Recipients
2009
Jennie Quirk - Stage Manager
Jennie Quirk, a former pupil of Olchfa Comprehensive School, went on to do a BTEC National Certificate in Production Arts at Gorseinon College. Jennie is currently going in to her final year at the Guildford School of Acting, studying Professional Production Skills. Jennie was also a member of West Glamorgan Youth Theatre Company since the age of 13, which sparked her initial passion for stage management.
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Rebecca Haw - Ballet Dancer
Rebecca won a scholarship to Elmhurst School for Dance in September 2007. In April 2008 she danced for Prince Charles at the re-opening of Birmingham Town Hall, a great privilege. Rebecca went on to win the junior section of the solo competition at Elmhurst in November 2008, dancing the Bluebird Variation from The Sleeping Beauty. She enters the sixth form at Elmhurst in September 2009 to commence the three year programme of ‘Classical Ballet and Related Dance Styles’. Rebecca enjoys swimming, surfing and music. She is most grateful to The Elizabeth Evans Trust for their kind support. For more information on Elmhurst please click here
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Craig Barlow - Musical Theatre
Craig Barlow was selected among thousands of auditionees to take a lead role in the ITV Wales series Jacob’s Ladder in 2003. Over the following years Craig’s ambitions intensified as he took lead roles in productions of Tommy and Les Miserables with the Neath Amateur Operatic Society and Jesus Christ Superstar and Les Miserables with Aberdare Drama Academy. He was also a member of the National Youth Theatre of Wales in 2005 and 2007, under the guidance of Greg Cullen, completing productions of Botticelli’s Bonfire and Café Cariad. Subsequently, Craig studied for a year at Gorseinon College, playing Tybalt in Romeo and Juliet and Curly in Oklahoma, while he auditioned at top-flight drama schools. After receiving multiple offers, Craig is now being put through his paces at Guildford School of Acting. Eager to grasp every opportunity, he secured a place in the GSA Singers and Dancers companies, with whom he will be performing publicly in the following year. Thanks to the Elizabeth Evans trust, Craig can concentrate on his studies, with the financial pressure of his proposed career being alleviated.
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Mary Elliott - Cellist
Mary Elliott has performed as a soloist throughout the United Kingdom and Europe in venues including the Purcell Room, Mercers Hall, Brangwyn Hall and has given concerts in America, Africa and Asia. She has also performed concerti with orchestras including the Jupiter Orchestra and the Guildford Symphony Orchestra. She is the recipient of the Una Clarke, Elizabeth Evans and Ryan Davies awards, as well as the Amy Lindley Prize for Cellists. Mary is a passionate chamber musician and has performed in the Spittalfields, Wyastone, Gower, Lake District Summer Music and Pennine Spring Music Festivals as well as in St John Smith Square, St Martin in the Fields, Mansion House and Tchaikovsky Hall, Moscow. For chamber music, she has been awarded first prize in the Royal Northern College of Music Terence Weil, Leonard Hirsch and Granada competitions and her piano trio were prize-winners at the Anglo-Czechoslovak competition in London. She was recently invited to perform in several concerts in Denmark as part of the Thy Chamber Music Festival. In 2009 her masters project “Forbidden but not Forgotten: Music Suppressed by the Third Reich” was selected to be performed live on Radio Suisse Romande. As an orchestral musician, she has appeared at the Royal Albert Hall under the baton of Mstislav Rostropovich, the Queen Elizabeth Hall, Buckingham Palace with the Philharmonia Orchestra and in tours to the Menuhin Festival in Gstaad, Switzerland. In 2008, she was invited by Pierre Amoyal to become a member of the Lausanne Camerata with whom she regularly performs in Switzerland and France as well as in tours of Russia and Singapore. Mary studied at the Yehudi Menuhin School with Louise Hopkins and at the Royal Northern College of Music with Hannah Roberts where she graduated with first class honours in 2008. She is currently persuing a master’s degree at the Conservatoire de Lausanne in Switzerland where she studies with Patrick Demenga. She has participated in masterclasses with Msistslav Rostropovich, Bernard Greenhouse, Gary Hoffman, Colin Carr, Ralph Kirshbaum, Liwei Qin and Timothy Eddy. Mary frequently gives concerts in aid of various charities including Doctors Without Borders, the Red Cross, Save the Children and Thare Machi Initiative. She has lead workshops and concerts for hospices and care homes such as Great Ormond Street Hospital and Helen House, Oxford. Mary was born in South Wales in 1985 and plays on a French cello made in 1847 by Joseph Charotte.
