Della Jones

Della Jones (born 13 April 1946), is a Welsh mezzo-soprano, particularly well known for her interpretations of works by Handel, Mozart, Rossini, Donizetti, and Britten.

Early life
Jones was born in Tonna, near Neath, Wales. She attended Neath Grammar School for Girls.  She studied at the Royal College of Music, where she won the Kathleen Ferrier Memorial Scholarship.

Career
In Geneva she made her professional debut in 1970, as Feodor in Boris Godunov and Olga in Eugene Onegin.

In 1977 she joined the English National Opera, where she created the role of Dolly in Iain Hamilton's Anna Karenina in 1981, and the Royal Opera House in 1983, and began appearing abroad, notably in France, Italy, and the United States.

She sang Arne's Rule, Britannia! alongside John Tomlinson at 1993 Last Night of the Proms.

Her repertoire ranges from baroque to contemporary works, with a specialty in the bel canto operas, notably of Rossini. In the mid 1970s she began a long association with Opera Rara, appearing in many long-forgotten bel canto works, both on stage and on recording. She can be heard in complete recordings of Donizetti's Ugo, conte di Parigi, L'assedio di Calais, Maria Padilla, Meyerbeer's Il crociato in Egitto and Rossini's Ricciardo e Zoraide and made a solo album with the title Della Jones sings Donizetti, in all of which one can appreciate her impeccable coloratura technique and strong feeling for words and music. 

For Chandos records she also made albums such as Great Operatic Arias - Della Jones.  

Della Jones is still at home in the international opera and concert world today. She currently lives in south-east England.

References

 Le guide de l'opéra, les indispensables de la musique, R. Mancini & J-J. Rouveroux, (Fayard, 1995), 

Category:1946 births
Category:People from Neath
Category:Living people
Category:Welsh opera singers
Category:Welsh female singers
Category:Operatic mezzo-sopranos
Category:Grammy Award winners
Category:Alumni of the Royal Academy of Music
Category:People from Neath Port Talbot