Burry Port Opera, Figaro (The Marriage of Figaro) for Simply Opera and Opera D'Amici at Covent Garden, London,

In 2006 Gavin joined the Welsh National Opera (WNO) for their production of Wagner's The Flying Dutchman with Bryn Terfel. Recent performances include Angelotti and Sciarrone (Tosca) for Duchy Opera and future performances include Escamillo (Carmen) for Burry Port Opera, Elijah for Cardiff Bach Choir at Cardiff University and The Creation for St Austell Choral Society.

Future performances include appearances with Germont (La Traviata) for BPO and Messiah for Massed Choirs

Reviews

• The young but wonderfully resonant bass-baritone Gavin Davies made a strong debut as Angelotti and Sciarrone, Opera
  
  
• Gavin Davies gave a splendid performance with a repertoire of famous music which included the Toreador's Song from Carmen and a duet with Guang Yang, La ci darem la mano from Don Giovanni, South Wales Evening Post
  
  
• A Night at the Opera feast was rounded off in rare, dramatic style with guest baritone Gavin Davies, Llanelli Star
  
  
• Gavin Davies was in his element in a dramatic contribution to underline his versatility, Llanelli Star