International Stars Line-up for Wales International Harp Festival

The world's top harpists are heading to Caernarfon in April to take part in the third Wales International Harp Festival.

From Sunday 20 April, the Galeri arts centre is the venue for the seven-day festival with concerts, competitions, lectures and master classes.

Concerts will be held every night and will include performances by renowned harpists such as Catrin Finch, Hannah Stone, Official Harpist to the Prince of Wales, Elizaveta Kozina from Russia, Mieko Inoue from Japan, China’s Zi Lan Liao, Sixto Corbalan from Paraguay and Leonard Jacome from Venezuela.  

Welsh baritone Jeremy Huw Williams will be performing with the Welsh Chamber Orchestra at the International Concert (21 April) and Georgia Ruth and Gwenan Gibbard will be taking part in the World Music Concert (25 April).

Catrin Finch

Elizaveta Kosina

Hannah Stone

Claudia Lamana

Masterclasses will be given by world famous harpists Marisa Robles from Spain, Chantal Mathieu from France, Dutch maestro Edward Witsenburg, England’s Imogen Barford and Carol McClure from the USA.

Of the festival’s line-up, Elinor Bennett the Festival’s Director said: 

“I’m genuinely delighted and excited by the line-up for the 2014 Wales International Harp Festival. We look forward to welcoming them to Caernarfon for what promises to be a special seven days.”

Confirmation of the programme line-up comes on the back of the announcement that HRH The Prince of Wales, a long supporter of the Welsh harp tradition, has donated a harp made by Welsh harp makers, Telynau Teifi to the Wales International Harp Festival.

Festival organisers expect competitors from as far afield a Hong Kong, Russia, Poland, Egypt, North America as well as local harpists from across the British Isles to compete in the four different competition categories: under 13, under 19, world music competition and the ‘Pencerdd’ or chief musician of the Festival. The judges will then award the harp, made by Llandysul based harp makers, Telynau Teifi to one harpist who comes to the fore in the under 13 or under 19 category. They will receive it alongside a scholarship, awarded to the best three in each age category.

Elinor Bennett

“This year we will welcome competitors and performers from 26 countries which proves how the Wales International Harp Festival has firmly established itself as one of the most respected festivals on the world’s harp music calendar,” added Bennett.