Neges gan Meinir Llwyd, Cyfarwyddwraig Canolfan Gerdd William Mathias

Well there we are...Wales International Harp Festival 2014 is over! Thank you to everyone from four corners of the world who came to the festival and huge thanks to those who helped to make sure it was a week to remember!


Wel dyna ni! Gŵyl Delynau Ryngwladol Cymru drosodd! Diolch i bawb o bedwar ban byd ddaeth draw ac i bawb fu'n cynorthwyo i sicrhau wythnos i'w chofio.

Canlyniadau'r Pencerdd: Chief musician results:

3rd: Veronika Lemishenko Ukraine
2il 2nd Anne Denholm Cymru / Wales
1af 1st Valeria Voshchennikova Rwsia / Russia

Yn mynd drwy i Gylch Terfynol Cystadleuaeth y Pencerdd: Going through to the Final Stage of the Chief Musician Competition:

Yn mynd drwy i Gylch Terfynol Cystadleuaeth y Pencerdd:
Going through to the Final Stage of the Chief Musician Competition:
Veronika Lemishenko Ukraine
Anne Denholm Cymru / Wales
Valera Voshchennikova Rwsia / Russia

Canlyniadau Cystadleuaeth Cerddoriaeth Byd: Results for World Music Competition

1st: Duo Milonga Gwlad Pwyl / Poland
2nd: César Secundino Mecsico / Mexico 
3rd: Calum Macleod Yr Alban / Scotland

Yn mynd drwy i gylch terfynol y gystadleuaeth Cerddoriaeth Byd: Going through to the final stage of the World Music Competition:

Yn mynd drwy i gylch terfynol y gystadleuaeth Cerddoriaeth Byd:
Going through to the final stage of the World Music Competition:
Calum Macleod Yr Alban / Scotland
Eirini Mpakalopoulo Groeg / Greece 
Josh Doughty Lloegr / England
Dian Yu - Tsieina / China
César Secundino Sbaen / Spain
Duo Milonga Gwlad Pwyl / Poland

Canlyniadau Cylch 1af Pencerdd - Results Chief Musician First Round

Going through to the Second Stage of the Chief Musician Competition:
Yn mynd drwy i Ail Gylch y Pencerdd:

Veronika Lemishenko Ukraine
Juliana Myslov Lloegr / England
Abigail Kent UDA / USA
Glain Dafydd Cymru / Wales
Lior Ouziel Israel
Anne Denholm Cymru / Wales
Anastasia Razvalyaeva Hwngari / Hungary
Valera Voshchennikova Rwsia / Russia

Results of the Junior Competition

Congratulations to Noelia Cotuna, Alexandra Arsenova, and Samantha Schrecker for winning the Junior Competition (under 13) scholarships.

Alexandra Arsenova said that she has enjoyed her time at the Festival this year, and is enjoying the scenery that Wales has to offer as well as attending the Festival's concerts.

Having travelled from Nashville, Tennessee, Samantha Schrecker said that she would use the scholarship money to purchase strings for her harp, and save the remaining money. She explained that the harp was going from strength to strength in Tennessee.

Having also competed in Serbia and Italy, Noelia Cotuna's intention is to spend the scholarship money on master classes. She said that she was delighted to compete in the Festival this year. 

Canlyniadau'r Gystadleuaeth Iau

Llongyfarchiadau mawr i Noelia Cotuna, Alexandra Arsenova, a Samantha Schrecker am ennill ysgoloriaethau y gystadleuaeth Iau (dan 13 oed).

Dywedodd Alexandra Arsenova ei bod wedi mwynhau ei hamser yn yr Ŵyl eleni, ac yn mwynhau cefn gwlad Cymru ynghyd â mynychu cyngherddau'r Ŵyl.

Wedi teithio o Nashville, Tennessee, dywed Samantha Schrecker y byddai'n defnyddio arian yr ysgoloriaeth i brynu tannau ar gyfer y delyn, ynghyd â chynilo'r gweddill. Eglurodd fod y delyn yn mynd o nerth i nerth yn Tennessee.

Wedi cystadlu yn Serbia a'r Eidal eisoes, bwriad Noelia Cotuna fydd i wario ei hysgoloriaeth ar ddosbarthiadau meistr. Dywedodd ei fod wrth ei bodd o gael cystadlu yn yr Ŵyl.

