Luciano Pavarotti's widow to visit Llangollen Eisteddfod
Nicoletta Mantovani will travel to North Wales this summer to present two major awards at the festival, marking 70 years since Pavarotti's first appearance at the event in 1955.
Ms Mantovani said: "I am deeply honoured and excited to be coming to the Llangollen International Eisteddfod to make both these amazing prize presentations.
"That is because this festival was the beginning of everything for Luciano and to mark both these anniversaries is very important."
She will present the Pavarotti Trophy to the winner of the Choir of the World competition on Saturday, July 12, and the Pendine Trophy to the winner of the Pendine International Voice of the Future competition on Sunday, July 13.
Pavarotti first came to the Llangollen International Eisteddfod in 1955 as a 19-year-old trainee teacher with his father, Fernando, to perform with the Chorus Rossini (which was from their home city of Modena, in Italy).
(Image: Supplied)
The choir won the overall competition, and, in the words of a spokesperson, "Pavarotti went home determined to make music his career and later said that winning at Llangollen was the spark that ignited his dream."
He returned to Llangollen in 1995 as an international superstar, performing in a sell-out concert to mark the 40th anniversary of his life-changing win.
Ms Mantovani, who founded the Pavarotti Foundation following her husband's death, said: "Coming to Llangollen will be very emotional for me because without his first appearance there in 1955 he told me his career would not have been possible."
The Pavarotti Foundation arranges performances by young opera singers discovered or promoted by the foundation, and organises tribute concerts featuring opera stars such as José Carreras and Plácido Domingo.
Ms Mantovani said the Llangollen International Eisteddfod's competitions align closely with Pavarotti's own ambitions.
She said: "Luciano had two dreams.
"The first was to bring opera to everyone and the second was to bring new people into the world of opera who could become the singers of the future, which both of these Eisteddfod competitions fulfil."
John Gambles, chair of the Llangollen International Eisteddfod, said: "Luciano's legacy has long been intertwined with Llangollen, and to honour that connection while celebrating his remarkable life and milestones is a genuine privilege for us all."
The Pendine International Voice of the Future competition will take place during the festival's closing concert on Sunday, July 13.
During the closing concert, Sir Bryn Terfel will perform songs from his latest album, Sea Songs, alongside folk group Fisherman's Friends.
Mario Kreft MBE, who is co-owner of Pendine Park with his wife Gill, and who will present the Pendine Trophy alongside his wife, Sir Bryn, and Ms Mantovani, recalled Pavarotti's 1995 performance.
He said: "Gill and I were privileged to be on the Maes outside the pavilion watching on a big screen for Pavarotti's brilliant performance in 1995, when he even performed a couple of arias outside."
The Llangollen International Eisteddfod starts on Tuesday, July 8, and more details are available at https://international-eisteddfod.co.uk/
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