Originally from the Welsh coastal village of Rhos-on-Sea, John Ieuan Jones is an award-winning baritone and graduate of the Royal Northern College of Music, where he studied under Matthew Best. During his time at the college, Ieuan received numerous accolades, including the James Martin Onken Song Prize, the Gwilym Gwalchmai Jones Award, and the Andrew Lloyd Webber Foundation Scholarship. He was also the runner-up in the prestigious Elizabeth Harwood Memorial Prize. At the National Eisteddfod of Wales, Ieuan won both the Osborne Roberts Memorial Prize and the Towyn Roberts Scholarship. He currently studies privately with Russell Smythe and Caroline Dowdle.
​
Since graduating, Ieuan has collaborated with some of the UK’s foremost opera and theatre companies, including Welsh National Opera, Grange Park Opera, and the National Theatre, London. This season, Ieuan performed as Papageno in The Magic Flute (Wild Arts), the lead baritone in The Butterfly House, a new piece about the life of Puccini (Clonter), and Claudio in Beatrice & Benedict (Mid Wales Opera). His other operatic performances include Guglielmo in Così fan tutte (Opera Cymru), Maximilian in Candide (Welsh National Opera), Brundibar for Welsh National Opera, directed by Sir David Pountney, Marcello in La Bohème (Outreach Opera), and Flemish Deputy in Don Carlo, Boyar Sheloga/Bomley in Ivan the Terrible, Male 2 in The Life and Death of Alexander Litvinenko (Grange Park Opera), and Masetto in Don Giovanni (The Merry Opera Company). His roles at the RNCM include Watchful in The Pilgrim’s Progress, Pandolfe in Cendrillon, Betto in Gianni Schicchi, and Harry Easter in Street Scene.
​
In addition to his operatic work, Ieuan is also a talented actor and musical theatre performer, recently making his National Theatre debut in Emlyn Williams’ The Corn is Green starring Nicola Walker and directed by Dominic Cooke. He has shared the stage with Sir Bryn Terfel in Robat Arwyn’s Welsh musical Hwn yw fy Mrawd at the 2018 National Eisteddfod, recorded a concept album of the musical For Tonight, and is a two-time finalist in the Llangollen Voice of Musical Theatre competition. He is currently touring with the London Concertante Orchestra in their West End Musicals Concert, performing in venues throughout the UK and Ireland including Cadogan Hall.
​
Ieuan’s versatility has made him a sought-after concert artist, performing throughout the UK and overseas. Highlights include Opera Galas at the Bridgewater Hall and St David’s Hall, guest soloist at the Festival of Male Voices at the Royal Albert Hall, and guest appearances at the North America Festival of Wales in Washington, D.C., Philadelphia, and Ottawa for the Ontario Festival of Wales. He recently hosted and performed at the UK Proms in the Park concert at Plas Newydd, Anglesey and shared the stage with pianist Julius Drake at the Machynlleth Festival. On the oratorio stage, Ieuan has performed as the bass soloist in The Messiah by Handel, The Creation and Nelson Mass by Haydn, St John Passion and Christmas Oratorio by Bach, Requiem, Coronation Mass, and Solemn Vespers by Mozart, St Cecilia Mass by Gounod, Christmas Oratorio by Saint-Saëns, Christmas Fantasia by Vaughan Williams, Von Himmel Hoch by Mendelssohn, and as Jesus in The Apostles by Elgar.
​
The COVID-19 pandemic resulted in the cancellation of many of Ieuan’s engagements, including trips to Canada and the USA. However, he used the opportunity to adapt, raising over £11,000 for local charities through live online concerts from his home, with virtual guests such as Sir Bryn Terfel. He collaborated with Clonter Opera to create online content for care homes and established Home Concerts, which is still active today. Ieuan also co-wrote a children’s show for outdoor performance at Clonter Opera, which was later adapted into a film that he directed. He has since directed two additional educational films to make the arts more accessible to schools. Ieuan also launched an online teaching studio during the pandemic, which inspired him to pursue a PGCE. Ieuan now works extensively in outreach, following his belief that everyone deserves to experience the magic of theatre.
​
Ieuan is a familiar face on Welsh television, frequently appearing on S4C in programs such as Heno and Noson Lawen. He has also served as a pundit and presenter for singing competitions at the National Eisteddfod of Wales. His recordings include the role of Harry Sherwood in Cellier’s Dorothy with Victorian Opera, conducted by Sir Richard Bonynge and despite delays, he released his debut album John Ieuan Jones in October 2020. An accomplished harpist, Ieuan has performed throughout the UK, including for members of the Royal Family and the Prime Minister. He is also a proud patron of the Joshua Tree Foundation and looks forward to hosting and performing at their Christmas Concert at Chester Cathedral later this year.
​
** If you'd like to use a bio or photos to promote an event, please contact Ieuan directly for permission first.
​
Ieuan's lockdown video with Sir Bryn Terfel