Harpists flock to “amazing” Caernarfon festival

The third Wales International Harp Festival, which is being held this week at Galeri, Caernarfon is “an amazing and uncommon festival” according to renowned international harpist Osian Ellis.

Dr Ellis officially opened the festival on Sunday. It is organized by Canolfan Gerdd William Mathias and has attracted 80 harpists from all over the world.

Festival Director and international harpist Elinor Bennett is delighted that the festival which is held once every four years, is going from strength to strength.

“The importance of a festival like this is that it enables people from all corners of the world to come together to share their love of music, celebrate diversity, and create friendships that transcend race, country, language, ability or background.

“It’s also an encouraging experience for youngsters to perform and compete at an international level” she said.

This year’s festival celebrates composer William Mathias’ 80^th birthday and in particular his music for the harp.

His daughter, Rhiannon Mathias, is particularly pleased that the festival is providing a platform for musicians from all over the world to take a fresh look at his musical legacy. Sunday’s opening concert was a celebration of his life and work.

“My father lived several different musical lives - first and foremost as a composer, but also as conductor, pianist, Professor of Music at Bangor University and Director of the North Wales Music Festival to mention only a few. Had he lived to see it, he would have been especially proud of the music education provision provided by the Canolfan Gerdd that is named after him.”

The International Harp festival has attracted a number of prominent sponsors amongst them the Confucius Institute also from Bangor University, which aims to promote cultural exchange between China and Wales.

Professor Liying Zhang is the Institute’s Co-Director.

“Music is a very good way to promote cultural exchange so we are very pleased to be one of the sponsors,” she said. “ Both Wales and China have dragons and our dragon project aims to promote Welsh music in China and vice versa particularly as part of this year’s Shanghai Intentional Festival,” she said.

The competitions and concerts will be held in Galeri throughout the week and tickets can be obtained from the box office on 01286 68522.

Further information is available on the festival’s facebook, blog and twitter accounts.

Gŵyl Delynau Ryngwladol Cymru yn agor yng Nghaernarfon

Mae’r drydedd Ŵyl Delynau Ryngwladol wedi agor yn Galeri, Caernarfon gan ddenu 80 o delynorion o bob cwr o’r byd i gystadlu a chymdeithasu trwy gydol yr wythnos.

Agorwyd yr ŵyl gan y telynor byd-enwog Osian Ellis, ddisgrifiodd y digwyddiad fel “gŵyl anhygoel ac anghyffredin”.

Canolfan Gerdd William Mathias sydd wedi trefnu’r ŵyl ac mae’n cael ei chynnal unwaith bob pedair blynedd. Mae’r Cyfarwyddwr, y delynores Elinor Bennett yn falch ei bod yn mynd o nerth i nerth.

“Dyma’r drydedd ŵyl ac mae’n bwysig am ei bod yn rhoi cyfle i bobl o bedwar ban byd ddod at ei gilydd i rannu eu cariad at gerddoriaeth a goresgyn ffiniau, iaith, hiliaith, gallu a chefndir,” meddai.

“Mae hefyd yn brofiad gwych i bobl ifanc gael perfformio a chystadlu ar lefel rhyngwladol,” ychwanegodd.

Mae’r ŵyl eleni yn dathlu penblwydd y cyfansoddwr William Mathias yn 80 oed ac yn benodol felly ei gerddoriaeth ar gyfer y delyn.

Mae ei ferch, Rhiannon Mathias, yn falch bod yr ŵyl yn rhoi llwyfan i gerddorion ifanc o wahanol wledydd gael golwg newydd ar ei etifeddiaeth gerddorol. Roedd y cyngerdd agoriadol yn ddathliad o’i fywyd a’i waith.

“Roedd fy nhad yn byw sawl bywyd cerddorol gwahanol - yn gyntaf ac yn flaenaf, fel cyfansoddwr, ond hefyd fel arweinydd, pianydd, Athro Cerdd ym Mhrifysgol Bangor a Chyfarwyddwr Gŵyl Gerdd Gogledd Cymru i nodi dim ond rhai,” meddai.

“Petai wedi cael byw i’w gweld buasai’n arbennig o falch o’r addysg gerddorol sy’n cael ei ddarparu gan y Ganolfan Gerdd sydd wedi ei henwi ar ei ôl.”

Mae’r Ŵyl Delynau Ryngwladol hefyd wedi denu nifer o noddwyr blaenllaw ac yn eu plith Sefydliad Confucius o Brifysgol Bangor sy’n ceisio hybu cyfnewid diwylliant rhwng Tsieina a Chymru.

