BUDDUG VERONA JAMES:  Mezzo Soprano

Buddug was born in Cardigan, West Wales. 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. She received a scholarship from the Welsh Arts Council to study with Maestro d'Angelo in Rome and at the Guildhall in London where she performed Nancy in Flotow's Martha, Fyodor in Boris Godunov, and Hermia in Britten's A Midsummer Night's Dream. She subsequently sang Orlofsky in Die Fledermaus at Adelina Patti's Opera House, Giacinta in Mozart's La Finta Semplice, directed by Robert Carsen at the Camden Festival, and Meg Page in Falstaff at the Brighton Festival with Giuseppe Taddei. In 1986 she sang at the Glyndebourne Festival and studied at the National Opera Studio where she sang Monteverdi's Poppea conducted by David Parry.    

She has sung in the British premieres of Smetana's Devil's Wall, Wolfgang Rihm's Jakob Lenz directed by Pierre Audi and the role of Vitige in Handel's Flavio. Mad Margaret in Gilbert and Sullivan's Ruddigore at the Guernsey Festival; for Opera 80 Mercedes in Carmen and the Sorceress in Dido and Aeneas; for Opera North Fyodor in Boris Godunov; Opera Northern Ireland Hansel in Hansel and Gretel and Orlofsky; Mid Wales Opera Rosina in The Barber of Seville and Orlofsky; Dublin Opera Theatre Company The Contralto in Tom Johnson's Four Note Opera, Hansel and Dardano in Handel's Amadigi (in Ireland, Covent Garden and Buxton Festivals, Brooklyn Academy of Music, New York, Portugal and the Opera Comique in Paris with Paul Goodwin and the Academy of Ancient Music); Travelling Opera Rosina and Third Lady; Opera Players Rosina; Music Theatre Wales Proserpina in Stephen Oliver's arrangement of Peri's Euridice and Sloper and Hope in the World Premiere of John Woolrich's In The House of Crossed Desires; Camberwell Pocket Opera Angelina in Rossini's Cenerentola and Cherubino in The Marriage of Figaro; Opera Atelier - the title role in Gluck's Orfeo accompanied by Tafelmusik, conducted by Stephen Barlow. She created the role of Faranesi in Gerald Barry's Intelligence Park for Opera Factory at the Almeida - recorded for BBC. She made her European debut as Hermia for the Netherlands Opera, directed by Brigitte Fassbaender. She has recorded the roles of Rosina, Maddalena, Mercedes and Second Lady for Operavox Cartoons conducted by Wyn Davies. She has performed in the Middle East, Lithuania, Portugal, Finland, Ireland and the UK in Opera Circus' Commedia Show Kill me I love you, working with David Glass, Marcello Magni, Kathryn Hunter and Monica Pagneaux.

She has performed Gluck's Orfeo for Cleveland Opera, USA, Cherubino in Tokyo and Toronto conducted by Andrew Parrott, Linda in the World Premiere of Deirdre Gribbin and Sharman Macdonald's Hey Persephone for Almeida Opera at the Aldeburgh Festival and at the Almeida, Orlofsky for Holland Park Opera, a recital of Spanish Songs in Madrid, Anna in the World Premiere of Jonathan Dove's Tobias and the Angel for Almeida Opera.

CONCERT REPERTOIRE:

Mozart's Ch'io mi scordi di te with the BBC Welsh Symphony Orchestra and Jane Glover, the title role in Juditha Triumphans at the Vivaldi Festival, London; Matthaus Passion with Paul Steinitz, Johannes Passion with Thomas Dausgaard, Theodora for Paul McCreesh, Bach Cantatas with John Georgiadis and the London Virtuosi, Beethoven's Mass in C with the Bournemouth Sinfonietta, Elijah at the Royal National Eisteddfod with Owain Arwel Hughes, Messiah with the Singapore Symphony Orchestra, Purcell's Dido with Raymond Calcraft at Exeter Cathedral and Dvorak Mass at the Auditorio Nacional, Madrid and the Cathedral in Salamanca. Recitals with Iwan Llywelyn Jones, Raymond Calcraft, and harpist Ieuan Jones She has premiered works by Jonathan Dove, Pwyll ap Sion, Elfyn M Jones, James MacMillan and premiered with the Siobhan Davies Dance Company in Trespass and Affection (a collection of Handel arias arranged by Gerald Barry).

RECENT RELEASES:

A CD of Thomas Chilcot works with Charles Daniels, James Ottaway, Andrew Wilson-Dickson and the Welsh Baroque Orchestra on the Meridian Label (CDE84428).

BROADCASTS/TELVISION:

Television BBC2, S4C. Radio BBC Radio2 and 3, Radio Wales, Radio Cymru and Lyric FM
She has undertaken various acting roles for BBC, HTV, S4C. 

PRIZES:

Welsh Triennial Competition, Pantyfedwen Eisteddfodau and The Royal National Eisteddfod.

In 2000/1 Buddug premiered Castradiva (as featured in Classical Music) - her one-woman show based on the fictional life of a castrato featuring arias by Handel and Gluck at Theatr Mwldan, Cardigan, she consequently toured Ireland and Wales and performed at numerous music festivals including Buxton, Gower, Tudeley, Beaumaris and Edinburgh. She has performed Gerald Barry's Water Parted at the Aldeburgh Festival and the Barry Festival in Dublin, Dejanira in Handel's Hercules at Haddo Hall, Aberdeen, Falla's El Amor Brujo at the Presteigne Festival, OTC's The Four Note Opera in Dusseldorf. Filmed a lead role in a Welsh sitcom for Opus/S4C, was guest artist with Beti George and the BBC Symphony Orchestra, produced an Opera Gala in Trinidad, The Celtic Divas at the Odyssey, Belfast, directed Pirates of Penzance at the Welsh College of Music and Drama.

The James Family performed in a Millennium concert to celebrate Freedom, Celtic Sights and Sounds at the Hugh Lane Gallery, Dublin and before a capacity audience of 72,000 at the Millennium Stadium before the Wales/Ireland Match, and following the success of Castradiva - another World Premiere at Theatr Mwldan -The Family with her family and baritone Joe Corbett, accompanied by Andrew Wilson-Dickson. In December 2001 The James Family raised £2400 for Theatr Mwldan.

.  S4C have commissioned a 60 minute documentary on the James Family.

In August of 2001 - Buddug and her sister Eirian were awarded the highest accolade of Y Wisg Wen (the White Robe) at the National Eisteddfod.

.  Buddug teaches voice and directs at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama.

2002/3engagements; Castradiva in Mold, Hemel Hempstead, Bath, Darlington, Swansea, Isle of Man and Swaledale Festival, Mozart's Mass in C Minor for Dundee Choral Union, a recital of arias written for the Castrati, directing Acis and Galatea and Ruddigore for the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama, the role of Ella on S4C's Pobol y Cwm, Mahler's Kindertotenlieder at the Spitalfields Festival, Directing and performing Dejanira in Handel's Hercules with the Early Music Ensemble of the RWCMD, a recital at the European Conference in Aberystwyth, guest artist with the Manchester Camerata at Cholmondley Castle, Les Miserables in Minature celebrating Victor Hugo's life and work in Guernsey, performing in a tribute concert to Meic Stevens with her sisters Eirian and Elin at the National Eisteddfod, singing the Chairing of the Bard at the National Eisteddfod with Eirian, Servilio in Cavalli's Pompeo Magno in Croatia, Verdi Requiem in Wells Cathedral and a concert with her family to celebrate the 200th Anniversary of the artist Thomas Jones' birth for the National Museum of Wales at the Reardon Smith Concert Hall.