Classical music festival to be held in Conwy this month

A festival of music will be held in Conwy at the end of July.

Since 1981 St Mary’s Church, Conwy, has been the home to an annual programme of classical music. Initially this was in the form of a series of weekly lunchtime concerts.

In 2005, a week-long festival was held to mark a quarter century of concerts at the church.

It was such a success that it was decided to hold a festival annually.

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Over the years the festival has developed and now includes music in a wide range of genres and styles.

Here you can enjoy early music, performances of chamber and orchestral works, vocal and instrumental recitals, and evenings of choral and operatic highlights, all performed to the highest standards.

In addition to featuring celebrated musicians at the height of their careers, the festival has a proud history of supporting emerging artists, particularly from North Wales, and of celebrating the musical culture of Wales.

The opening concert of the festival will be given by the King’s harpist, Alis Huws, from Mid Wales.

Her programme will feature works by Grace Williams, Caroline Lizotte and Claude Debussy, as well as a piece to celebrate the connections that have been forged between Conwy and our twin town, Himeji in Japan. Alis had the honour of playing at the ceremony in Himeji in which our towns were twinned, and of featuring as soloist in a piece written especially by Karl Jenkins for the King’s Coronation at Westminster Abbey last year.

For a full list of concerts visit the festival website at www.conwyclassicalmusic.co.uk

Chris Roberts, director, said: "I am delighted that the 2024 Conwy Classical Music Festival once again features a full and varied programme of concerts designed to appeal to a wide range of musical tastes. From the early music of Dowland and his contemporaries to recently composed instrumental and vocal works, music spanning five centuries will be on offer.

"Come and enjoy magical performances by the Festival Orchestra, with the King’s harpist Alis Huws and flautist Carys Gittins as soloists in Mozart’s popular Concerto for Flute and Harp, the cream of Wales’s young singers, including Covent Garden tenor Ryan Vaughan Davies, internationally acclaimed instrumental soloists and ensembles, such as pianist Ellis Thomas, the Fitzsimmon and Manchester Ensembles and many more. We guarantee that you will not be disappointed! “

A particular feature of the festival is the fact that there are no tickets or set entry prices for concerts. Instead, the festival relies on the generosity of audience members to contribute to a retiring collection, which is made at the end of each concert, and on the generous support of sponsors in the local area.