Alis Huws has become the new Official Harpist to HRH The Prince of Wales, becoming the sixth person to take on the role since The Prince reinstated the post in 2000.
The internationally-acclaimed musician will perform her first piece as Royal Harpist for Their Royal Highnesses during a musical evening hosted at The Prince and The Duchess’ official Welsh residence; Llwynywermod in Llandovery this evening. The evening will also feature performances from members of the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama.
The Prince of Wales reinstated the post of Official Harpist nineteen years ago in order to foster and celebrate musical talent in Wales and to raise the profile of the harp as an instrument. Alis follows in the footsteps of Anne Denholm who was appointed in 2015.
Originally from rural Montgomeryshire, Mid Wales, Alis is a former pupil of Ysgol Uwchradd Caereinion, where she began studying the harp with Ieuan Jones. Following her undergraduate studies at the Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama (RWCMD), Alis has recently obtained her RWCMD Master’s Degree, under the tuition of Head of Harp, Caryl Thomas. As part of her studies, she spent time in Amsterdam on the Erasmus scheme, studying with renowned harpist Erika Waardenburg. At RWCMD, she was awarded the Midori Matsui Prize for music, the Royal Welch Fusiliers Harp Prize and the McGrennery Chamber Music Prize.
Alis is a soloist and chamber musician, and has played for the Royal Family on several occasions, and given performances across Europe and the Far East. The newly appointed Official Harpist to The Prince of Wales also performs regularly at events for Welsh Government, including the opening of their new offices at the British Embassy in Berlin last year, their St David’s Day celebrations at Lancaster House, and the official Royal opening of the Senedd in 2016. Earlier this year, Alis performed at Buckingham Palace to mark 50 years since the Investiture of HRH The Prince of Wales.
In 2017, she participated at the World Harp Congress in Hong Kong, and joined Katherine Jenkins and Only Men Aloud in a performance celebrating the UEFA Champions League Final in Cardiff. She also represented Wales at the Hankyu International Fair in Osaka in 2016.
She is committed to outreach work, regularly giving workshops and recitals in schools and hospitals, as well as interactive concerts for dementia patients. She has worked extensively with community-based charities and is looking forward to using her position as Royal Harpist to furthering this work.
Commenting on her appointment, Alis said: “I’m delighted to be appointed the Official Harpist to His Royal Highness. It’s a great honour and privilege to have been given this unique opportunity. I am passionate about my Welsh heritage and I would hope to use this platform to be an ambassador for our language, music and culture, whilst raising the profile of the harp in Wales and further afield."
"I have a particular interest in outreach work, and I hope that this role will enable me to take the harp into communities that may not have come across the instrument before. I’ve seen first hand how uplifting music can be and I am committed to furthering my work in this field."
Alis is the Youth Co-Ordinator for the World Harp Congress Cardiff 2020 and will join the Britten-Shostakovich Festival Orchestra on their inaugural tour to Russia this coming autumn.
The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall are currently in their second day of their annual, week-long visit to Wales. Their visit coincides with the fiftieth anniversary of His Royal Highness’s investiture as Prince of Wales and will be an opportunity to celebrate the range of Welsh charities, organisations and communities with which The Prince has been involved during the last five decades. During their week in Wales, Their Royal Highnesses will undertake over twenty engagements across the country.
Notes to Editors
- Alis Huws’ appointment runs for an initial period of two years.
- Alis Huws has been supported by the Arts Council of Wales, The Tillett Trust, The John Hosier and Biddy Baxter Trust and The EMI Sound Foundation.
- The post of Official Harpist to HRH The Prince of Wales was reinstated in 2000. The Prince re-established the position of harpist to help celebrate and foster musical talent in Wales.
- The first player to be appointed to the re-established position was Catrin Finch, who was official harpist from 2000-04. She was succeeded by Jemima Phillips, Claire Jones, Hannah Stone and Anne Denholm who held the position until now.
