The prestigious Wales Harp Festival returns to Gwynedd after the pandemic forced its cancellation two years ago and turned it in to a virtual event in 2021.

There will be a live audience at Galeri Caernarfon when it becomes the centre of the harp playing world with the staging of the event for two days on 12 and 13 April.

Under the artistic direction of internationally-renowned harpist Elinor Bennett, the festival combines concerts with master classes and workshops, offering harpists of all ages and abilities the opportunity to learn from some of the best performers in the world.

There will also be afternoon and evening public concerts that will include the world premiere of a new work for harp. The competition for the Nansi Richards Award for young Welsh harpists will also be held.

Speaking about the frustration of the past two years caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, Elinor said: “The healing powers of the harp are well-known and the Wales Harp Festival will provide a fantastic opportunity for harpists and beginner harpists to come together once again.

“I look forward very much to be inspired by other harpists, both younger and older, to create music which will uplift our hearts and spirits after the anxieties of Covid.

“Let us look together into a better future with positive hearts.”

The concert on Wednesday evening features Swansea-born harpist Gwenllian Llyr who will play a new piece by Mared Emlyn and her own new arrangement of the well-known hymn tune Calon Lân.

Joining Gwenllian will be jazz harpist Benjamin Creighton-Griffiths, along with his band the Transatlantic Hot Club with Adrien Chevalier from New York on violin and Ashley John Long on bass.

Elinor said Mared Emlyn’s piece had been due to be performed at the 2020 festival.

“At last the piece can be heard and in public too where it rightfully belongs,” Elinor said.

Elinor is also looking forward to hearing former pupil Benjamin Creighton-Griffiths perform.

Both harpists will give workshops and lessons on composition, jazz and improvisation during the festival.

The festival was first established in the late 1970s and initially held at Bangor University as a residential course for young harpists.

It evolved into a festival with lessons and workshops, competitions, concerts and other activities, and is now firmly established in the music calendar.

Organised by Canolfan Gerdd William Mathias (CGWM) since 1999, the festival is held annually and has also spawned the International Harp festival held every four years and due to be staged once again in 2023. Workshops and classes start at 10am on both days. After lunch on the first day there is a concert by members of the course and a composition class with Gwenllian Llyr and Mared Emlyn.

During the afternoon the festival features a concert in the Galeri café called the ‘Wales and Ireland Celtic Knot’.

The first day’s activities are rounded off by the Nansi Richards Scholarship competition at 6pm. Organised by the Nansi Richards Trust, the scholarship is open to harpists under 25 who live, or were born, in Wales.

It dates back to 1976 when a tribute concert was held for Nansi Richards,

After morning classes on the second day of the festival, Ben Creighton-Griffiths will lead a jazz workshop during the afternoon before two concerts round off the festival.

At 5pm over 40 harps will be placed on Galeri’s internal balconies for a special free performance by course participants.

Renowned harpist Dylan Cernyw will play in the Galeri cafe at 6.45pm before the main festival concert at 7.30pm.