WREXHAM SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA

Bethan Morgan-Williams – Solo Violin

Bethan started playing the violin when she was three years old, studying with the late Derek Jackson of Kerry, Newtown. In 2001, at the age of nine, she was offered a scholarship to Wells Cathedral School, one of the five specialist music schools in Great Britain, where she is taught by Catherine Lord.

Bethan won her first solo competition, for under-16 instrumentalists, when just five years old, following this with successes at competitions across Wales, including the Under-12 and Under-15 String Solo classes at the Urdd National Eisteddfod in 2002 and 2003, and the Under-16 String Solo class at the Royal National Eisteddfod of Wales, while still only thirteen. Following on from membership of the North Powys Youth Orchestra – where she led the 2nd violin section from the age of six – and the National Children’s Orchestra from the age of seven, she was a member of the National Children’s Chamber Orchestra in 2005 and the National Youth Chamber Orchestra last year.

Bethan has also gained recognition as a composer, winning the Under-15 Composition class at the Urdd National Eisteddfod in 2004, and with string works performed at Wells and at the University of Bristol last year. A recent work for Violin and Double Bass Octet is to be performed at the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester later this year.

Bethan regularly performs as a soloist and chamber musician in concerts across the country. She is a founder member of StringBreakers – a folk-jazz trio comprising two violins and guitar – which writes all its own music and uses improvisation as a major part of its performances.

Bethan is playing a violin by Calcanius of Genoa, which is kindly on loan for this performance from Ealing Strings.

April 2007

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