Glian Llwyd
Glian Llwyd graduated with B.Mus (Hons) at University of Bangor in 2005, and was awarded an M.Mus in piano performance at Trinity College of Music, London in 2008. Competing has been a major part of her life since a very young child. Amongst Glian’s achievements she had first prize in the instrumental solo at the Urdd National Festival of Wales on two occasions and subsequently became a finalist for the Bryn Terfel Scholarship (2003 and 2005).
She also won the Grace Williams Memorial Prize for Composition at the Urdd National Festival of Wales in 2006. One of Glian Llwyd’s main achievements in 2007 was being the winner of the Blue Ribbon competition with the piano at the National Eisteddfod of Wales which included a scholarship of £3000.
Whilst studying for her Masters degree Glian was a finalist both in the Harold Clarke woodwind duo competition, and the Elizabeth Schumann Duo competition for Lieder.
Since graduating, Glian Llwyd has pursued a freelance career as a pianist and accompanist which she has played regularly at the National Eisteddfod of Wales, Llangollen International Eisteddfod, and as a staff accompanist at Bangor University. In 2012 she was part of the adjudicating panel for the instrumental competitions at the National Eisteddfod.
Glian Llwyd is a piano tutor at Bangor University, and is also a piano and harp tutor at the William Mathias Music Centre, and the Denbighshire Music Co-operative.
Lisa Harrison
Lisa started playing the piano at the age of five and had many early successes at the Urdd Eisteddfod and the Chester Music Festival. Lisa won a scholarship to study Music at Bangor University in 1999. She graduated with first class honors in 2002 after performing Mozart’s Piano Concerto K453 with the University Symphony Orchestra and a solo recital.
Since graduating, Lisa has enjoyed a career in teaching, working as Associate Leader for Expressive Arts at a secondary school in Flintshire since 2010. Lisa also accompanies Sirenian Singers, Wrexham, under the leadership of Jean Stanley-Jones. The Choir regularly performs across the United Kingdom and also further afield. Recent highlights include performances at St Peter’s Basilica, Vatican City and at the Pantheon in Rome.
Tim Ward
Tim is an educator, singer and pianist with extensive experience and an impressive record of high achieving students. His interest in pedagogy combined with a sensitive approach to structured learning has enabled a generation of young musicians to fulfil their potential.
Tim received his training at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama where after graduating, he went on to complete the prestigious Opera Course. His teachers include David Pollard and the internationally renowned soprano Nelly Miricioiu. Whilst a student, Tim received generous awards from S4C and the Pantyfedwen Trust and also won the David Lloyd Scholarship.
In his early career, Tim performed as a soloist at important venues in London, including St John’s Smith Square and The Barbican, working alongside leading musicians. He has also given concerts in Italy, Germany and Greece.
In 2003, Tim was given the chance to teach, firstly at a challenging inner city school in London where he introduced countless children to the joy and possibilities of music making. He gained a reputation for spotting potential talent and some of his pupils won music scholarships and places at leading conservatoires. Following this experience, Tim became passionate about giving young musicians from less privileged backgrounds a chance to study music. He was the founder of SCALE Vocal Trust, a charity that offers financial assistance to young singers preparing for conservatoire study.
In 2007, he joined the teaching staff at University College School, one of London’s leading independent schools. His commitment to develop vocal music at the school was tireless and gained him a reputation as an inspiring teacher who helped countless pupils achieve great success. He became Head of Singing and many of his students advanced to secure places at leading universities and conservatories. Other notable pupil successes include child roles at the Royal Opera House and The Barbican plus radio 3 broadcasts and tv appearances.
In 2021 Tim relocated to his native Snowdonia where he hopes to share his skills and experience with the next generation of musicians.
Teleri-Siân
Teleri-Siân received her first piano lessons from her father when she was three years old and gave her first solo performance a year later.
Whilst still a pupil at Ysgol Brynhyfryd, Ruthin, she joined the Junior Department at the Royal Northern College of Music where she later continued her studies as a full time student graduating in 2000. Whilst at college she was awarded the Marjorie Clementi Memorial Prize. Her solo piano playing has taken her to various European countries, Hong Kong and America as well as many venues throughout Great Britain. She enjoys performing regularly as both recital pianist and concerto soloist and is a piano tutor at Bangor University, the Junior Department at the Royal Northern College of Music and Canolfan Gerdd William Mathias centres in both Denbigh and Caernarfon.