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Hannah Morgan - Clarinet
Welsh clarinettist Hannah Morgan began the clarinet at the age of 9. At the age of 12 she began her studies at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama with Leslie Craven until she gained a place at the Royal College of Music in 2004. There Hannah received lessons from Janet Hilton and Tim Lines while having master classes from clarinettists such as Andrew Marriner, Pascal Maragues and Mark Van de Viel. In her third year she was accepted on the ERASMUS exchange course to study in the Vienna Hochschüle fur Dastellende Künst with Ernst Ottnesammer. Now Hannah is studying for her MMus on a Leverhulme scholarship at the RCM with Richard Hosford and Bob Hill. As a soloist, Hannah has been awarded the Elizabeth Evans Trust Award, the Yamaha Music Foundation of Europe Award, the Ian Fleming Charitable Trust Award and the Countess of Munster Prize; she also won the Selmer Clarinet Prize in memory of Frederick Thurston. With her ensemble, the Glendower Duo, Hannah will be performing at the Purcell Room in January as part of the prestigious Park Lane Group series. As an ensemble player, Hannah has played in venues such as the Royal Albert Hall, Birmingham Symphony Hall and Concertgebouw with orchestras including the National Youth Orchestra of Great Britain, National Chamber Orchestra of Wales and the National Youth Orchestra of the Netherlands. This year she has been given a trial with the WNO, appointed principal clarinet in the Young Musicians Symphony Orchestra and has also been selected for the RCM Orchestral Pathway, giving her the opportunity to play with the BBC Symphony orchestra and the London Symphony Orchestra.
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Natalya Romaniw - Soprano
Natalya Romaniw is 21 years old and studies at The Guildhall school of Music and Drama under the guidance of John Llewelyn Evans. Natalya hails from Swansea in South Wales where she regularly appears as a guest soloist for Male voice choirs including the Morriston Orpheus, Pontarddulais and the Dunvant male voice. Her work in Wales includes regular performances in the Brangwyn Hall, the Millennium centre and the Millennium stadium as the anthem singer for Wales. In London Natalya has performed Rachmaninoff songs at LSO St. Lukes church as a pre-LSO concert and will be performing songs of Vaughan Williams at the GSMD as part of a concert organised by Graham Johnson. Natalya took her first role with WNYO in the summer of 2007 as ‘Ann Truelove’ from The Rakes Progress and will be performing the role of ‘Musetta’ in Puccini’s La Boheme for WNO 2009. This year she performed the role of ‘Georgette’ and cover ‘Yvette’ in La Rondine for BYO. Natalya is the winner of the London Welsh competition 2007 and more recently, the Welsh singers competition, making her the Welsh entrant for BBC Cardiff Singer of the world 2009. For more information please click here
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Leanne Cody - Piano
Born in Barry in 1989, Leanne was educated at Bryn Hafren Comprehensive School before achieving a scholarship to Chetham’s School of Music in Manchester, where she achieved 3 ‘A’s at A level. Prior to this Leanne attended the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama Junior Department where she studied piano with Penny Davies and violin with Kathryn Hardman. Over the years Leanne has won numerous competitions and music festivals throughout the country. In 2008, after auditioning at all the major conservatoires Leanne accepted a place on the prestigious joint course of the RNCM and Manchester University, studying an academic music degree alongside a performance degree, one of only five students studying on the course. By choosing to stay in Manchester Leanne was able to continue studying with Peter Lawson, he teacher from Chetham’s. Peter’s expertise in contempory music has led Leanne to enjoy performing this genre of music. Leanne has just completed her first year of studies and has won an award for the highest performance mark in her year at the university. Her love of chamber music has seen her lead several ensembles and she has been in demand as a confident accompanist for the university. Leanne would like to thanks the Elizabeth Evans Trust for their financial support
