Nia Harries, cello & Iwan Llewelyn-Jones, piano

Concert Details

Concert Description:

PROGRAMME

Mendelssohn: Variations Concertantes Op.17
Alun Hoddinott: Sonata no.2
Mendelssohn: Song without Words Op.109
Gareth Peredur Churchill: Y Garreg Ddial: Cello Sonata
Chopin: Sonata in G minor Op.65

Nia Harries was a pupil of Jacqueline du Pré for over six years. She then studied with Steven Isserlis, who revolutionised both her attitude to music and her playing.

In 1996, Alun Hoddinott, with support from the Arts Council of Wales, wrote his third cello recital for Nia; she gave the world première in St David’s Hall, Cardiff. Alun Hoddinott also composed his third piano trio for Nia’s chamber group, the première of which was given at the Fishguard Festival. She is a Professor at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama teaching on the String Training Programme.

Recent recitals have included solo and chamber music works at the Purcell Room, Wigmore Hall, City of London Music Festival, and also at Queen’s University, Belfast. Future plans include performances of a new piece for cello and harp written by composer Andrew Powell for Nia Harries and Catrin Finch.

Iwan Llewelyn-Jones studied at Oxford and the Royal College of Music. In 1999 he performed six recitals devoted to the music of Frederic Chopin and in 2004 gave a series of recitals at Wigmore Hall centred on the works of Francis Poulenc. He has a special affinity with 19th and 20th century French music and has released a CD of solo works entitled ‘French Portraits’.

He is actively involved in promoting new music. Composers who have written works especially for him include Alun Hoddinott, John Metcalf, John Pickard, Pwyll ap Sion, Karl Jenkins and Lowell Liebermann. In addition to his solo recital performances, Iwan has performed concertos by Mozart, Chopin and Litolff with the BBC National Orchestra of Wales, and is an experienced chamber musician. In 2004 he formed his own chamber music group consisting of young Welsh musicians, devoted to promoting new solo and chamber works alongside the mainstream repertoire.