Teleri-Siân also has a Masters degree in Modern Languages from Manchester University.
Marie-Claire Howorth
Marie-Claire Howorth is an inspirational, creative, professional musician with a proven track record of working in schools and on projects with various partners. She has many years experience as a peripatetic woodwind tutor for Gwasanaeth Ysgolion William Mathias and has taught clarinet, saxophone and piano at the Canolfan since it started. Marie-Claire is on the register of Creative Practitioner for the new Arts Council Arts and Creative learning plan. She has worked with the Canolfan in many of it’s projects such as Caru Cerdd, Kids Club Rhyl, Doniau Cudd, Singing for the Brain with the Alzheimers society.
With a keen interest in how people learn and interact, she enjoys her role as guest speaker at the University of Wales, Bangor, for the Music in the Community module.
Marie-Claire writes all the lesson plans and songs for Camau Cerdd. She shares all aspects of her innovative methods and use of resources with new Camau Cerdd practitioners who she trains so that more children can share in the multi layered learning.
Mared Emlyn
A graduate of Bangor University, Mared completed a doctorate in performance on the harp and composition in 2014 with a scholarship funded by the European Union. She studied composition with Dr Pwyll ap Siôn and harp with Elinor Bennett, with additional lessons in Switzerland and Canada. In 2011, she won the Urdd National Eisteddfod’s Chief Composition medal for her work Perlau yn y Glaw for solo harp, which is now performed regularly at different harp competitions and festivals. Mared has received a number of composition commissions, including works for Wales International Piano Festival, Colwyn Male Voice Choir, a work for the Bangor Music Festival premiered by the BBC National Orchestra of Wales, and a harp concerto for the Beaumaris Festival, performed by the Welsh Chamber Orchestra, with Mared herself as the soloist. In 2018, she collaborated with musician Gwenan Gibbard and poet Mererid Hopwood on a commission by the Wales International Harp Festival to celebrate the world renowned harpist Osian Ellis’ 90th birthday. Mared performs in concerts as a soloist, as part of ensembles and as a member of orchestras.
Helen Owen ARSM
Helen graduated from University College of Wales, Cardiff and then followed a PGCE teaching course.
Having taught music in South, Mid and North Wales’s schools, she has now been teaching Music and Welsh in Friars school in Bangor for a number of years.
In her spare time she enjoys accompanying choirs and individuals, trains and coaches for eisteddfodau as well as being a mother to two children.
Hawys Parri
Hawys Price started learning the piano at the age of 5 and has been taught by Mrs Val Jones GRSM ARCM ARCM (SM) from Berriew in mid Wales, Mrs Margaret Newman a 6th generation pupil of Beethoven and Iwan Llewelyn-Jones.
Hawys attended Birmingham Conservatoire for 4 years where she gained a Bachelor of Music degree with honours. She has been a finalist in the Birmingham Conservatoire lieder prize and has performed in concerts such as the complete works of Debussy and Liszt.
Her repertoire is spread across 400 years of piano music and it includes the Mendelssohn Variations sérieuses, Schumann G minor sonata and Kapustin Impromptu no 2. Hawys is currently doing a PGCE course and is also continuing her piano solo career by working towards LRSM exam.
Elain Rhys
Originally from Bodedern, Anglesey, Elain graduated in Music with First Class Honors from Bangor University in 2020 where she was awarded the Phillip Pascall memorial award for outstanding achievement. She studied the harp and the piano under the leadership of world renowned performers, Elinor Bennett and Iwan Llewelyn-Jones. Elain has been a member of the National Youth Orchestra of Wales as a harpist and has often performed locally as a soloist. Elain was the accompanist for Opra Cymru’s production of Don Giovanni which toured Wales in 2019. She enjoys accompanying soloists, as well as being an official accompanist in Eisteddfodau and national festivals, and is the official accompanist of Côr Ieuenctid Môn and Côr Hogia Llanbobman. During the summer of 2022, Elain was invited to teach the harp and perform as part of Welsh Heritage Week in Wisconsin, USA. Elain is currently studying for her PhD focusing on Grace Williams’ only opera, ‘The Parlour’.
