Merlin Elite

Tim Rhys-Evans

Tim Rhys-Evans, from New Tredegar in South Wales, has specialised in choral conducting since 1997 and has become increasingly sought after as a dynamic and exciting choral practitioner. He started Only Men Aloud! in January 2000 with the overriding desire to inject some new blood into the Welsh Male Choir tradition. Tim’s approach of singing a wide variety of repertoire and presenting it in a diverse and innovative way has meant that over 60 young singers have seen OMA! as an integral part of their training since the choir’s inception and past alumni include West End leads, members of Glyndebourne and Welsh National Opera companies and popstars.

The happy accident of adding an equal number of female voices to Only Men Aloud! gave advent to Serendipity, the mixed chamber choir who have also received very favourable reviews in the national press for their recording work, been hugely successful in competition and continue to play a very important part in Tim’s life.

As a freelance musician, Tim held a very happy association with Welsh National Opera and until June 2008 was their Associate Chorus Master, preparing the chorus for Madamma Butterfly, Carmen, La Cenerentola, Eugene Onegin and The Magic Flute. He also conducted the Male Chorus of WNO in a show touring across Wales called ‘Twenty Men Singing’ and was Music Director of the WNO Community Choir. As Music Director of WNO’s Welsh National Youth Opera, for over ten years, Tim conducted them in fifteen complete operas including Purcell’s ‘Dido and Aeneas’, Donizetti’s ‘The Elixir of Love’, Sondheim’s ‘Sweeney Todd’, Bernstein’s ‘Candide’, Stravinsky’s ‘The Rake’s Progress’ and the premieres of Brian Irvine’s ‘The Tailor’s Daughter’ and ‘The Calling of Maisy Day’.

In addition to those above, Tim has also been very fortunate to work with a great number of other vocal ensembles, including the National Youth Choirs of Great Britain, the National Youth Choirs of Wales, Youth Opera Northern Ireland and Dunvant Male Choir and has prepared choirs for work with conductors such as Carlo Rizzi, Mike Brewer, Sir David Wilcocks, John Rutter, David Charles Abel, and for artists including Bryn Terfel, Shirley Bassey, José Carreras, Michael Ball, Aled Jones, Shan Cothi and Katherine Jenkins.

With the new opportunities afforded by winning Last Choir Standing and securing a major record contract, Tim has made Only Men Aloud! his full time job since September this year and looks forward to an exciting future with ‘his boys’!