Bryn Terfel is back in Shanghai. The world-famous Welsh bass-baritone, known for his powerhouse voice and larger-than-life stage presence, returns to the Shanghai International Arts Festival for his only China stop. Expect iconic opera arias, Broadway favorites, and a full orchestra behind him—it’s a rare chance to catch a legend live.

Since his breakthrough at the Cardiff Singer of the World Competition, Welsh bass-baritone Bryn Terfel has been one of the most prominent figures in the international opera scene for over three decades. He has performed regularly at the Royal Opera House, the Metropolitan Opera in New York, and the Salzburg Festival, leaving unforgettable impressions with his commanding voice and dramatic stage presence. Peter Gelb, General Manager of the Metropolitan Opera, once remarked: “His stage presence is unlike anyone I have ever seen.” OperaWire praised him as an artist who unites vocal brilliance, acting, and charisma into what they call “a true miracle of art.”

At last year’s China Shanghai International Arts Festival, Terfel captivated audiences with his powerful interpretation of Scarpia in Tosca. This October, on the occasion of his 60th birthday, he returns to the festival stage with the only China stop of his current tour.

The program reflects the breadth of his artistic career. From Wagner’s tormented Dutchman in Der fliegende Holländer, to Verdi’s sinister Iago in Otello, to Gounod’s devilish Méphistophélès in Faust, these roles have been central to his repertoire and showcase the full dramatic power of his voice. The concert also features lighter yet iconic selections such as “Mack the Knife” from The Threepenny Opera, “Some Enchanted Evening” from South Pacific, and “If I Were a Rich Man” from Fiddler on the Roof, highlighting Terfel’s versatility beyond the opera stage.

Under the baton of Italian conductor Gianluca Marcianò, the Shanghai Opera House Orchestra and the CSIAF Orchestra will perform overtures from Wagner’s Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg, Verdi’s I vespri siciliani, and Offenbach’s Orphée aux enfers. Together with Terfel’s singing, these orchestral works promise a night filled with drama, color, and unforgettable music.

Program

First Half

• Giuseppe Verdi: Overture (from I vespri siciliani)


• Arrigo Boito: “Son lo spirito che nega” (from Mefistofele)


• Charles Gounod: “Le veau d’or” (from Faust)


• Jacques Offenbach: Overture (from Orphée aux enfers)


• Giuseppe Verdi: “Credo” (from Otello)


• Kurt Weill: “Die Moritat von Mackie Messer” (from The Threepenny Opera)


• George Gershwin: “It Ain’t Necessarily So” (from Porgy and Bess)

Intermission

Second Half

• Richard Wagner: Overture (from Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg)


• Richard Wagner: “Die Frist ist um” (from Der fliegende Holländer)


• Jules Massenet: “Je marche sur tous les chemins – Obéissons, quand leur voix appelle” (from Manon)


• Giuseppe Verdi: “È strano! ... Ah, fors’è lui ... Sempre libera” (from La Traviata)


• Rodgers & Hammerstein: “Some Enchanted Evening” (from South Pacific)


• Jerry Bock: “If I Were a Rich Man” (from Fiddler on the Roof)


• Gaetano Donizetti: “Quanto amore! Ed io spietata!” (from L’elisir d’amore)

Program is subject to change