Einir Wyn Hughes
Einir hails from Pen Llŷn and received lessons when she was 9 years old from Alwena Roberts. After a year of study with Meinir Heulyn at the Royal College of Music and Drama, Cardiff, she studied at the School of Music at Bangor University, where she gained her BMus degree in 2005.
She recently completed a Masters in Performance and the Music of Wales at Bangor, where she was a pupil of Elinor Bennett. She also won the ABRSM diploma in performing on the harp.
She has performed recently with the Bangor Chamber Orchestra, Chamber Orchestra of Wales, Ensemble Cymru and to the Prince of Wales. She is a harpist at William Mathias Music Center and William Mathias Schools Service as well.
Edith Jones
Edith was brought up on a farm in Rhosybol, Anglesey. She attended Ysgol Syr Thomas Jones in Amlwch and then after two years of college Edith began working with Parry Davies Clwyd-Jones & Lloyd Solicitors LLP. Edith has now worked for the company for over 37 years.
After marrying in 1992 she settled in Dinas, Llanwnda, Caernarfon and then resumed to study the piano under the tuition of Annette Bryn Parri. In 1998 Edith went on to complete her diploma of A.L.C.M at Chetham College, Manchester.
She gives lessons at her home in Dinas as well as Canolfan Gerdd William Mathias, and is a mother of two children and is also a grandmother.
Diana Keyse
Diana grew up on a very nice farm in the Ogwen valley and studied both piano and singing at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama in Cardiff gaining the GWCMD qualification. She also gained the Licentiate qualification from the Trinity College of Music in London (LTCL).
Having extensive experience in private piano, singing and theory tuition in both South and North Wales, and Essex, Diana has also been head of music at both St.John’s Newton, Porthcawl and Hillgrove School, Bangor. She has prepared pupils for all ABRSM and Trinity Guildhall piano and singing exams and has coached pupils for music GCSE and A level passes.
Diana believes strongly that participation in music making develops skills that are useful throughout a person’s life and that it should be a happy, enjoyable and memorable experience.
Caryl Roberts
Bethan Conway
Bethan’s musical training began aged 7 with piano lessons before beginning to play harp aged 10. She later went on to achieve her ABRSM performance diplomas in both harp and piano and since then has performed in various venues across the UK, Europe and the USA both as a soloist and as part of a variety of ensembles. She gained a First Class Honours Degree from the Royal College of Music in 2017 and returned to the RCM for postgraduate studies as an Ashley Family Foundation Scholar. Bethan graduated with a Master of Performance with Distinction in 2019 and upon completing her studies was awarded the prestigious Queen Elizabeth, The Queen Mother Rose Bowl award.
As a keen competitor in Eisteddfods, Bethan has won many awards including first prize in the National Eisteddfod harp solo as well as being chosen as a finalist in the prestigious Blue Riband competition on two occasions. She has also gained second prize in the piano solo and third prize in the harp solo at the Urdd Eisteddfod. In 2016 Bethan was awarded the Nansi Richards Scholarship for harpists as well as the Royal College of Music Harp Prize.
Since returning to Treuddyn in Flintshire, Bethan is enjoying a freelance career as both a pianist and harpist. She performs with many orchestras across the UK including NEW Sinfonia – resident orchestra at the North Wales International Music Festival, City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra and Birmingham Contemporary Music Group. This has given Bethan the opportunity to work with world renowned conductors such as Bernard Haitink, Edward Gardner and Rafael Payare. Bethan also enjoys accompanying, she held the position of deputy accompanist for Cantorion Rhos accompanying them on their tour of Portugal in 2015 and has recently collaborated with WNO Community Chorus and WNO Youth Opera. A keen chamber musician, Bethan performs regularly with her Flute and Harp group, ‘Hefin Duo’ as well as ‘Trilogy’, a flute, harp and viola trio. Bethan also teaches piano and harp for Flintshire Music Service, Rupert House School Henley-on-Thames and privately in Treuddyn.
Beryl Lloyd Roberts
Beryl studied music at Cardiff gaining LTCL and ARCM diplomas. She is a retired head of music at Ysgol Brynhyfryd, Ruthin and is in great demand as an accompanist, adjudicator and conductor of singing festivals all over Wales. For the last eighteen years Beryl has been the Musical Director of Denbigh and District Choral Society.