Welsh National Opera

Welsh National Opera is an opera company based in Cardiff. It made its debut on 15 April 1946 at the Prince of Wales Theatre with Cavalleria rusticana and Pagliacci, then with amateur singers and a professional orchestra; it has been fully professional since 1973. Today, with its own chorus and orchestra, it presents about eight operas a year in some 120 performances, touring beyond Cardiff mainly to Llandudno and to English cities such as Bristol, Birmingham and Southampton. From 1975 it created a Janáček cycle with Scottish Opera, directed by David Pountney, and from 1983 its first Ring cycle. Its music directors have included Richard Armstrong, Charles Mackerras and Carlo Rizzi. Since 2004 its first permanent home has been the Wales Millennium Centre in Cardiff Bay, whose Donald Gordon Theatre has 1,896 seats.