Biography
Sioned is a distinguished Welsh mezzo-soprano whose career spans leading opera companies, major festivals, and acclaimed new works, with a particular commitment to contemporary and Welsh-language repertoire. Her recent seasons have included a Welsh-language world premiere with Opra Cymru, touring across Wales as Olwen in a new opera by Gareth Glyn, Iwan Teifion Davies, and Patrick Young, followed by her Welsh National Opera debut in Il Trittico. She has also appeared in Sir David McVicar’s celebrated production of Il Trittico for Scottish Opera, performing the roles of La Badessa and La Ciesca.
Following the critically acclaimed revival of The Seal Woman by Granville Bantock and Marjory Kennedy-Fraser with Scots Opera Project, Sioned reprised the title role in Arran, West Kilbride, the Edinburgh Trad Festival, Perth Festival of the Arts, and the Pitlochry Festival, further establishing her as a powerful interpreter of rare and neglected repertoire.
“Sioned Gwen Davies plays the cruel siren figure of Maddalena with a disturbing coldness that fuels the hideous chill and horror of the final act”
The Scotsman
In 2023–24, Sioned covered the title role in Carmen for Scottish Opera and also performed the role with full orchestra for Access performances across Glasgow, Edinburgh, Inverness, and Aberdeen. Her extensive work with Scottish Opera also includes Meg Page in Falstaff, Tessa in The Gondoliers, Kalyba in Utopia Ltd., Second Secretary to Mao in Nixon in China, Maddalena in Rigoletto, Olga in Eugene Onegin, Stewardess in Flight, Third Lady in The Magic Flute, and Third Dryad in Rusalka. She initially performed for Scottish Opera as an Emerging Artist, where her roles included Eduige in Rodelinda and the Third Witch in Macbeth.
She made her English National Opera debut as Pitti-Sing in The Mikado, and covered the role of Edugie, Rodelinda. For the Lammermuir Festival she covered the title role of Thérèse (Massenet) and the alto solo in The Diary of the one who disappeared, Janacek.
Sioned made her professional operatic debut at Glyndebourne Festival Opera as Margarida in The Yellow Sofa (Jerwood Project), performing both at the Festival and on tour. She later returned to Glyndebourne to cover Olga in Eugene Onegin and Annina in La Traviata.
Her Welsh-language and Welsh repertoire highlights also include a rare performance of Serch yw’r Doctor by Arwel Hughes, and singing the role of Lisette accompanied by the Welsh National Opera Orchestra, further reflecting her commitment to championing Welsh music.
Other operatic highlights include Tisbe in La Cenerentola for West Green House Opera, her Spanish debut as Olga in Eugene Onegin with Opera Valladolid, Second Lady in The Magic Flute with Longborough Festival Opera, cover Eduige in Rodelinda for English National Opera, and the title role in a Welsh-language Carmen at the National Eisteddfod of Wales with Opra Cymru. She also covered the roles of Hel in Gavin Higgin’s Monstrous Child at The Royal Opera and Ballet.
“Welsh mezzo Sioned Gwen Davies was the Abbess, a role that represents the discipline, order and austere routine of the convent, a role, one might say, that represents the antithesis of self-expression. Her music is authoritative and controlled, but Puccini is always expressive. A far cry from The Seal Woman title role in which I saw her at the Perth Festival two years ago, but a great chance to hear that voice again. Super.”
Edinburgh Music Review
Although Sioned enjoys performing opera she is also a committed concert and chamber artist. She has appeared with La Serenissima at the Valletta Baroque Festival in Malta and toured with Ensemble Cymru. Her concert repertoire includes Henze’s Voices at the Barbican Centre, the alto solo in Stravinsky’s Les Noces at LSO St Luke’s, Handel’s Messiah in Sweden, Vaughan Williams’ Serenade to Music with Graham Johnson, Elgar’s Sea Pictures, The Music Makers, Mozart’s Requiem, Dvořák’s Stabat Mater, and numerous other major works across the UK.
Alongside her performing career, Sioned is a dedicated singing teacher in Glasgow, offering one-to-one vocal coaching to singers of all levels. Her teaching draws directly from her life on the operatic stage, combining professional technique, performance insight, and a supportive, personalised approach. Whether you are a beginner, a student, or a professional singer, Sioned provides singing lessons in Glasgow that are practical, inspiring, and tailored to each individual voice.
