WREXHAM
SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA
Llyr
Williams – Piano
Llyr Williams of
Pentrebychan, Rhosllanerchrugog, Wrecsam, Clwyd who is a former pupil of Ysgol
Morgan Llwyd, Wrecsam, began learning the piano when he was 7 years old. He
passed all 8 Piano Grades of the Associated Board with Distinction before
leaving the primary school.
Llyr
has won the piano solo competition at the Urdd National Eisteddfod of Wales
four times. On one occasion he gained 99 marks out of 100. In 1990 he won the
title Clwyd Young Instrumentalist of the year under 19. He was also the
accompanist of Ysgol Morgan Liwyd Madrigal Choir when they won the BBC Schools’
Choir of the Year in Cardiff in 1991 and the Schools” Choir of the Year at the
Welsh Choral Festival in 1992. In that competition the Madrigal Choir sang a
piece, ‘Ystrad Fflur’ especially composed by Llyr for the occasion. This
composition has been televised. In 1993 he was appointed the youngest ever
accompanist of the Rhos Male Voice Choir. Since then he has appeared with the
choir throughout Wales and England both as accompanist for the choir, for many
professional artistes and as a soloist in his own right.
As well
as giving recitals at Bodelwyddan Castle, Gloucester, Chester and Wrexham Llyr
has appeared as a soloist and accompanist as many venues including the Albert
Hall, London and in a celebratory concert in St. David’s Hall, Cardiff. He has
appeared as a guest soloist on television. Llyr first performed the Beethoven
Choral Fantasia with the Wrexham and District Choral Society in October 1991
and in the spring of 1996 he played the same work at Rhyl and Mold with the
Clwyd Youth Orchestra and Choir.
In 1992
Llyr gave the premiere performance of a Piano Concerto written especially for
him and the Clwyd Youth Orchestra by Dalwyn Henshall. This was at the New
Pavilion Theatre Rhyl. On the same evening, in the presence of the Honorary
President of Rhyl Music Society, the world famous pianist, John Lill, Llyr was
presented with the prestigious Muriel Lewis Memorial Prize in recognition of a
recital he gave in Rhyl Town Hall in November 1991. Llyr also gave the second
performance of the Concerto in Wrexham in the William Matthias Memorial
Concert. In 1994 Llyr played the Shostakovich Second Piano Concerto with the
North Wales Youth Orchestra at the Rhyl Easter Festival. He also played this
concerto with the Wrexham Symphony Orchestra in the summer of 1995.
In November
1994 Llyr was accepted to read music at Queen’s College, Oxford and during his
first two years he has regularly given many recitals both as a soloist and as
an accompanist. In the 1996 summer vacation Llyr gave two recitals at the
Gordon Conference for International Scientists which was meeting in Britain for
the first time in its long history. During the spring of this year he gave a
recital at the Holywell Rooms (reputed to be the oldest custom built concert
hall in Europe) and he also played Gershwin’s ‘Rhapsody in Blue’ with the
Oxford Philharmonia at the Sheldonian Theatre.
His
first piano teacher was the late Mrs Lottie Williams Parry, Rhos. Llyr now
studies the piano in London with the concert pianist, Hamish Milne.
July
1997