Sensational month of music at Gregynog Hall

Music lovers are in for a feast of fabulous performances at Gregynog Hall near Newtown this June as the historic house gets ready to host a sensational series of musical events!

The concerts are part of the Gregynog’s growing cultural programme celebrating the hall’s history as one of the most significant arts and music venues in Wales throughout the early 20th century.

June’s musical extravaganza begins on Sunday, June 2at 3pm with Gregynog Young Musician’s Summer concert in the beautiful Music Room. The afternoon will feature performances by world renowned harpist Ieuan Jones as well as the Official Royal Harpist Alis Huws.

Last year’s Gregynog Young Musician of the year winner, cellist Ivan Cherednichenko, will also be performing, as will Hafren Youth Strings, a newly formed group of young string players from North Powys.

Tickets costing £20, including afternoon tea, can be bought from sec@gregynogymc.co.uk .

On Friday, June 7, Gregynog welcomes local legend Dai Rob for an evening of pies and pints. Dai’s blend of chilled out tunes are perfect for a summer evening. Booking details on Gregynog’s website: www.gregynog.org .

On Saturday, June 8, The Music Room will be hosting an unforgettable evening of beautiful music with renowned Welsh pianist Llŷr Williams. He will perform Beethoven’s Sonata op 31 no 2 The Tempest at the start of the concert and Sonata op 53 Waldstein to close.

Llŷr will be joined by violinist Ezo Sarici, who will perform a solo piece by contemporary composer Huw Watkins.

The concert is a fundraising performance for the Council for the Protection of Rural Wales. Llŷr Williams is CPRW’s countryside champion and shares its vision and passion for protecting and conserving Wales’ beautiful landscapes.

On June 10, Gregynog’s resident orchestra Sinfonia Cymru return for a week of

rehearsals with two free public performances.

Sinfonia Cymru is known as Wales’s most dynamic and exciting orchestra, always breaking the mould, taking audiences to new places and showcasing some of the best under 30s musicians in the UK

The week-long residency in Powys is part of a long-standing partnership between Gregynog and Sinfonia Cymru which celebrates the hall’s incredible history as a venue for classical concerts.

This June and July, the orchestra is collaborating with acclaimed musicians and climate activists Simmy Singh (violin), Will Pound (harmonica) and Delia Stevens (percussion) on a new tour named Regenerate: Seasons for Change, a ground-breaking project using music as a catalyst to discuss the future of the planet.

Caroline Tress, Sinfonia Cymru chief executive, said: “We’re passionate about supporting young musicians in every way possible. In this project we’re proud to provide the next generation of incredible musicians with a stage to explore the climate crisis and the future of our planet.

“We’re grateful to Gregynog Hall for supporting this project and we are excited to rehearse in their stunningly beautiful green spaces. We can’t wait to share our music and inspire important discussions with audiences across Wales.”

There will be a free but ticketed open rehearsal of Regenerate: Seasons for Change in Gregynog on Thursday, June 13 from 6pm to 7.30pm. Tickets for concerts and the rehearsal at Gregynog are now on sale and available at: https://sinfonia.cymru/programme .

The final event of the week will be a free, 50-minute concert with Sinfonia Cymru at 11am on Saturday, June 15. In this performance, the musicians have put together pieces with a mix of musical styles – something for everyone and a chance to chat with the musicians after the concert.

Gregynog’s performers will be Alis Huws, Official Royal Harpist to King Charles II, flautist Mina Middleton and Ben Tarlton on cello. The performance is free and everyone is welcome but a ticket is required. Details on Gregynog’s website

Gregynog is looking forward to announcing its new cultural programme soon with support from Powys County Council’s Shared Prosperity Fund.

The new programme will run from June to November this year and offer something for everyone, from folk concerts to free chamber music performances and art classes for local schools.

Lydia Bassett, Gregynog’s business development director, said: “We are so excited to be one of the organisations selected for support through the Levelling Up budgets. We will be able to share our programme very soon as we are making exciting plans with our partner organisations.

“The Davies Sisters’ vision for Gregynog was as a centre for art and music for all the people of Wales. Great composers like Elgar, Vaughan Williams and Holst performed here and the Music Room was once host to one of the greatest collections of Impressionist art, including Monet’s Water Lilies.

“We want to share the history and culture of Gregynog as widely as we can so we are working on an exciting new programme of affordable events which will offer something for everyone to enjoy.”