Singing praises
Opera superstar Bryn congratulates festival on reaching 50 years
OPERA superstar Sir Bryn Terfel has sent his heartfelt congratulations to an international music festival that’s celebrating reaching its 50th year. His wife Hannah Stone, a former royal harpist, also sent her best wishes to the North Wales International Music Festival that’s returning with a hybrid event after being held solely online last year because of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Organisers say the support of the Arts Council of Wales and festival sponsors was crucial in enabling the event to go ahead.
This year five concerts will take place in the festival’s traditional home, St Asaph Cathedral, with the London Tango Quintet featuring Craig Ogden on guitar performing on the opening night, Thursday, September 30.
Other highlights include chamber music group Ensemble Cymru, resident orchestra NEW Sinfonia with American pianist John Frederick Hudson, and harp virtuosa Catrin Finch performing with kora player
Seckou Keita on the final night, Monday, October 4.
There will also be the Welsh premiere of a new piano concerto by royal composer Paul Mealor which was jointly commissioned by the festival, along with world premieres of works by acclaimed composers Jon Guy and Brian Hughes.
Part two will be a virtual festival starting on November 15, when recordings of the concerts in the cathedral will be available online, along with a series of other performances recorded elsewhere.
It was all music to the years of Sir Bryn Terfel and his wife, Hannah, the former official harpist of the Prince of Wales.
Sir Bryn said: “Reaching this momentous milestone is a remarkable achievement for the North Wales International Music Festival and I send my heartfelt congratulations. The event is now firmly established as one of the highlights in our cultural calendar and a lasting legacy for its visionary founder, the composer William Mathias.”
The festival was founded in 1972 by
Professor William Mathias, who wrote music for a number of royal occasions.
He chose St Asaph Cathedral as the venue for the festival believing it provided the best acoustic setting.
Tickets are available online 24/7, from Theatr Clwyd, Mold – 01352 344101 (Monday-Saturday, 10am5pm) or Cathedral Frames, St Asaph – 01745 582929 (Wednesday-Friday, 10am-4.30pm). For more information about the North Wales International Music Festival please visit www.nwimf.com.