A talented harpist taught by a former Royal harpist has been crowned as the best young musician in Wales.
Heledd Wynn Newton, 20, won the inaugural Pendine Young Musician of Wales competition at the North Wales International Music Festival.
She came out on top after a spellbinding, two-hour long final at St Asaph Cathedral which was recorded by BBC Radio Cymru.
The rising star was presented with the Pendine Trophy and a cash prize of £2,000 by Mario Kreft MBE, the proprietor of the Wrexham and Caernarfon based Pendine Park care organisation who sponsored the competition via the Pendine Arts and Community Trust.
Among the other finalists in the high quality competition were pianist Rufus Edwards, from Bersham near Wrexham; trumpeters Alice Newbould, from Flintshire, and Thea Ormrod from Betws y Coed, and harpist Annest Mair Davies, from Mwnt near Cardigan.
There were also three vocalists Branwen Medi Jones, from Llanbedr Dyffryn Clwyd, near Ruthin; Kizzy Lumley-Edwards, who lives in Cardiff, and Leisa Mair Lloyd-Edwards, from Caernarfon.
Winner Heledd, from Cardiff, showcased a diverse programme of compositions and her stunning performance was rewarded with sustained applause from an appreciative audience.
She has been playing the harp for more than 12 years and is tutored by internationally acclaimed virtuosa Catrin Finch, who was the Royal Harpist to King Charles when he was the Prince of Wales.
“I’ve always been her number one fan. I remember going to her concerts when I was little and she’s amazing. I’m so lucky to have lessons with her. I’m anxious to send her a text message to tell her I’ve won this prize.
“I’ve had a great time listening to all the other performers and there was a wonderful atmosphere here with wonderful acoustics.
“I’ll use the cash prize to pay for music lessons. I’m in the third year of a Bachelor’s degree in music and after graduating I may continue studying for a Master’s degree in performing at an Academy but I’m not sure about that yet.”
After all eight finalists had performed their programmes the panel of adjudicators – Lisa Tregale, former principal of Chetham’s School of Music Alun Jones, former Royal Harpist Alis Huws and Dutch-born pianist Cyrill Ibrahim, gathered in a quiet corner of the cathedral to decide on the winner.
Speaking on their behalf, Lisa Tregale, director of the BBC National Orchestra and Chorus of Wales, said adjudicating the competition had been an “absolute pleasure”.
She added: “It’s been a really tough job and my heart is full of joy for the future of music. We have based our decision on tonight’s performance and not just technique but the nature of the programme and their communication with the audience.”
Mario Kreft said: “We had a very, very strong group of young people taking part in this inaugural competition.
“There was such a variety of instruments and voice and an age range of 13 to 21. It was a fascinating evening and it ended with a very worthy winner in Heledd Wynn Newton.
“It has all the makings of being a very important competition and I think in years to come it will be one of the premier competitions for young musicians and will hopefully assist them and propel them in their careers.
“It totally fits in with our ethos across the generations working with young people and how important the arts are to our lives in all its forms. Music matters just as much to people who live and work in social care.”
The competition was the brainchild of the festival’s new Artistic Director, royal composer Paul Mealor.
He said: “You can go to any of the top music festivals in the world and you won’t find anyone better than those competing here today. It was outstanding and we have been given a real treat here tonight.”
