Gwyneth Jones (soprano)

Dame Gwyneth Jones DBE (born 7 November 1936) is a Welsh dramatic soprano, widely regarded as one of the greatest Wagnerian sopranos of the second half of the 20th century. The possessor of a large-scaled, powerful dramatic soprano voice, joined to a vivid stage presence and finely developed acting ability, Jones enjoyed an extensive international career that took her to all the world's major opera houses. Her talent was cultivated through a long relationship with the Bayreuther Festspiele, through which she developed a more human, vulnerable, and womanly image for Richard Wagner's main female characters. She is best known for her rendition of Brünnhilde in the 1976 Jahrhundertring at Bayreuth, staged to commemorate the theater's centenary anniversary.