West End star announced for Swansea’s BBC Proms in the Park

WEST End and Broadway singing star John Owen-Jones will share the stage with Rebecca Evans at BBC Proms in the Park in Swansea later this summer.

The star will take to the stage in the Singleton Park concert on Saturday September 12.

The Burry Port-born singing sensation is due to reprise The Phantom in The Phantom of the Opera which has earned him rave reviews and the adoration of fans across the world.

Renowned for his musical versatility, John is best-known for his outstanding lead role as Jean Valjean in Les Misérables with his interpretation of Bring Him Home moving audiences to tears.

John completes the line-up for what promises to be a glittering evening. He’ll appear with Welsh operatic soprano Rebecca Evans, from Pontrhydyfen near Neath, to perform with the BBC National Orchestra and Chorus of Wales, led by conductor Gareth Jones.

Neath-born Gareth has conducted at opera houses, concerts and festivals across the globe.

Adding to the line-up are presenters Alex Jones, who hails from Ammanford, and Tim Rhys-Evans, of Only Men Aloud fame, who will host the evening.

Advance tickets from £10 are currently on sale until the end of July. Prices will rise to £12 from August 1 until the day before the event.

Tickets on the day will cost £15 although entry is free for accompanied children aged 12 and under.

Rhodri Talfan Davies, BBC Cymru Wales Director, said: “Bringing musical talent from different worlds together to perform with our very own symphony orchestra is part of the special alchemy of BBC Proms in the Park. This all-Welsh line-up of hugely gifted performers is sure to enchant the audience both in the park and at home.”

Swansea Council is supporting the event.

Cllr Robert Francis-Davies, Cabinet Member for Enterprise, Development and Regeneration, said: “Proms in the Park is a brilliant event that’s strongly supported by residents and businesses in Swansea. We’re thrilled to be playing our part in this great cultural occasion that helps showcase our city to a UK-wide audience.”

The event in Swansea is part of the Last Night of the Proms celebration, which radiates out from the Royal Albert Hall to embrace all four nations of the UK. Last Night events are being held in London’s Hyde Park as well as parks in Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales. The BBC Proms is the world’s largest classical music festival, with 92 events in 2015 across eight weeks.

Music lovers are invited to come along with picnics and flags to celebrate at Swansea’s open-air concert. The evening will culminate this year with a traditional sing-along featuring a Sound of Music medley.

Proms goers can also capture the atmosphere from the comfort of their own home, with live coverage from Singleton Park on BBC Radio Wales or on iPlayer via www.bbc.co.uk/radiowales .

Visit www.bbc.co.uk/promsinthepark to buy tickets or keep up to date with event developments.