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Christina Modestou - Musical Theatre
Christina grew up in Port Talbot, South Wales where she began performing from a young age. As a young performer she filmed various adverts and also performed in theatres such as Her Majesy’s Theatre, London and Cardiff Millenium Centre to name few. She has had the priveledge of performing in front of the Prince of Wales in Cardiff and has also had the experience of singing with Martine McCutcheon on BBC Children In Need. At 18 she completed a Performing Arts BTEC at Gorseinon College where she gained a triple Distinction. Before moving to London to start her training at Arts Educational School Christina starred in the BBC Wales series, “Belonging”. She recently had the pleasure to work with Maria Freidman and sing on her new album. Christina is about to begin her third year at Arts Ed and cannot wait to do her shows. She has just auditioned and fortunately got leading roles in both productions of Jerry Springer (the Opera) and Cats. Christina would like to say a huge Thank You to everyone at The Elizabeth Evans Trust as they have made it possible for her to complete her training.
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Gary Griffiths - Baritone
Gary Griffiths was born in Carmarthen. He is currently studying on the opera course at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama. He initially trained as an actor at the Mountview Academy of Theatre Arts and then went on to study singing at the Guildhall from where he completed a BMus with First Class Honours. He studies with Susan McCulloch.
Gary has recently won the Gold Medal at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, the MOCSA Young Welsh Singer of the Year Competition and the Lampeter Eisteddfod Blue Ribbon Competition. His studies are supported by The Elizabeth Evans Trust, MBF and The Countess of Munster Trust.
Operatic roles include Belcore L’elisir d’amore for British Youth Opera in Tuscany, Ford Falstaff at the Royal Albert Hall (excerpts), The Dog and The Innkeeper The Cunning Little Vixen for Grange Park Opera, Count Almaviva Le Nozze di Figaro, Eugene Onegin Eugene Onegin, Papageno Die Zauberflöte, Dr Malatesta Don Pasquale, Zurga Les pêcheurs de perles and Guglielmo Cosi fan tutte for GSMD opera scenes. Gary has performed in recital at many of the UK’s major concert halls including the Royal Albert Hall, Wigmore Hall, Barbican Hall, Kings Place, Birmingham Symphony Hall and The Sage, Gateshead.
In 2007 he attended the Steans Institute for Young Artists at the Ravinia Festival in Chicago, USA and made his BBC Radio 3 debut, performing on In Tune with Iain Burnside. Future plans include Germano La Scala di Seta for British Youth Opera, recitals at The Crush Room - Royal Opera House and at the Wigmore Hall with Sir Thomas Allen and Malcolm Martineau for the Samling Foundation and a recital with Iain Burnside in Woodbridge, Suffolk. to visit Gary’s website please click here
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Benn Williams - Musical Theatre
Biog to Follow
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Adam Quill,Tom Goodridge,Daniel Williams,Gwyn Stacey,Sian Stacey,Neil Almond & Patrick Morrison
The Trust also sponsored 7 young memebers of the Carmarthenshire based Company ‘Just Good Friends’ who are planning a trip to perform ‘By Jeeves’ at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival for more information click here
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2008
Mary Elliot - Cello
Born in Cardiff, Mary Elliott has performed as a soloist throughout the United Kingdom in venues such as the Purcell Room, Mercers Hall, Brangwyn Hall and has given concerts in France, Switzerland, Tunisia, the United States and Thailand, for the Thai royal family. She has also performed concerti with orchestras including the Jupiter Orchestra and the Guildford Symphony Orchestra. She is the recipient of the Una Clarke, Elizabeth Evans Trust and Ryan Davies awards, as well as the Amy Lindley Prize for Cellists.
