Piano prodigy to play at major music festival

*Julian Gonzalez, 17, a pupil of Ysgol Dinas Bran, at the piano.

A "breath-takingly talented" young pianist will have a starring role at the launch concert of an international music festival - just after sitting an A level exam.

Julian Gonzalez, 17, a pupil of Ysgol Dinas Bran, in Llangollen, will be enchanting the audience at St Asaph Cathedral at 7.30pm on Wednesday, June 28.

The concert will be the curtain-raiser for the acclaimed North Wales International Music Festival that will be staged at the same venue from Saturday, September 16 to Saturday, September 30.

Hours after finishing his maths exam Julian will be performing two solo pieces of work at the festival.

He began playing the piano under the watchful eye of Ann Atkinson, who also happens to be the artistic director of the festival which has a track record for nurturing young musical talent.

The event's resident orchestra is NEW Sinfonia which was founded by conductor Robert Guy and his brother, Jonathan, a clarinettist, who were regulars at the festival's music masterclasses when they were younger.

Another stellar name who came through the ranks was royal composer Paul Mealor who was mentored by the festival's founder, the late Professor William Mathias.

Again this year, the festival is being supported by the Arts Council of Wales and Ty Cerdd and the sponsors include the arts-loving care organisation, Pendine Park and the Colwinston Charitable Trust.

Although music is Julian's passion, he has chosen to study mathematics at university.

He said: “I’ve always enjoyed playing the piano and as soon as I started playing there was a real connection between the instrument and me. I always enjoyed and looked forward to my piano practice and worked with Ann Atkinson every week from the age of seven and later with the renowned pianist, Iwan Llewelyn Jones.

“However, as much as I love music I see playing as a hobby really. I really want to pursue mathematics as a career so that’s what I’m focusing on. But things might change!”

“Last year I attended a master class at the festival, given by Montreal-born pianist Janina Fialkowska. I learnt so much and she showed me a whole new way of interpreting music and understanding just what the composer is trying to say.

"I really enjoy any classical music but in particular the romantic period. I suppose if I had to choose a favourite composer it would be Rachmaninov although Chopin and Liszt are also right up there too.

“I’m going to be playing two solo pieces at the North Wales International Music Festival, Prelude in C Minor by Rachmaninov and Nocturne in D flat major by Chopin. They are both major pieces and, in a way, reflect my own musical journey.

“The theme of this year’s festival is ‘Journeys’ and I have chosen to play what are two major pieces by two of the very best composers.”

Julian, who also plays the French horn, practices for two hours a day, every day, on his own Seiler baby grand piano at his home in Carrog, near Corwen.

He added: “It’s something I never tire of really; I just enjoy playing and practicing. However, each piano has its own tone and feel and I will practice on the piano I will be using in the concert in St Asaph Cathedral beforehand.

“My parents, my mum, Morag and dad Gregorio, who is of Bolivian descent, will be at the concert and maybe my sister, Alice too. Alice is 21 and did play the piano but no longer does so.

“I have been to Bolivia once, when I was about 10, and met my Bolivian grandmother, uncles, aunts and cousins and I’m looking to going again in the next few years. I’m really interested in learning more about my Bolivian heritage.

Every Saturday Julian also attends the Northern Royal College of Music’s Junior Section where he is tutored by Jonathon Middleton.

Ann Atkinson is delighted Julian has agreed to play at the festival’s launch concert, which will also feature a quartet from NEW Sinfonia, Welsh National Opera tenor Huw Llywelyn accompanied by Annette Bryn Parri and both Trelawnyd and Bro Glyndwr male voice choirs.

She said: “Our ethos is to promote young musicians and provide them with the opportunity to showcase their music and ability. Julian Gonzalez is a breath-takingly talented young pianist who is able to interpret the works of the greatest composers, really bringing it to life.

“I would encourage anyone who loves classical music to get a ticket before they sell out and come along for an unforgettable evening of music.

“Among the stars of the festival itself in September will be singers from Welsh National Opera, vocal group VOCES8, NEW Sinfonia, baroque instrumentalists Red Priest, tenor Rhys Meirion, Ensemble Cymru, the Aquarelle Guitar Quartet, violinist Ye-Eun Choi and Italian pianist Federico Colli.”

* Tickets for the launch concert are £10 and are available from caroline@nwimf.com or Cathedral Frames, 28 High Street, St Asaph - 01745 582929. To find out more about the North Wales International Music Festival please visit www.nwimf.com.

