Tenor Dafydd Jones wins ROSL music competition gold medal

The Royal Over-Seas League (ROSL) has announced the winner of its Annual Music Competition. Following a final round held at London’s Wigmore Hall on Wednesday (19 June) Welsh tenor Dafydd Jones was chose as the competition winner and recipient of the 2024 Gold Medal.

The first singer to take home the competition’s top prize in over a decade, Jones competed against the three other competition finalists, violinist Jordan Brooks, pianist Ignas Maknickas and flautist Daniel Shao to win the cash prize of £15,000. His duo partner Francesca Lauri was chosen as winner of the 2024 ROSL Collaborative Piano Award.

ROSL music competition artistic director Geoff Parkin said: ‘In a set of exceptional performances from all the musicians, Dafydd impressed the jury with his magnetic stage presence, stunning voice control and interpretation of his programme of music by Welsh and French composers, and we are proud to welcome him to the ROSL list of gold medal winners.’

Having won in each of their solo instrument categories, the four finalists performed for a panel chaired by John Gilhooly CBE which included Parkin alongside pianist Alexandra Dariescu; newly announced RPS chair Angela Dixon; violinist Chloë Hanslip; conductor, trumpeter and arts administrator Gavin Henderson CBE; classical music consultant Linda Marks; performer and composer Tom Randle, pianist Melvyn Tan and flautist Sue Thomas.

During the judges deliberations, the ensemble winners from the 2024 competition, Trio Archai and Apollo’s Cabinet took to the stage before Jones was announced as the winner. Currently studying as an Aldama scholar at the Royal College of Music International Opera Studio, Jones is a Samling Artist and is currently covering the role of Tamino in Die Zauberflöte for Glyndebourne Opera Festival this season.