- Historically, previous holders of the post have included the Welsh John Thomas (1826-1913) who succeeded the English John Chatterton in 1871 as Royal Harpist to Queen Victoria and continued as The King’s Harper until his death in 1913. Nansi Richards (1888-1976) – student of John Thomas, was appointed Royal Harpist to The Prince of Wales at his Investiture in 1911.
- This evening Alis will be playing The Prince of Wales’s harp which was given to His Royal Highness in 2006 by the Victor Salvi Foundation in recognition of his contribution to the promotion of harp playing.
ALIS HUWS YW TELYNORES SWYDDOGOL NEWYDD EUB TYWYSOG CYMRU
Dydd Mawrth 2il Gorffennaf 2019
Alis Huws yw Telynores Swyddogol newydd EUB Tywysog Cymru – y chweched person i dderbyn y swydd ers iddi gael ei haelsefydlu gan y Tywysog yn 2000. Bydd y delynores, sydd wedi cael ei chanmol yn rhyngwladol, yn perfformio ei darn cyntaf fel y Telynores Frenhinol mewn noson gerddorol yn nhy Cymreig swyddogol y Tywysog a’r Dduges, Llwynywermod ger Llanymddyfri, heno. Bydd y noson hefyd yn cynnwys perfformiadau gan aelodau Coleg Brenhinol Cerdd a Drama Cymru.
Ailsefydlodd Tywysog Cymru swydd y Telynor Swyddogol 19 mlynedd yn ôl er mwyn meithrin a dathlu doniau cerddorol yng Nghymru ac i godi proffil y Delyn fel offeryn. Y mae Alis yn dilyn ôl troed Anne Denholm, a benodwyd yn 2015.
Yn wreiddiol o Sir Drefaldwyn, Canolbarth Cymru, y mae Alis yn gyn-ddisgybl Ysgol Uwchradd Caereinion, lle astudiodd y Delyn gydag Ieuan Jones. Yn dilyn ei gradd gyntaf yng Ngholeg Brenhinol Cerdd a Drama Cymru, fe dderbyniodd ei gradd Meistr gan y Coleg, dan oruchwyliaeth Pennaeth y Delyn, Caryl Thomas. Fel rhan o’i hastudiaethau, treuliodd amser yn Amsterdam ar gynllun Erasmus, gan astudio gyda’r delynores enwog Erika Waardenburg. Yn y Coleg Cerdd, fe dderbyniodd y wobr Midori Matsui ar gyfer cerddoriaeth, gwobr Telyn Ffiwsilwyr Brenhinol Cymru, a Gwobr Gerddoriaeth Siambr McGrennery.
Y mae Alis yn unawdydd ac yn gerddor siambr, ac mae hi wedi chwarau ar gyfer y Teulu Brenhinol ar sawl achlysur, ac mae wedi perfformio ar draws Ewrop a’r Dwyrain Pell. Y mae’r Delynores Swyddogol hefyd yn perfformio’n rheolaidd mewn digwyddiadau ar gyfer Llywodraeth Cymru, gan gynnwys: agor ei swyddfeydd newydd yn Llysgenhadaeth Prydain ym Merlin y llynedd, y dathliadau Dydd Gwyl Dewi yn Lancaster House, ac agoriad Brenhinol swyddogol y Senedd yn 2016. Yn gynharach eleni, perfformiodd Alis ym Mhalas Buckingham i nodi hanner canmlwyddiant Arwisgiad EUB Tywysog Cymru.
Yn 2017, cymerodd ran yng Nghyngres Telyn y Byd yn Hong Kong, ac fe ymunodd â Katherine Jenkins ac Only Men Aloud mewn perfformiad yn dathlu Rownd Derfynol Cynghrair Pencampwyr UEFA. Hefyd, fe gynrychiolodd Gymru yn Ffair Ryngwladol Hankyu yn Osaka yn 2016.
