The oldest classical music festival in Wales returns with a feast of midsummer music in the handsome setting of Gregynog Hall.
Gregynog Festival is on Saturday and Sunday, 25 and 26 June.
Highlights in the historic Music Room include a recital by the pianist Llŷr Williams on Sunday afternoon, 26 June, at 4pm.
Llŷr Williams is widely admired for his profound musical intelligence and for the expressive and communicative nature of his interpretations.
An acclaimed performer of Beethoven, he makes a welcome return to Gregynog’s Music Room for the first time since 2011 with a programme beginning with Beethoven’s popular Pathétique Sonata, followed by compositions by Tchaikovsky, Béla Bartók and Peter Warlock.
Bartók, the great Hungarian composer-pianist, made his UK public recital début in Aberystwyth’s Parish Hall (now Theatr y Castell) on 16 March 1922 before visiting Warlock at his family home, Cefnbryntalch Hall near Newtown, and Llyr’s recital marks the centenary of these remarkable events.
A free pre-concert talk from 2.30pm by Dr Rhian Davies, Gregynog Festival’s artistic director, will consider Bartók’s performance, described by the Cambrian News as ’an epoch-marking occurrence in the career of the music students’ and by Professor Walford Davies as ‘Baffling!’
Also appearing at Gregynog on Saturday, 25 June, is Maximilian Ehrhardt, who is based in Berlin and specialises in playing historic harps including the Welsh triple harp.
Maximilian’s CD None But the Brave (2020) features music from three manuscripts at the National Library of Wales which are associated with the celebrated blind harper, John Parry, who was born in the Llŷn Peninsula, and he makes his festival début by showcasing some of this virtuosic repertoire.
Launching the 2022 Gregynog Festival season, Dr Rhian Davies said: “We would like to express our thanks to the Wales Cultural Recovery Fund for enabling us to safeguard the future of the Gregynog Festival during and beyond the pandemic.
“Many regular festivalgoers have kept in close touch with us during this challenging time, and I know how much we have all missed the annual treat of hearing some of the world’s finest musicians perform for us here in mid Wales.
“Now that live events are able to resume, everybody is really looking forward to meeting at Gregynog once more for the festival.
“The day programmes are designed to include a pre-concert talk and an opportunity to enjoy afternoon tea before each performance, so there will be plenty of time to catch up with friends as well as to enjoy the music.”
Gregynog Festival’s Box Office is now open and tickets and full information are available from www.gregynogfestival.org and 01686 207100.
For the latest news, you can join the mailing list via the festival website and follow Gregynog Festival’s Facebook page and Twitter account @gregynogfest.