{"id":120695,"date":"2026-01-05T15:37:47","date_gmt":"2026-01-05T20:37:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/?p=120695"},"modified":"2026-01-06T07:00:02","modified_gmt":"2026-01-06T12:00:02","slug":"interview-composer-conductor-paul-frehner-librettist-director-angela-j-murphy-talk-madog-opera","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/2026\/01\/05\/interview-composer-conductor-paul-frehner-librettist-director-angela-j-murphy-talk-madog-opera\/","title":{"rendered":"INTERVIEW | Composer-Conductor Paul Frehner & Librettist-Director Angela J. Murphy Talk About Madog, The Opera"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"The
The live performance of Madog, with composer-conductor Paul Frehner, Ensemble Paramirabo, and baritone Jeremy Huw Williams (Photo: Kevin Calixte)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

A legendary Welsh prince and a post-apocalyptic story about environmental renewal \u2014 it\u2019s the heart of Madog, a one-man opera by composer Paul Frehner and librettist Angela J. Murphy. Horizon: Madog will be released on the Navona Records label on January 16, 2026<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Madog is a trilingual opera, written in English, Welsh, and French. Montr\u00e9al\u2019s Ensemble Paramirabo perform on the album alongside baritone Jeremy Huw Williams.<\/p>\n

The album includes the full opera along with \u2018Un pont sanguin\u2019, an additional piece for sextet by Frehner.<\/p>\n

The Story<\/h2>\n

The story is set in a future world where the planet has been virtually destroyed by climate-driven flooding. Communications systems have collapsed across the globe.<\/p>\n

Enter Madog, descendant of the legendary Welsh prince of the same name. Madog ab Owain Gwynedd is a figure in Welsh folklore, a prince who was said to have sailed across the ocean to the Americas in 1170 \u2014 three centuries before Christopher Columbus\u2019s voyage. According to the legend, Madog (also called Madoc) was said to be the son of Owain Gwynedd, a real historic figure and the Welsh King from 1137 until 1170. Madog fled Wales because of the prevailing violence of the era.<\/p>\n

The Madog of the opera rejects harmful technology and promotes an earth-first philosophy.<\/p>\n

In the future world of the opera, people are gradually beginning to rebuild their societies. Madog looks to discover his own heritage as he works to unite the emerging present-day cultures around shared values.<\/p>\n

In contrast to the more pessimistic environmental message of so many works in various media, Madog examines the ways that diverse communities can work together for create a better future.<\/p>\n

\"Composer-conductor
Composer-conductor Paul Frehner at the premiere (Photo: Kevin Calixte))<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The Artists<\/h2>\n

Paul Frehner<\/h3>\n

Composer and conductor Paul Frehner is a native of Montr\u00e9al. He\u2019s become known for a diverse catalogue of works that incorporate elements of rock, folk, jazz, and progressive music, along with literature, science, and the natural world. He has composed orchestral and chamber music, opera, choral works, and electroacoustic music.<\/p>\n

Paul\u2019s music has been widely commissioned and performed across the globe, and his accolades include First Prize in the Prague Philharmonia\u2019s Third Millennium Composition Competition. He is an Associate Professor at Western University, where he teaches composition and directs the CEARP electroacoustic music studio.<\/p>\n

Angela J. Murphy<\/h3>\n

Angela J. Murphy is based in Montr\u00e9al. She graduated from both the Theatre program at Dawson College, and the English and Creative Writing program at Concordia University. People and human nature form the heart of her creative work.<\/p>\n

She first collaborated with composer Paul Frehner as a librettist in 2003 on the opera Sirius on Earth. The work was produced in London, England, and funded by the Genesis Foundation. Sirius is also set in a future world, but with a darker and more dystopian flavour. Humanity has been cured of its sadness, but the result is a detriment to the very essence of what it means to be human.<\/p>\n

Jeremy Huw Williams<\/h3>\n

Welsh baritone Jeremy Huw Williams studied at St John\u2019s College, Cambridge, and at the National Opera Studio in London. He has performed in more than 70 operatic roles since making his debut with the Welsh National Opera in a production of Cosi\u0300 fan tutte. Jeremy has performed on prominent stages across North and South America, as well as in Australia, China, and India, and in Europe, including at the Wigmore Hall and Purcell Room, and at many major music festivals.<\/p>\n

Along with live performance, he is a recording artist with a catalogue of more than 50 commercial recordings, including about 20 discs of solo songs, and he frequently records for BBC Radio 3. He is dedicated to new music, and has commissioned many works.<\/p>\n

Among his many accolades, he was awarded an Honorary Fellowship by Glyndw\u0302r University in 2009 for services to music in Wales, the Honorary Degree of Doctor of Music from the University of Aberdeen in 2011, the Medal of the Order of the British Empire in the 2021 Queen\u2019s Birthday Honours, and the 2022 John Edwards Memorial Award, a non-competitive award given in Wales for services to the nation\u2019s music.<\/p>\n

Paramirabo<\/h3>\n

Ensemble Paramirabo take their name from a work by composer Claude Vivier. The group met in 2008 at the Conservatoire de musique de Montr\u00e9al, and flutist Jeffrey Stonehouse has been their artistic director since then.<\/p>\n

Known for their dedication to contemporary music, and the work of Canadian composers, their innovative approach looks to push the boundaries of the traditional concert experience. They have toured internationally, and been invited to perform at music festivals in Belgium, England and Mexico.<\/p>\n

Accolades include the OPUS 23rd edition \u2014 Performer of the year Prize, and a 2020 JUNO nomination. The ensemble has over 80 premieres and commissions to their credit.<\/p>\n