All the world's a stage for Anne

By Alys Lewis
Anne Williams-King's career as an opera singer has taken her around the world, but she still comes home to a village outside Wrexham

Soprano Anne Williams-King lives in Penycae near Wrexham

Anne Williams-King's singing career began at an early age when she won the Soprano Prize and the David Lloyd Memorial Prize at the National Eisteddfod.

She went on to study at the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester before making her British debut at the Welsh National Opera (WNO) singing Amelia in Verdi's 'Un Ballo in Maschera'.

Now living in Penycae, Wrexham, her career has taken her overseas to Europe, Australia, Japan, the USA and South America, with roles such as Mimi in La Boheme and many other Puccini heroines.

Among her many other roles are Elektra in 'Idomeneo', Leonora in Verdi's 'Il Trovatore' and Lisa in Tchaikovsky's 'Pikovaja Dama'.

She has also appeared in concert, singing with major British orchestras in the Royal Albert Hall, St David's Hall, Cardiff, London Barbican, Usher Hall, Edinburgh, Bridgewater Hall, Manchester and Festival Hall, London. She has also sang at a gala concert alongside Bryn Terfel.

In 2000 she was diagnosed with ovarian cancer but battled the disease successfully and returned to the stage.

In October 2009 she returned to sing in Wales at the Millennium Centre, Cardiff, when she took over the leading role in Madama Butterfly due to the illness of the leading lady.

She had previous experience of being an understudy when, in 2006, she took on the role of Katerina Ismailova in Shostakovich's opera 'Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk' at The Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, and recalls being booed as she took the stage.

However, on both occasions she made the role her own and gained very favourable reviews.

Now settled in Penycae, she has continued to perform in Madama Butterfly as the WNO's production moves to Liverpool. Despite her lack of rehearsal time prior to taking on the role it seems her wealth of experience has stood her in good stead.