Judges

Ieuan Jones
Chair of the Panel

Ieuan Jones

At 13, Ieuan was the youngest member of the National Youth Orchestra of Wales. He went on to join the National Youth Orchestra of GB, and then gained a scholarship to study with Marisa Robles at the Royal College of Music. After four years at the RCM, winning all the major prizes including the Tagore Gold Medal and the Queen Mother Rose Bowl for the most distinguished student of his year, he won the Royal Over-Seas League Music Competition in 1985 - only the second harpist to do so for almost 70 years.

While still a student he was appointed harpist to the House of Commons - an appointment which went on for some 13 years, and has not since been repeated.

Ieuan tours the world regularly with his harp. He has performed in more than twenty five countries, given concerto appearance with some of the worlds leading orchestras and has many recordings to his credit. Standing ovations from the Concertgebouw to the Teatro Colon in Argentina, the Port Fairy, Barossa and Melbourne festivals in Australia to the Cultural Centre in Manila, City Hall in Hong Kong and many many more.

At home he appears at all of the concert hall venues from the Albert Hall, Festival Hall, Symphony Hall, Bridgewater Hall, St David`s Hall, Wigmore Hall, Purcell Room, Queen Elizabeth Hall, Queens Hall and so on, with varied programmes that include works rarely played on the harp and often with other instruments such as the flute, violin, and a programme of harp quintets with string quartet.

Ieuan was appointed Professor of Harp at the Royal College of Music in 1997 and was awarded the FRCM in 2016.

Sarah Burnett

In a career full of variety and diversity, Scottish born bassoonist, Sarah Burnett, is a lyrical, successful and highly regarded wind player. Sarah is currently Principal Bassoon with the Britten Sinfonia and the London Mozart Players. She is in demand as Guest Principal with most of the major UK orchestras: symphony, chamber and opera orchestras alike. She also plays for session orchestras and can be heard on many a film score. In addition, she is a busy and passionate chamber musician being a member of the Haffner Wind Ensemble as well as the RPS award winning Britten Sinfonia Soloists and regularly performs in venues such as the Wigmore Hall, St George’s Bristol, the South Bank and the Barbican Centre, as well as in many festivals abroad. She can frequently be heard on BBC Radio 3.

Sarah is a keen and experienced teacher; not only is she Professor at the RCM, but also coaches the bassoons of the National Youth Orchestra, is Consultant at the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire and is demand for masterclasses, both at home and around the world.

In her early years, she won places, awards and scholarships allowing her to study at Chetham’s School of Music, Cambridge University, the Royal Academy of Music and later to study with Klaus Thunemann in Hanover, Germany. She was also Principal Bassoon in both the National Youth Orchestra of GB and the European Union Youth Orchestra.

Iwan Llewelyn-Jones

Described by the Daily Telegraph as ‘a pianist of impeccable taste, confidence and stylish sensitivity’, Iwan Llewelyn-Jones has firmly established himself as one of the finest pianists of his generation. He has performed at many of the world’s prestigious concert halls including the Wigmore Hall, Queen Elizabeth Hall, Leipzig Gewandhaus, and the Sydney Opera House. Iwan is the Artistic Director of the 2025 Wales International Piano Festival, having curated the previous two Festivals in 2016 and 2021. He has been the recipient of several awards and honours, including the Sir Geraint Evans Award in recognition of his significant contribution to Welsh music. Iwan is a Steinway Artist and combines a busy international performing schedule with his role as Senior Lecturer and Director of Music Performance at Bangor University.

Wedi'i ddisgrifio gan y Daily Telegraph fel 'pianydd o flas, hyder a sensitifrwydd chwaethus di-fai', mae Iwan Llewelyn-Jones wedi sefydlu ei hun fel un o bianyddion gorau ei genhedlaeth. Mae wedi perfformio mewn llawer o neuaddau cyngerdd mawreddog y byd gan gynnwys Neuadd Wigmore, Neuadd y Frenhines Elizabeth, Gewandhaus Leipzig, a Thŷ Opera Sydney. Iwan yw Cyfarwyddwr Artistig Gŵyl Piano Ryngwladol Cymru 2025, ar ôl curadu'r ddwy Ŵyl flaenorol yn 2016 a 2021. Mae wedi derbyn sawl gwobr ac anrhydedd, gan gynnwys Gwobr Syr Geraint Evans i gydnabod ei gyfraniad sylweddol i gerddoriaeth Cymru. Mae Iwan yn Artist Steinway ac mae'n cyfuno amserlen berfformio ryngwladol brysur â'i rôl fel Uwch Ddarlithydd a Chyfarwyddwr Perfformio Cerddoriaeth ym Mhrifysgol Bangor.

Nicole Wilson

Nicole is a guest principal violinist and session musician in London. She is also concertmaster of the London Musical Theatre Orchestra and chair of ESTA UK (European String Teachers Association)

Nicole began her career as a first violinist in the London Symphony Orchestra in 1999 and in 2008 spent a year as an orchestral fixer for film and TV sessions, having worked on numerous projects including Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. After five years as a principal violin in the orchestra of English National Opera, she has since been a guest principal violinist with many major orchestras in the UK and Europe.

In 2014 she founded and managed the music tutoring website, Musical Orbit, connecting top professional musicians across the world with music students, professionals and amateurs through their online platform.

A specialist in helping graduating music students navigate their way in the music business, 2018 saw her launch AuditionPerform, a unique audition preparation course with faculty including concertmasters and principals from all over the world. Since then, Nicole has directed, managed and run several courses including Friend’s International Violin Academy (with faculty including Pinchas Zuckerman and Augustin Hadelich), the National Schools Symphony Orchestra and currently Virtuoso International Music Academy.

Nicole also presents concerts for radio and TV and is a producer of musical projects including concerts and theatrical productions.

Official Accompanists

Conal Bembridge-Sayers

Conal Bembridge-Sayers studied at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama, where he was awarded the Mansel Thomas Award for Music, the Simon Clarkson Award for Outstanding Musicianship, the Rob Bryson Conductors Prize, and the Sam Hutchings Pianist Prize. Subsequently Conal developed an extensive career across the UK and Europe as a collaborative pianist, whilst working as music staff on over 30 operatic productions with companies such as Welsh National Opera and Opera Vlaanderen (Belgium).

Conal has since worked as a musical director on productions at the Bristol Hippodrome, including Les Misérables and Me and My Girl, as a pianist for the UK tour of Beauty and the Beast, and as assistant musical director for ArtsEd’s productions of High Society, Into the Woods, Spring Awakening, and Sister Act.

Conal serves as Senior Music Tutor at ArtsEd, London, and was formerly Head of Keyboard at Queen Elizabeth Hospital School, held visiting tutor and examining roles at the Royal Academy of Music, Royal Birmingham Conservatoire, Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama, Wales Academy of Voice and Dramatic Arts, and at Cardiff and Bristol Universities and Royal Conservatoire of Antwerp.

Conal has worked with Live Music Now, Music in Hospitals and Care, and the participation and engagement department of Welsh National Opera and went on to found a successful schools singing project in collaboration with Arts Council Wales. Conal serves on the board of Awen Cultural Trust as trustee safeguarding lead and as a member of its People and Inclusion Committee.