RHYDIAN JAMES ROBERTS


Date Of Birth: 14th February 1983
Place Of Birth: Brecon
Hometown: Sennybridge, Powys, Wales
Junior Schools: Pontsenni Cylch Meithrin & Ysgol y Bannau (welsh medium school)
Senior School: Llandovery College (head boy)
University: Birmingham City University (Conservatoire)
Job: Student and personal trainer
Mother: Angela
Father: Malcolm
Brother: Gareth
Rugby: Gwernyfed club (junior) Llandovery College (senior)
Cricket: Powys County Junior


History:

Rhydian recently lived in Birmingham where he went to university, but he grew up in Powys, Wales where his family home is. Rhydian is a classical baritone singer and has had vocal training for the past seven years. He likes to sing popular opera and says if he released an album he's convinced the "whole of Wales would buy it". Roberts says it was when his mother took him to a Bizet opera at the age of 14 that he fell in love with music all over again: "I didn't want to go to the opera but my mum forced me and I fell in love with it. From then on I started doing musicals at school and having singing lessons."

After taking a gap year, when he taught in a school in South Africa, Roberts won a bursary to Birmingham City University's Conservatoire to study music and become a classically trained singer. Director of Theatre Studies Michael Barry commented that "Rhydian was a star pupil at the Conservatoire from the very beginning." Roberts had lessons first with Adrian Clarke and then with Christine Cairns before graduating with first class honours in 2007. Notably, he was the first singer from outside London to win the prestigious Kathleen Ferrier Society Bursary for Young Singers, beating 13 other second-year vocal students from music colleges around the UK. An esteemed panel of judges composed of internationally renowned singers remarked on his "formidable talent" and his "immediate connection with the audience". He also won the Mario Lanza Educational Award in 2007.

In his second year he was also auditioned, on Barry's recommendation, by the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra's (CBSO) Musical Director Sakari Oramo. He was cast immediately in the role of Morales in the CBSO’s semi-staged performance of Carmen. Other successes include winning the Cecil Drew Oratorio Prize and securing leading roles in virtually all of the Conservatoire's major classical operas and musicals during his time as a student. This including playing Charley in Merrily We Roll Along by Stephen Sondheim (June 2004, Crescent Theatre, Birmingham), and the lead role of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde in the musical by Leslie Bricusse and Frank Wildhorn (June 2006, Crescent Theatre, Birmingham - directed by Michael Barry, and conducted by Ben Kennedy).
His stage presence and charisma were often highlighted in reviews. His performance as Edward Kelley in Doctor Dee was noted by the Birmingham Post as charismatic, threatening and attractive. As Morales in Carmen he was noted for conveying genuine depth of masculine charisma. In Rossini's L'Italiana in Algeri his commanding stage presence was again highlighted.

Knowing that he would never get a prominent Opera role early in his career, he decided to consider alternatives. After graduating he auditioned for the BBC talent contest Any Dream Will Do to find a lead for Andrew Lloyd Webber's new production of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. However, he did not make it past bootcamp as his voice was not deemed right for the production's pop score. Roberts was the runner-up on The X Factor series 4, 2007. Simon Cowell has signed him up for a recording contract with Sony BMG

Faith:

Brought up as a non-conformist Christian by his parents, he does not drink or smoke. On his celibacy he says "I don't want to shove it down people's throats but, yes, I do have a faith. I am a Christian and I believe in God and I do think celibacy is part of my faith. That is not to say I don't fall short sometimes - I am like any other guy. I get attracted to ladies. But if you have faith and you say you are a Christian you can't then twist it and abuse and compromise it. You can't say, I'm a Christian, but I'm going to hump away. I have too much respect for ladies. I think sex is a great thing but it shouldn't be abused. So no, I haven't had it."

SPORT

Rugby:

He was a very keen rugby player, playing with Gwernyfed club, near Brecon, as a junior and later for his school.