Mae’n ymroddedig at ehangu adnabyddiaeth o’r Delyn a chreu mwy o gyfleoedd i’w dysgu , gan gyflwyno gweithdai a datganiadau mewn ysbytai ac ysgolion, yn ogystal â chyngherddau ar gyfer cleifion gyda dementia. Mae wedi gweithio yn helaeth gydag elusennau cymunedol ac mae hi’n edrych ymlaen at ddefnyddio ei safle fel Telynores Swyddogol er mwyn hyrwyddo’r gwaith hwn.
Gan sôn am ei phenodiad, meddai Alis: “Rwyf wrth fy modd o gael fy mhenodi’n Delynores Swyddogol i’w Uchelder Brenhinol. Mae’n anrhydedd fawr ac yn fraint i gael y cyfle unigryw hwn. Mae fy nhreftadaeth Gymreig yn rhywbeth yr wyf yn angerddol amdani a gobeithiaf ddefnyddio’r platform hwn i fod yn llysgennad ar gyfer ein hiaith, ein cerddoriaeth a’n diwylliant, gan godi proffil y Delyn yng Nghymru a thu hwnt.
Y mae gennyf ddiddordeb arbennig mewn gwaith allanol, a gobeithiaf y bydd y rôl yn fy ngalluogi i gymryd y delyn i fewn i gymunedau sydd heb ddod ar draws yr offeryn o’r blaen. Rwyf wedi gweld drosof fy hun sut y mae cerddoriaeth yn gallu codi calonnau, ac rwy’n benderfynol o ymestyn fy ngwaith yn y maes hwn.
Alis yw’r Cyd-gysylltydd Ieuenctid ar gyfer Cyngres Telyn y Byd, Caerdydd 2020 ac fe fydd yn ymuno â Cherddorfa Britten-Shostakovich ar eu taith gyntaf i Rwsia yr hydref hwn.
Y mae Tywysog Cymru a Duges Cernyw bellach ar ganol eu hail ddiwrnod yn ystod eu hymweliad blynyddol â Chymru yr wythnos hon. Y mae eu hymweliad yn cyd-daro â hanner canmlwyddiant Arwisgiad Tywysog Cymru ac fe fydd yn gyfle i ddathlu’r elusennau, y sefydliadau a’r cymunedau y bu’r Tywysog ynglyn â nhw dros yr hanner can mlynedd. Yn ystod eu hwythnos yng Nghymru, bydd Eu Huchelderau Brenhinol yn cynnal dros ugain o ddigwyddiadau ac ymweliadau ar draws y wlad.
Notes to Editors
- Y mae penodiad Alis Huws yn rhedeg am gyfnod cychwynnol o ddwy flynedd.
- Y mae Alis Huws wedi cael ei chefnogi gan Gyngor Celfyddydau Cymru, y Tillett Trust, y John Hosier and Biddy Baxter Trust a’r EMI Sound Foundation.
- Cafodd swydd Telynores Frenhinol i EUB Tywysog Cymru ei hail-sefydlu yn 2000. Ailsefydlodd y Tywysog y swydd er mwyn hybu a meithrin talent gerddorol yng Nghymru.
- Y delynores gyntaf i’w phenodi oedd Catrin Finch, a ddaliodd y swydd o 2000-04. Cafodd ei holynu gan Jemima Phillips, Claire Jones, Hannah Stone ac Anne Denholm.
- Yn hanesyddol, cafodd y swydd ei dal gan delynorion megis y Cymro John Thomas (1826-1913) a olynodd y Sais John Chatterton yn 1871 fel Telynor Brenhinol y Frenhines Fictoria ac a barhaodd yn y swydd tan ei farwolaeth yn 1913. Cafodd Nansi Richards (1888-1976) – a ddysgwyd gan John Thomas – ei phenodi yn Delynores Frenhinol i Dywysog Cymru ar achlysur ei Arwisgiad yn 1911.
- Heno bydd Alis yn canu telyn Tywysog Cymru a roddwyd i’w Uchelder Brenhinol yn 2006 gan y Victor Salvi Foundation fel cydnabyddiaeth o’i gyfraniad at hyrwyddo canu’r delyn.