Bakery firm celebrates rising success

* Ken Skates AM with, from left, Wholebake Chief Operations Officer Eric Maudsley, Operations Director Richard Shaw and Lesley Griffiths AM, the Welsh G
overnment’s Cabinet Secretary for Environment and Rural Affairs.

Assembly Member Ken Skates has praised a fast-growing food firm which is set to more than double its workforce.

Wholebake recently won planning permission to build a £14m state-of-the-art premises near its current base at Ty’n-y-Llidiart Industrial Estate in Corwen, which would see its number of employees rise from 122 to 255.

Clwyd South AM Mr Skates, who visited the site this week, said: “Wholebake has gone from strength to strength in recent years from its bases in Corwen and Wrexham thanks to the success of its very popular snack bars.

“Demand is at an all-time high and I’m delighted this thriving company has chosen to stay in the area. It’s a real local success story. I hope to see as many of the new roles as possible being taken up by people who live in Clwyd South and North East Wales.”

Mr Skates, the Welsh Government’s Economy Secretary, visited the company along with Wrexham AM Lesley Griffiths, Cabinet Secretary for Environment and Rural Affairs.

He added: “Wholebake choosing to stay in and expand in Corwen is huge fillip for the area and this £14m investment is fantastic news for the local economy.”

Production will continue at the current 2,400 sq m Corwen factory, with the new 13,240 sq m facility occupied in two phases to allow operations to continue seamlessly.

West Country folk star heads for Llangollen

Llangollen Fringe organisers say they are delighted to welcome Seth Lakeman as part of the festival’s 20th anniversary celebrations.

West country folk singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Lakeman (pictured) will be making his debut appearance at Llangollen on Thursday July 20.

He is only playing a few select solo shows in 2017, showcasing songs from his new album Ballads of the Broken Few and other live favourites from his back catalogue.

Lakeman's eighth studio album Ballads of the Broken Few is a stunning combination of his dynamic song writing and playing, produced by Ethan Johns (Ryan Adams, Kings of Leon, Laura Marling) and the sublime harmony vocals of emerging young female trio Wildwood Kin. 

Continuing Lakeman's unique vision for recording in inspiring locations – previous albums have been recorded in a church and a copper mine – the 11 tracks for Ballads of the Broken Few were cut in the Great Hall of a Jacobean manor house and they shine with the atmosphere of that setting.

There is Lakeman's trademark stomp, his swooping, sighing and aching fiddle and viola, and strident electric tenor guitar.

Since the Mercury Prize nominated Kitty Jay - recorded in his kitchen for £300 - the follow-up gold selling Freedom Fields and his last, highly acclaimed offering, Word of Mouth, a deft collection of mini musical biographies of colourful West Country characters, Lakeman has relentlessly pushed his musical boundaries and those of folk and roots music.

With Ballads of the Broken Few he demonstrates yet again that he is constantly exploring new and bold musical paths. His new album is out now on Cooking Vinyl.

TICKETS ARE ON SALE NOW AT www.llangollenfringe.co.uk or by calling 0800 1455 779.

The Llangollen Fringe 20th Anniversary Festival takes place from Thursday 13th to Sunday 23rd of July.

AM calls for stepping up of fight against hepatitis C

Speaking in yesterday's Assembly debate North Wales Assembly Member Mark Isherwood said elimination of hepatitis C as a serious public health concern in Wales is a "wholly achievable goal" and called on the Welsh Government to confirm its commitment to wiping it out.  

Hepatitis C is one of the three main causes of liver disease and the only one of the five ‘big killers’ in Wales and England where deaths are rising, and therefore represents a significant public health challenge.

In Wales An estimated 12,000 – 14,000 people are currently living with hepatitis C, around half undiagnosed.

In the debate, the Welsh Government was asked to confirm its commitment to the World Health Organisation Eradication Date of 2030 – and to consider new operational guidelines to support NHS Wales to work towards this.

Speaking in the Chamber, Mr Isherwood (pictured) said: “As I said in January’s debate on the contamination of blood, in the 1970s and 1980s, a large proportion of blood products supplied to patients by the NHS was contaminated with HIV or hepatitis C. Around 4,670 patients with haemophilia were infected; over 2,000 have since died in the UK, with 70 in Wales, from the effects of these viruses.

“However, evidentially Hepatitis C primarily affects people from particular groups, such as injecting drug users, homeless people, gay and bisexual men, and migrant populations from high prevalence regions.

