Elin Manahan Thomas

Elin Manahan Thomas is one of the most versatile sopranos of her generation. Since releasing her début album ‘Eternal Light’ in 2007, with the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment, she has performed at many of the world’s most prestigious venues and festivals, and with leading orchestras and conductors. Perhaps most famously known for her performances of baroque masterpieces, Elin is equally at home performing classical and contemporary works. 

Elin has performed across Europe at major venues and festivals, including: the Edinburgh festival, St John's Smith Square, Wigmore Hall, Royal Albert Hall, Birmingham Town Hall, Bridgewater Hall, Casa de Musica in Porto, Zurich Tonhalle, and the Concertgebouw Amsterdam. In 2008 Elin gave the World Première of Sir John Tavener’s Requiem in Liverpool Cathedral (also recorded for EMI), and later premiered his Love Duet at the Manchester International Festival in 2013. Elin sang in the premiere of Karl Jenkin’s ‘Cantata Memoria’ in October 2016, written to commemorate the Aberfan disaster 50 years earlier; the piece was also released on Deutsche Gramophon records. In May 2018 she was honoured to perform at the Royal Wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle. 

Her recordings range from the renaissance to Handel to Elgar and beyond, and 2016 saw the release of a CD of songs by Morfydd Llwyn Owen (previously unrecorded) for Ty Cerdd, and Karl Jenkins' Cantata Aberfan for Deutsche Gramophon, alongside Bryn Terfel. Summer 2018 saw the release of an album of songs by Welsh composer/pianist Dilys Edwards (‘Mae hiraeth yn y môr’/Ty Cerdd), in celebration of Edwards’ birth centenary year. 

Recent and upcoming performance highlights include recitals in the Cheltenham, York Early Music, and Machynlleth Festivals, and concerts with the Presidential Symphony Orchestra Ankara, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Florilegium and Armonico Consort. Elin is working with a variety of recital partners including harpist Catrin Finch, lutenist Elizabeth Kenny, and pianists Andrew Matthews-Owen and Simon Lepper. Recent presenting work includes broadcasts on BBC Radio and TV (Cardiff Singer of the World), and S4C. 

In addition to her singing and presenting, Elin is a passionate advocate of music education, and is an ambassador for Sing Up. She has led choral workshops with Eric Whitacre, masterclasses at RWCMD, University of Oxford, children's concerts with LPO and OAE, and children's operas with Children's Music Workshop. Elin is an Honorary Fellow at RWCMD, and at the Universities of Swansea and Bangor, and Patron of the Choir of St Mary’s Church, Warwick. 

She is an Ambassador for leading Welsh jewellery brand Clogau.