A world-renowned harpist who was forced to pull out of a major festival last year, because she was battling breast cancer, is keeping her promise to perform at this year’s event instead.

Former royal harpist, Catrin Finch, will have a starring role at the Wales Harp Festival at Galeri in Caernarfon on 17 and 18 April.

After being diagnosed with stage-three breast cancer, she had seven rounds of chemotherapy in four months and underwent a double mastectomy at Velindre Cancer Centre in Cardiff.

In 2000 Catrin, who hails originally from Llanon, Ceredigion, became the first person since 1872 to hold the post of royal harpist.

Her four years playing for the Prince of Wales provided a springboard to a glittering career.

Since then, she has performed extensively throughout the USA, South America, the Middle East, Asia, Australia and Europe, both as a soloist, and appearing with many of the world’s top orchestras.

She said: “I was determined to perform at this year’s Wales Harp Festival because Elinor Bennett, the festival director, was my harp teacher for many years.

“I’m so looking forward to it and I’m just sad I had to miss out on last year’s event. It just wasn’t possible due to the treatment I was having for my breast cancer.

“But that’s all done now and I feel that journey is behind me. I’ve come out of the other side. I’m back doing what I love and have an incredibly busy schedule ahead of me. It was a horrible time, there’s no question of that. Unfortunately, I have a faulty gene that left me susceptible to breast cancer.

“The worse thing, in some ways, was that I couldn’t play the harp for a couple of months, between September and October. That was difficult as I try and practise every day when my schedule allows.

“It was strange not playing but I can now put that behind me and get on with my life. I just have to be thankful.”

Catrin added: “I will be performing works by French harpists who were composing at the time of the Treaty of Versailles, 100 years ago, as well as music by Bach, Piazzola and William Mathias.

“While I’ll be performing a more classical programme, Monika will be performing more of her own jazz-based compositions. It will be an interesting mix of styles.

“I’m really looking forward to playing in Caernarfon as I’m currently heavily involved working on a project with Seckou Keita, a Senegalese kora player and drummer. We have together released two albums and are touring, bringing a collaboration of very different music styles to a wider audience. I couldn’t be more delighted with the way the music we perform has been received.

“I’m also working on bringing the World Harp Congress to Cardiff in 2020. That will be a similar event to those organised by Elinor Bennett in north Wales and it will be nice to see how she puts her very successful festivals together.”

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