The Organisers
COLEG TELYN CYMRU (Harp College of Wales)
The Festival is organised by Coleg Telyn Cymru (Harp College of Wales) which was established by Elinor Bennett, Meinir Heulyn and Gillian Green in 1989 to promote the art of harp performance in Wales. Festivals, courses,concerts and wide-ranging lectures have been organised in Gregynog, Aberystwyth, Llangrannog and other cultural locations in Wales.
Festival Executive Committee
 Elinor Bennett : Chair. A Law graduate of the
University of Wales, Aberystwyth, Elinor then studied at the Royal
Academy of Music, London with Osian Ellis and played with all the
major British Orchestras. Returning to Wales, she continued her international
career as concert harpist, recording artist, teacher, and adjudicator.
Her autobiography “Tannau Tynion” was published in 2011. |
 Caryl
Thomas : Secretary. After graduating from
the Welsh College of Music and Drama Caryl studied for her M.A. in
New York and led a distinguished career as solo concert and recording
harpist. In 2011 she was appointed Head of Harp Studies at her old
College. She has many talented young pupils in addition to the students
at the Royal Welsh College. Caryl was Chair of the European Harp
Symposium in Cardiff in 2006. |
 Meinir Heulyn : Treasurer. Meinir graduated in
Music from the University of Wales, Cardiff, and the Conservatorio
in Genoa before joining Welsh National Opera and being appointed
Head of the Harp Department at the Royal Welsh College of Music,
Cardiff. In partnership with her husband, Brian Raby, she established
the influential music publishing company, Alaw. Her arrangements
for harp can be heard all over the world. |
 Gillian Green : A Music Graduate of the University
of Wales, Cardiff, Gillian pursued a post-graduate course at the
University of London. She joined the team of Yehudi Menuhin’s Live
Music Now! as organiser for Wales, and is also the Head of Auditions
(Britain) and is a very experienced adjudicator. She has been Board
member of several influential organisations. |
 Ann Griffiths graduated in Welsh, and won a
scholarship to study harp with Pierre Jamet at the Conservatoire
National de Musique in Paris, where she won the Premier Prix. She
received an M.A for her studies into the history of the harp , and
taught at the Welsh College of Music and drama, and the Royal Academy
of Music, London. She is the acknowledged harp historian and has
46 articles in the Groves Dictionary of Music. |