11 – 20 September 2025
St Asaph Cathedral
Theme: Perceptions
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Artistic Director’s Welcome
I am delighted to welcome you to the North Wales International Music Festival 2025. Our festival theme for 2025 is ‘Perceptions’ – the strong link between music and the human mind. We aim to explore the importance of music and the arts in supporting and promoting good mental health and, through a series of concerts, workshops, masterclasses and discussions, we examine the positive aspects of music for our mental wellbeing.
Our festival opens with one of the greatest tenors of his generation – making his festival debut – Joseph Calleja in a programme of world-famous arias featuring pianist Ellis Thomas and soprano Branwen Medi Jones. This is sure to be one of our most popular concerts. We also welcome the renowned vocal group, APOLLO5 to the festival for the first time, as this much sought-after choir bring us an entertainingly lush evening of choral music from Tallis and Purcell to folk songs and everything in-between.
The world-famous brass band, Black Dyke Band conducted by Professor Nicholas Childs aim to raise the roof off St Asaph Cathedral as they present a programme of toe-tapping brass band favourites alongside original works for band. We also welcome the great TV and film composer, Debbie Wiseman OBE to St Asaph for the first time as she talks about her music for some of the UK’s most popular films and TV shows including the beloved, Wolf Hall, with Classic FM’s Zeb Soanes – recorded live for Classic FM – with our own NEW Sinfonia orchestra and conductor Rob Guy performing the music for us, featuring soprano Tesni Jones.
The BBC National Orchestra of Wales – always a favourite – bring Beethoven’s ever-popular fifth symphony to the cathedral for the very first time along with the compositions of Queen Victoria’s beloved husband Prince Albert in new arrangements by Paul Mealor (commissioned for HM King Charles’s 75th Birthday), featuring tenor Gwilym Bowen. Also, Prince Albert’s teacher, Felix Mendelssohn’s evocative perceptions of the Scottish landscape where he often holidayed and Grace Williams’, one of Wales’s leading composers of the 20thcentury, very first orchestral score, Hen Walia, which incorporates the well-known lullaby, Huna blentyn (Suo Gân). We also welcome back the storming North Wales Choral Union and Orchestra conducted by the brilliant Trystan Lewis with a world premiere of a mass in Welsh which has been discovered recently from North Wales composer, Caradog Roberts (who died in 1935), and a requiem to celebrate Sir John Rutter’s 80th Birthday.
Our Festival Fringe was new to us last year and is back with a vengeance featuring brilliant pianist Cyrill Ibrahim with music of the night, ‘Harmonie du soir’; Jazz Guitar from Josh Lascar; one of Wales’s most distinguished poets, Mererid Hopwood; a Cabaret and American Song Night with soprano Jillian Bain Christie & pianist John Frederick Hudson; The Lighted Stage Songwriter Sessions with Jude Lane & Paula Darwish; and our popular North Wales Comedy Night with the fabulous Manon James & Katie Gill. Come and join us at hostelries in St Asaph and enjoy music, poetry and comedy in a more relaxed atmosphere in a late-night setting over a glass of your favourite drink.
Renowned Welsh Pianist, Iwan Llewelyn-Jones returns with a programme exploring music and the mind. We also are delighted to welcome distinguished psychiatrist Professor Henrietta Bowden-Jones OBE who will deliver our festival lecture, ‘Music and the Mind’. Our community outreach work remains of vital importance to us. Professional musicians from Live Music Now Cymru, musician Sioned Webb and visual artists Ben Davis & Jude Wood will deliver community events within schools, community hospitals, care homes and St Kentigern Hospice. We also host a vocal masterclass with Rebecca Evans CBE, our Dementia Friendly concert, a drop-in workshop for people living with Dementia with David & Caroline from The Halle Orchestra, two Camau Cerdd / Steps in Music sessions with Canolfan Gerdd William Mathias, two ‘Mindfulness through music’ sessions with Will Crawford from ‘quietnote’, the BBC NOW’s Young Composers course concert, and our ever-popular Tots and Children’s concert.
We are delighted that BBC Radio Cymru is our broadcast partner again this year and will be broadcasting a number of events from the festival including our Pendine Young Musician of Wales. With the ongoing support of our headline sponsors, the Pendine Arts and Community Trust and the wonderful Mario and Gill Kreft, we are delighted that this competition is rapidly becoming a major event in the musical life of Wales. We also welcome back BBC Radio 3 and welcome, for the first-time, Classic FM!
Something for everyone in 2025. See you there!
Paul Mealor LVO CStJ