“A recent Hepatitis C Trust report concludes with a number of key recommendations for action, including the inclusion of a commitment to eliminate hepatitis C as a serious public health concern within the Welsh Government’s forthcoming Public Health Bill.

“Approval of new drug treatments by NICE and the All-Wales Medicines Strategy Group means the elimination of hepatitis C as a serious public health concern in Wales is now a wholly achievable goal.

"To seize this new opportunity, we must find the 50% of people currently undiagnosed, by widening access to testing and further investigating which groups can be cost-effectively screened. By increasing diagnoses, we will be able to treat and cure more people.

“With effective and accessible new treatments now available to all who need them, it is easier than ever to treat and cure patients, presenting a great opportunity to achieve the elimination of hepatitis C in Wales.”

Joseph beats illness to land dream Eisteddfod role

* Mario and Gill Kreft with Joseph Elwy Jones, 11, who has won the coveted role of the Shepherd Boy in Tosca at the Llangollen Eisteddfod.

An "inspirational" young singer who overcame a rare kidney condition has landed a dream role to perform with opera superstar Sir Bryn Terfel.

Joseph Elwy Jones, 11, will take to the stage at the Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod as the Shepherd Boy in a star-studded production of Puccini’s classic opera, Tosca.

The concert on Tuesday, July 4, which is being sponsored by arts-loving care organisation Pendine Park, also features two other world-class opera stars, soprano Kristine Opolais and tenor Kristian Benedikt.

It will be one of the highlights of the week when the iconic festival will be celebrating its 70th anniversary.

Joseph won the role after a tough audition against the cream of young Welsh singers - thanks to the extra lessons from the headteacher at his school, Ysgol Gwenffrwd, in Holywell.

He was diagnosed with Nephrotic Syndrome in 2013 but it cleared up after treatment, including steroids, and he hasn’t had any reoccurrence.

Football and guitar player Joseph is now fully recovered and raring to go - and he can't wait to meet and sing with his idol, Sir Bryn Terfel.

Pendine Park proprietor Mario Kreft MBE, who lives in Denbigh, said: "Joseph is not only a supremely talented young singer, he is also an inspiration to us all in the way he has overcome the health problems with great courage and determination.

"As a care organisation, Joseph's story has an undoubted resonance for us and it is wonderful that he is once again full of vim and vigour - and blessed with an absolutely fantastic voice.

"To have the opportunity to sing alongside the magnificent Sir Bryn Terfel and the rest of the world class cast will be an unforgettable experience for Joseph and a truly memorable occasion for the audience."

Joseph, who lives in Lixwm, was thrilled when he heard he had been chosen as the Shepherd Boy.

He said: “After the audition I had to wait about a week, which seemed a long time and the longer it went on the more I thought I hadn’t got the role. Then, I was at school and the head teacher Miss Owen came into class and told me the good news. I was speechless!

“I was amazed and I can’t wait to meet Sir Bryn Terfel. I’ll be nervous but as soon as the music starts I’ll be fine. I’m taking loads of paper with me because all my friends have asked me to get Sir Bryn’s autograph.

He added: “I love music but I also like lots of other things like fishing and football. I’d like to be a professional musician when I leave school but I’d also like to work in the medical profession."

According to mum Abigail, a teacher at Ysgol Llywelyn, in Rhyl,  the whole family was extremely proud.

She said: “He’s a typical lad, he enjoys playing football for Holywell and he’s got five guitars. He is proud of his Welsh roots and loves bands like the Manic Street Preachers who will also be performing in Llangollen this year. He’s also a member of the local Scout group and loves the outdoors.”

“His sister Sophia, seven, is learning how to play the keyboards and his Dad, David, who teaches English at Flint High School, has two drum kits. It’s quite a musical family!

“But he really has never had a professional singing lesson. His head teacher at Ysgol Gwenffrwd,  Iola Owen has helped him, and lots of other children, prepare for competitions at the Urdd Eisteddfod.”

“She is amazing and once we knew he had an audition I asked her if she could help him learn the part. He watched YouTube performances to help but singing in Italian isn’t easy of course.

“She spent time helping him and even got him into school on a teacher training day for an hour.

“When I was told Joseph has landed the role I thought it only fair that she be the one to tell him the news. She sent a lovely card the following day congratulating him.

“It's quite fitting in a way that he has been chosen to play the Shepherd Boy in Tosca because his great grandfather, Victor Thomas, who was the head of a Veterinary practice in Caerwys, kept sheep all his life.

