Launching our first “Virtual” Wales Harp Festival

4 Feb 2021

A message from Elinor Bennett, the Festival’s Artistic Director:

The aim of this year’s Wales Harp Festival  is to remember and pay homage to the  great harpists whom we have recently lost and to transmit their love of the  harp to future generations.

It was with great sadness that we learnt of the death of the Honorary President of this Festival,  Osian Ellis,  one of Wales’ greatest harpists and musicians.  During the past year,  two other illustrious harpists passed away –   Ann Griffiths and Mair Jones – who taught generations of children to play the harp. We thank  them and remember their contribution to the culture of Wales and to the music of the harp internationally.

 In “normal” times during Easter, dozens of harpists of every age would descend upon Galeri Caernarfon with their harps, and would have lessons in classes, listen to other harpists, socialise and play music together.  Covid will not prevent us from keeping  the tradition alive, and the Festival will be transferred online to a new virtual reality.

Thanks to Zoom,  our teachers will be able to share their expertise with harpists and harp enthusiasts  in every corner of the globe. There will be many events  ( classes, concert, master class, lecture) to help us remember the Festival’s past President, Osian Ellis, including the  premier of his beautiful new  piece, “Lachrymae”, published last year .

Our aim  is to ensure that  ” the eternal muse”  is passed on to future generations and In the middle of our troubles,  the harp and its music can raise spirits and enrich lives.    

We warmly  invite harpists and harp lovers from every part of the world to join us here in Wales – virtually this time of course,  but next year in person!  Read about  the Festival events – and click on “register” straight away!

The Fifth Wales International Harp Festival, which will be held in Galeri Caernarfon from 5th – 11th April 2023, will be a golden opportunity for people to come together to be inspired by the music of the harp from many cultures. I look forward enormously to hearing performances in concerts, recitals and competitions and sharing the traditions of the harp around the world along with harpists from Wales, other Celtic countries, Colombia and Gambia.

Music can transcend geographical borders and military conflicts and can strengthen friendships with people in other lands. There will be a warm welcome awaiting all visitors to Caernarfon next Easter when the thrilling sounds of dozens of harps will resonate through the spaces of Galeri Arts Centre, after the silence and nervousness of the Covid pandemic.

As this will be my last Festival as Artistic Director, I have chosen music that has given me great pleasure in the past and reflects the path of my career from the folk music of my early days to the classics of the harp repertoire and new works.

Elinor Bennett.
Artistic Director, November 2022

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Festival goes virtual to pay homage to harp legend Osian Ellis

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Competitions

Chief Musician

Open to harpists born on or after September 1st, 1987

Youth

Open to harpists born on or after September 1st, 2003

Junior

Open to harpists born on or after September 1st, 2009

World Music

Any Age

Concerts

Opening Concert

5 April 2023, 7:30pm

Elinor Bennett & Meinir Heulyn (Harps), Côr Telyn Gogledd Cymru (conductor Tudur Eames), Côr Godre’r Aran (conductor Eirian Owen).
Premier of “Llechi” by Math Roberts & Ifor ap Glyn performed by  Canolfan Gerdd William Mathias alumni.

Elinor Bennett  (Harp)
Menna Elfyn (Poet)
Glesni Rhys Jones (Soprano) 
Elain Rhys Jones (Harp)

6 April 2023, 2:00pm

Programme will include ” Hymn for a Welshman – in Memoriam R S Thomas” by Menna Elfyn and Pwyll ap Sion
Welsh folk songs arranged by Grace Williams for voice and harp.

JAZZ – Deborah Henson-Conant (USA)

6 April 2023, 7:30pm

Recital – Isabelle Moretti (France)

7 April 2023, 7:30pm

Harp Classics from France

Concert- Catrin Finch (Cymru) & Edmar Castaneda (Colombia)

8 April 2023, 7:30pm

Recital – Sioned Williams

9 April 2023, 5:00pm

World Music Concert

Pedair (Cymru)
Veronika Lemishenko (Ukraine)
The Griot Brothers

10 April 2023, 7:30pm

Chief Musician Concert

11 April 2023, 7:30pm

The final round of the Chief Musician Competition, where three young harpists shall perform solo works and Saint-Saëns duet for violin and harp.

All Events

See all the festival events.

Sponsors of the Wales Harp Festival 2023