He was noted as an an excellent team player, Nigel Roberts, his uncle told Sorted Magazine "He was always playing above his age group and was once involved in a massive local derby. He'd already scored two tries and was clean through for his hat-trick when he passed to a team-mate to score. Afterwards I asked him why he'd done it, and his reply tells you all there is to say about him. He said: 'Well, it was the last year for the chap I passed to. I have a year left.'"

"I had lots of rugby injuries and had a groin strain that got worse. And in the end I thought I might not be good enough for rugby. I knew that I could never be the best at rugby. With music I never thought I was going to be a megastar, but I always hoped to get a recording contract."

Cricket:

Played for Powys County Junior

Keep Fit:

Rhydian is very keen on fitness and goes to the gym daily. In his youth Rhydian was the strongest bench presser in Wales, but gave up weight lifting in his early teens to follow his passion for music.

MUSICAL ABILITY

Besides singing Rhydian played trumpet and cornet right through to his A Level music exam.

Rhydian is a classical baritone singer and has had vocal training for the past seven years. Roberts says it was when his mother took him to a Bizet opera at the age of 14 that he fell in love with music all over again: "I didn't want to go to the opera but my mum forced me and I fell in love with it. From then on I started doing musicals at school and having singing lessons."

After taking a gap year, when he taught in a school in South Africa, Roberts won a bursary to Birmingham City University's Conservatoire to study music and become a classically trained singer. Director of Theatre Studies Michael Barry commented that "Rhydian was a star pupil at the Conservatoire from the very beginning." Roberts had lessons first with Adrian Clarke and then with Christine Cairns before graduating with first class honours in 2007.

Notably, he was the first singer from outside London to win the prestigious Kathleen Ferrier Society Bursary for Young Singers, beating 13 other second-year vocal students from music colleges around the UK. An esteemed panel of judges composed of internationally renowned singers remarked on his "formidable talent" and his "immediate connection with the audience". He also won the Mario Lanza Educational Award in 2007.

In his second year he was also auditioned, on Barry's recommendation, by the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra's (CBSO) Musical Director Sakari Oramo. He was cast immediately in the role of Morales in the CBSO’s semi-staged performance of Carmen. Other successes include winning the Cecil Drew Oratorio Prize and securing leading roles in virtually all of the Conservatoire's major classical operas and musicals during his time as a student. This including playing Charley in Merrily We Roll Along by Stephen Sondheim (June 2004, Crescent Theatre, Birmingham), and the lead role of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde in the musical by Leslie Bricusse and Frank Wildhorn (June 2006, Crescent Theatre, Birmingham - directed by Michael Barry, and conducted by Ben Kennedy).

His stage presence and charisma were often highlighted in reviews. His performance as Edward Kelley in Doctor Dee was noted by the Birmingham Post as charismatic, threatening and attractive. As Morales in Carmen he was noted for conveying genuine depth of masculine charisma. In Rossini's L'Italiana in Algeri his commanding stage presence was again highlighted.

Knowing that he would never get a prominent Opera role early in his career, he decided to consider alternatives. After graduating he auditioned for the BBC talent contest Any Dream Will Do to find a lead for Andrew Lloyd Webber's new production of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. However, he did not make it past bootcamp as his voice was not deemed right for the production's pop score.

 

X FACTOR 2007 ~ SERIES 4 

Rhydian Roberts  shot to fame in the latest series of The X Factor when he was narrowly pipped to the final post by fellow contestant Leon Jackson. He started singing after reluctantly accompanying his mother to a Bizet opera at the age of 14 and went on to study at Birmingham City University's Conservatoire after winning a bursary to study music.

Ironically, it was his future mentor Dannii Minogue that gave Rhydian his only 'no' vote during the audition stages but she later went on to champion his distinctive, classically trained voice which won the hearts of the public and audiences alike.

Since being runner-up on The X Factor, Simon Cowell agreed to sign him up for a recording contract with Sony BMG and there were rumours that famous composer Andrew Lloyd Webber was interested in working with the charismatic Welsh singer.