“As a family we are so looking forward to watching Tosca at the Llangollen International Eisteddfod, it’s going to be a magical and very proud moment for Joseph's Dad, his sister Sophia and myself.”

Ynyr Lewys Rogers, 12, from Ruthin, a pupil at the town's Ysgol Brynhyfryd, has been chosen as Joseph's understudy.

The Llangollen Eisteddfod has been a springboard for the careers of many singers including Sir Bryn Terfel himself when he was a young bass baritone and the legendary Luciano Pavarotti who first competed at the festival with his father's choir from Modena in Italy in 1955.

The festival's music director, Eilir Owen Griffiths, said: “Increasing opportunities for youngsters to become involved with music is a cause close to my heart and that of sponsors Pendine Park – who’ve also generously tripled this years Voice of the Future prize fund.

"It's incredibly exciting to find such promising singing talent like Joseph. The innocence and purity of his voice was perfect for the angelic role of ‘Shepherd Boy’. The character brings light to the darkness of the piece and Joseph’s voice makes him the perfect candidate for the role.

“We were so impressed with the standard of auditions this year and everyone who performed was well prepared and professional. Joseph was the youngest of the singers who auditioned, proving that age truly is just a number. His passion for music really shines and his performance will be one not to be missed.”

* For more information about the Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod and to book tickets go to  www.international-eisteddfod.co.uk

AM urges women to have cervical screening

North Wales Assembly Member Mark Isherwood  is supporting Cervical Screening Awareness Week this week (June 12-18) by urging all women to attend their cervical screening appointment when invited.

Cervical cancer currently claims two lives every day in the UK and it is the most common cancer in women under 35.

Cervical screening prevents up to 75% of cervical cancers yet the number of women attending is at a 10- year low in Wales  and more than one in five women do not attend their screening appointment.

 

Mr Isherwood (pictured) said: “Cervical screening saves around 5,000 lives in the UK each year yet many women don’t understand the importance of attending screening regularly. 

"During Cervical Screening Awareness Week I want to encourage women to talk to their friends, mothers and daughters about the steps they can take to reduce their risk of cervical cancer.  It’s such an important five-minute test that really could save your life.”

Robert Music, Chief Executive of Jo’s Cervical Cancer Trust, said: “We cannot afford to see cervical screening attendance fall any further. Diagnoses of cervical cancer in the UK are worryingly high and will only increase if more women don’t attend screening.

"We want to encourage women to look after their health, including the health of their cervix and that means attending cervical screening. By not attending, women are significantly increasing their risk of a life-threatening disease.”

* Find out more about Cervical Screening Awareness Week at www.jostrust.org.uk/csaw 

County makes films to help businesses

A series of video seminars have been produced to help and inform businesses.

Denbighshire County Council has produced the clips as part of its annual March for Business month which this year saw more than 400 people take part in 12 workshops, conferences and networking sessions.

The videos are now available on the Council’s YouTube and Facebook platforms and offer tips on digital marketing, digital skills and how to use the Welsh language to benefit your business.

Clips have been produced from events during March for Business including the advanced manufacturing conference, Denbighshire for Growth and a networking dinner hosted by the Federation of Small Businesses.

Mike Horrocks, the Council’s team and programme manager for Economic & Business Development, said: “This year’s March for Business was a fantastic success. We saw record attendances for our biggest ever programme.

“The most important thing is that we have had great feedback from businesses who have told us the sessions have been of real benefit to them.

“One of our goals was to produce a range of materials that would benefit those businesses that were unable to attend the events as we understand that not all businesses can afford to take time out of their day to learn new things. These new video clips are available 24/7 and have already had over 9,000 views.

“The real target for us is to see the success of the programme translate into local business success and there are some strong signs that this is happening.”

The March for Business programme was devised by the Council’s Economic and Business Development team following feedback from Denbighshire’s annual Business Survey.

It is part of the Council’s work on developing the local economy through its Economic and Community Ambition Programme, which aims to support healthy private businesses, see more people in work and improve household incomes.

Since the ten-year plan was launched in 2013, there are 1,700 more people in work in Denbighshire, average household incomes are closing the gap on the rest of Wales, 70 more businesses are starting up every year with 19 out of 20 new businesses surviving for a year with almost two thirds still trading three years later.

You can take part in this year’s business survey here.

You can view the videos on DCCs Facebook page and YouTube channel.