Richard Vaughan, a music graduate from the Royal Holloway, University of London, has been named as International Choral Festival Wales’ first ever Composer in Residence.
Commenting on the announcement, ICFW Artistic Director, Eilir Owen-Griffiths said: “I am delighted to have Richard on-board as our first ever Composer in Residence. As a friend and colleague, I am looking forward to working with him on the 2019/2020 Festivals. He is an excellent composer and I cannot wait to see what musical treats he has in store for us.”
Originally from Ammanford in Carmarthenshire, Richard Vaughan is an accomplished composer and arranger, conductor, accompanist and musical director.
Based in Cardiff, Vaughan has published numerous choral works, including Ave Maria, Justorum Animae, Rhyfel and Nadolig 1914, all of which have been performed extensively across the UK, Europe and America. He is Conductor of Côr y Gleision; Assistant Conductor and Accompanist with Côr CF1; Conductor of the National Eisteddfod of Wales’ Massed Choir and has worked as Musical Director with the ‘Big Talent’ school at the Wales Millennium Centre. He is also an accomplished pianist, having played across Europe and is a regular accompanist on Welsh-language TV channel, S4C. He has been a professional piano tutor since the age of fifteen and continues to teach privately.
In his new role as Composer in Residence at International Choral Festival Wales, Vaughan will be responsible for composing the 2019 Festival Anthem, where the competing choirs will unite to give the World Premiere of the piece at the end of the Choir of Choirs Competition, which will be held at the BBC’s Hoddinott Hall in Cardiff Bay during Easter 2019.
Vaughan said: “I’m looking forward to the challenge of composing for different combinations of voices and to hearing the piece being performed live for the very first time by some of the world’s leading choirs, here in Cardiff”
Applications are now open for the 2019 Festival, which will return to the Wales Millennium Centre over the Easter weekend [19 April – 21 April 2019]. During this time, the choirs will indulge in a fully packed schedule of choral events ranging from concerts with acclaimed artists; informal performances at the Welsh Capital’s most popular landmarks (Cardiff Castle, National Assembly of Wales, Mermaid Quay); workshops with leading choral conductors and collaborators such as Brit Award and Double-Classic Brit Award-winning Welsh composer, Paul Mealor and Irish choral conductor and international adjudicator, Bernie Sherlock; and last but not least, compete for the prestigious Sir Karl Jenkins Trophy.
To apply for the 2019 Festival, click here
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