Yr Athro Liying Zhang yw Cyd-Gyfarwyddwr y Sefydliad.

“Mae cerddoriaeth yn ffordd wych o hybu cyfnewid diwylliant felly rydyn ni’n falch iawn o gael bod yn un o’r noddwyr. Mae gan Cymru a Tsieina ddreigiau a bwriad ein prosiect ‘Cynllun y Ddraig’ yw hybu cerddoriaeth Gymraeg yn Tsieina ac i’r gwrthwyneb, yn enwedig fel rhan o Ŵyl Rynglwadol Shanghai eleni,” meddai.

Mae cystadleuthau a’r cyngherddau yn cael eu cynnal yn Galeri trwy gydol yr wythnos ac mae’r tocynnau ar gael trwy ffonio 01286 685222 a rhagor o wybodaeth ar dudalen facebook, blog a thrydar yr Ŵyl.

Tickets Still Available!! - Tocynnau Dal Ar Gael!!

Gŵyl Delynau Ryngwladol Cymru am gychwyn fory!! Mae tocynnau dal ar gael drwy Swyddfa Docynnau Galeri. Dros y ffôn: 01286 685222 neu ar y we.

Wales International Harp Festival tomorrow!! Tickets still available through Galeri Box Office. - Over the phone 01286 685222 or their website. 

Caernarfon Walk - Ty'd Am Dro

Bydd Emrys Llewelyn o DroDre.co yn cynnal teithiau o Gaernarfon yn cychwyn o Galeri Caernarfon ar y dydd Mawrth a'r dydd Gwener yn ystod yr Ŵyl gan gychwyn o 4:30yh, gan ddod yn ôl i Galeri mewn digon o amser i gael pryd o fwyd cyn y cyngherddau.

Archebu o ddesg yr Ŵyl - Prisiau arbennig yn ystod yr Ŵyl!

Emrys Llewelyn from Caernarfon Walks (caernarfonwalks.com) will give two guided walks during the Festival on Tuesday and Friday starting at 4.30pm, returning to Galeri in plenty of time for a meal before the concerts.

Book your place on the walk from the Festival Desk - Special prices during the Festival! 

