One of the world\u2019s best pianists has revealed how he was inspired to become a professional musician by the founder of the North Wales International Music Festival.<\/p>\n
Appropriately, virtuoso Ll\u0177r Williams will be one of the star attractions at this year\u2019s event at St Asaph Cathedral between September 24 and October 1.<\/p>\n
Ll\u0177r, from Rhos, near Wrexham, has played in many of the world\u2019s best and most iconic venues, including Carnegie Hall.<\/p>\n
But he says the cathedral has unique acoustic qualities which make playing there a joy.<\/p>\n
His concert on Tuesday, September 27, is being sponsored by the Wrexham-based Pendine Park care organistion.<\/p>\n
Pendine Park has a track record for incorporating the arts within the organisation.<\/p>\n
It was one of the first in the UK to employ an artist in residence and has won awards for a long running collaboration with the Hall\u00e9 orchestra. More recently, Pendine Park was unveiled as one of the Welsh National Opera\u2019s first Community Champions.<\/p>\n
St Asaph Cathedral was chosen as the venue for the Festival by William Mathias, the royal composer who wrote the anthem, Let the people praise Thee O God, for the wedding of Prince Charles and Princess Diana.<\/p>\n
\u00a0According to Professor Matthias, one of his greatest achievements was the creation of the hugely popular music Festival in 1972.<\/p>\n
He visited every potential venue in North Wales before deciding that St Asaph Cathedral provided the very best acoustic setting for the event.<\/p>\n
The launch of this year\u2019s festival was held in aristocratic surroundings by kind permission of Eaton Park, near Chester, where Llyr Williams enthralled the audience in a sublime curtain raiser for the main event.<\/p>\n
Ll\u0177r read music at Queen’s College, Oxford, and went on to take up a postgraduate scholarship at the Royal Academy of Music where he won every available prize and award.<\/p>\n
From 2000-02 he was a \u2018Shinn\u2019 Fellow at the Academy, coaching singers and studying conducting. He was also an active member of the Live Music Now! scheme for several years and in 2004 received a Borletti-Buitoni<\/em> Trust Award.<\/p>\n Ll\u0177r said: \u201cSt Asaph Cathedral is a great place to play and the acoustics are excellent \u2013 I always look forward to playing here.<\/p>\n \u201cI have very fond memories of the festival when I was very young \u2013 I played here when I was 10 years of age.<\/p>\n \u201cAfter the performance, I went round the back and met the festival\u2019s founder, Professor William Mathias.<\/p>\n \u201cHe was a big inspiration when I was young and it\u2019s always nice to return to the Cathedral because Professor Mathias is buried here and that always inspires me when I\u2019m playing here.\u201d<\/p>\n Pendine Park proprietor Mario Kreft, who lives in Denbigh, said: \u201cLl\u0177r is such a huge talent \u2013 he is a North Wales artiste with a worldwide following.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re delighted to have this opportunity to help the festival in a small way and support Llyr which is just fantastic.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cLlyr has an absolutely world class talent and audiences feel a real warmth towards him – I think people recognise that they\u2019re in the presence of somebody very\u00a0 special.<\/p>\n \u201cThe festival is also very special, it\u2019s an incredible event that is going from strength to strength.<\/p>\n \u201cThe line-up this year demonstrates yet again that this is an international festival of the highest order.\u201d<\/p>\n The first concert of this year\u2019s festival features the BBC National Orchestra of Wales, who appeared in the very first festival and have returned many times since, and baritone Roderick Williams.<\/p>\n \u00a0Strings feature strongly in the week\u2019s programme, with artists including Welsh triple harp virtuoso Robin Huw Bowen, classical guitarist Dimitris Dekavallas, the ensemble Blazin\u2019 Fiddles and the Vida Guitar Quartet along with the harp quarter, 4 Girls 4 Harps<\/p>\n Apart from Ll\u0177r Williams, the main highlight this year will be the world premier of a new work by the royal composer, Paul Mealor, who shot to global fame thanks to the sensational Royal wedding anthem he wrote for Prince William and Kate Middleton.<\/p>\n \u00a0The festival\u2019s Artistic Director, Ann Atkinson, is a talented mezzo soprano in her own right and will again be among the singing stars this year. In addition, Mid-Wales Opera are going to be performing the Puccini favourite, Madam Butterfly.<\/p>\n North Wales International Music Festival, September 24-October 1, www.nwimf.com<\/a> or ring 01745 584508 for tickets and information.<\/strong><\/p>\n