Competitors - Cystadleuwyr

Cystadleuwyr yn nhrefn yr wyddor / Competitors in Alphabetic Order

Iau/Junior  

Alexandra Arsenova Rwsia / Russia

Noelia Cotuna Sbaen / Spain

Marcelina Dabek Gwlad Pwyl / Poland 

Marteg Dafydd Cymru / Wales

Ekaterina Dvoretskaya Rwsia / Russia

Johanna Goerissen Yr Almaen / Germany

Hannah Griffiths Cymru / Wales

Sophia Hann Yr Almaen / Germany

Francesca Marini Yr Eidal / Italy

Aisha Palmer Cymru / Wales

Matilda Prescott-Jones Lloegr / England

Greta Sion Roberts Cymru / Wales

Molly Rowan-Sharples Cymru / Wales

Samantha Schrecker UDA / USA

Linnea Stenlund-Roderick Cymru / Wales

Jessica Jane Whitney Cymru / Wales

Mariia Zimina Rwsia / Russia

Ieuenctid/Youth

Rachel Edwards Cymru / Wales

Bethan Griffiths Cymru / Wales

Tanne Harder Iseldiroedd / Netherlands

Alis Huws Cymru / Wales

Nest Jenkins Cymru / Wales

Elain Rhys Jones Cymru / Wales

Seren Haf Jones Cymru / Wales

Elin Gwen Kelly Cymru / Wales

Mari Kelly Cymru / Wales

Christy Wing Man Leung   Hong Kong

Aoife Miralles Lloegr / England

Mared Emyr Pugh-Evans Cymru / Wales

Chloe Roberts Cymru / Wales

Marina Sabisky Cymru Wales

Morgan Short UDA / USA

Linda Simanauskaite Lithiwania / Lithuania

Emily Stone UDA / USA

Emma Thomazeau Ffrainc / France

Cassandra Tomella Yr Eidal / Italy

Clara Warford UDA / USA

Pencerdd / Chief Musician

Carolina Coimbra Swistir / Switzerland

Glain Dafydd Cymru / Wales

Liv Dahren Sweden 

Anne Denholm Cymru / Wales

Elfair Dyer Cymru / Wales

Rhiain Awel Dyer Cymru / Wales

Llywelyn Ifan Jones Cymru / Wales

Abigail Kent UDA / USA

Merve Kocabeyler Twrci / Turkey

Nina Kupriyanova Rwsia / Russia

Veronika Lemishenko Ukraine

Gwenllian Llyr Cymru / Wales

Holly Lowe Lloegr / England

Daphne Milio Yr Almaen / Germany

Megan Morris Cymru / Wales

Juliana Myslov Lloegr / England

Zuzanna Olbrys Gwlad  Pwyl / Poland

Lior Ouziel Israel

Anastasia Razvalyaeva Hwngari / Hungary

Zita Silva Swistir / Switzerland

Jane Soh Singapore

Katharina Steinbeis Yr Almaen / Germany

Valera Voshchennikova Rwsia / Russia

Cerddoriaeth Byd / World Music

Yassein Afify Yr Aifft / Egypt

Blue Rooster UDA / USA

Duo Milonga Gwlad Pwyl / Poland

Josh Doughty Lloegr / England

Hero Douglas Cymru / Wales

Elinor Evans Yr Alban / Scotland

Wang Fang Tsieina / China

Haley Hewitt UDA / USA

Nia James Cymru / Wales

Teulu Aelwyd y Gân Cymru / Wales

Pagoda Arts – Qunitet Tseina & Lloegr  / China & England

Calum Macleod Yr Alban / Scotland

Eirini Mpakalopoulo Groeg / Greece 

Caitlin Prowle Cymru / Wales

Greta, Adleis a Gwenno / Wales

Math Roberts Cymru / Wales

César Secundino Sbaen / Spain

Morgan Short UDA / USA

Dian Yu - Tsieina / China

CLOUDS

CLOUDS will:

• Perform in the Festival Concert on Tuesday 22 April, 7.30pm
• Late Night Music 9.30pm

CLOUDS Harp Quartet formed in 2008 when Elfair Grug Dyer, Rebecca Mills, Esther Swift and Angelina Warburton studied at the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester with Eira Lynn Jones. Since then they have released two CDs of original works, their debut – Clouds, and most recent – Water. CLOUDS harp quartet’s music is written by Esther Swift and draws much from her background in folk music and improvisation. CLOUDS have toured extensively around the UK to promote their CD’s, and concert venues have included St. Giles Cathedral, Whitechapel Art Gallery, London and The Bridgewater Hall, Manchester. Three members of CLOUDS appear at the Wales International Harp Festival as Rebecca is on board the Queen Elizabeth Cruise Ship working as resident harpist of the Cunard cruise ships.

CLOUDS

Bydd CLOUDS yn:

• Perffromio yng Nghyngerdd yr Ŵyl ar Ddydd Mawrth 22 Ebrill, 7.30yh
• Cerddoriaeth Hwyr ar Ddydd Mawrth 22 Ebrill 9.30yh

Ffurfiwyd pedwarawd telyn CLOUDS ym 2008 yn y cyfnod pan oedd Elfair Grug Dyer, Rebecca Mills, Esther Swift ac Angelina Warburton yn fyfyrwyr yng Ngholeg Cerdd Brenhinol y Gogledd ym Manceinion, RNCM, o dan hyfforddiant Eira Lynn Jones. Mae’r pedwarawd telyn CLOUDS wedi datblygu o nerth i nerth ac erbyn hyn wedi cyhoeddi dwy gryno ddisg – Clouds a Water. Esther Swift sy’n cyfansoddi ar gyfer CLOUDS a hynny mewn dull diddorol ac unigryw sy’n seiliedig ar ei chefndir gwerinol a’i dawn i fyrfyfyrio. Mae CLOUDS wedi teithio ar hyd a lled Prydain yn hyrwyddo eu cryno ddisgiau ac mae’r perfformiadau hynny yn cynnwys cyngherddau yn St. Giles, ac Oriel Whitechapel, Llundain. Yn dilyn llwyddiant eu taith gyntaf ym 2011, derbyniodd CLOUDS wahoddiad i berfformio eu cerddoriaeth unigryw yn y Bridgewater Hall, Manceinion. Ymddangosai tri aelod o CLOUDS yn yr Wyl Delynau gan bod Rebecca yn perfformio ar Long Y Frenhines Elisabeth, rhan o’i gwaith fel telynores y llongau Cunard.