For chamber music, she has been awarded first prize in the Royal Northern College of Music Terence Weil, Leonard Hirsch and Granada competitions and her piano trio were prize-winners at the Anglo-Czechoslovak competition in London. Mary is a passionate chamber musician and has performed in festivals including the Spitalfields, Wyastone, Gower, Lake District Summer Music and Pennine Spring Music Festivals as well as in St John Smith Square, St Martin in the Fields, Mansion House and Tchaikovsky Hall, Moscow.
As an orchestral musician, she has appeared at the Royal Albert Hall under the baton of Mstislav Rostropovich, the Queen Elizabeth Hall, Buckingham Palace with the Philharmonia Orchestra and in tours to the Menuhin Festival in Gstaad, Switzerland. In 2008, she was invited by Pierre Amoyal to become a member of the Lausanne Camerata with whom she has performed regularly in Switzerland and toured Russia.
Mary studied at the Yehudi Menuhin School with Louise Hopkins and at the Royal Northern College of Music with Hannah Roberts where she graduated with first class honours in 2008. She is currently persuing a master’s degree at the Conservatoire de Lausanne in Switzerland where she studies with Patrick Demenga. She has participated in masterclasses with Mstislav Rostropovich, Bernard Greenhouse, Gary Hoffman, Colin Carr, Ralph Kirshbaum, Liwei Qin and Timothy Eddy.
Mary frequently gives concerts in aid of various charities including Doctors without Borders, the Red Cross and Thare Machi Initiative. She has lead workshops and concerts for hospices and care homes such as Great Ormond Street Hospital and Helen House, Oxford.
Mary was born in South Wales in 1985 and plays on a French cello made in 1847 by Joseph Charotte
Daisy Evans - Opera Singer
Born in Cardiff in 1989, Daisy and her family moved to the Vale of Glamorgan in 1994. She was educated at Ysgol Iolo Morganwg in Cowbridge and Ysgol Gyfun Bro Morgannwg in Barry, South Wales. In 1998 she sang in the Children’s Pageant at the Bridgend National Eisteddfod, and she has developed as a singer and performer ever since. Over the years Daisy has won a number of regional singing competitions and has regularly sung in Eisteddfodau. Her first singing teacher was Eleri Roberts, who instilled in her a belief in herself as a singer and a love of Welsh folk-songs. She has studied under her current teacher, Mark Evans for the last 3 years, and he has inspired her to try to make singing her career. Daisy auditioned for the major conservatoires last autumn and has accepted a place at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, where she’ll be studying for the next four years. She aspires to be an Opera singer and she thanks both Mark, and the Elizabeth Evans Trust for their support.
Gwenllian Haf Richards - Violin
Originally from Neath, Gwenllian has recently been appointed sub co-leader of the BBC National Orchestra of Wales. During her five years of study at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, she has been involved in numerous performances and projects as a dedicated orchestral, solo and chamber musician. Gwenllian was selected to play in the Guildhall Symphony Orchestra, Guildhall Jazz Ensembles, Guildhall Baroque Orchestra and has performed regularly with the Society of New Music. Gwenllian is currently pursuing an M.Mus. (Orchestral) qualification via a postgraduate course at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama having been successful in gaining awards from the Elizabeth Evans Trust, Countess of Munster Trust, the James Pantyfedwen Foundation, the Ryan Davies Award, and the Joh.E.Mortimer Foundation via the Martyn Musical Scholarship Fund in addition to gaining a scholarship award from the Guildhall itself.
Experience outside college has been gained by playing as a member and co-leader of the National Youth Orchestra of Wales, a principal player in Sinfonia Cymru Orchestra, the National Chamber Orchestra of Wales, the European Youth Orchestra as well as numerous orchestras within London. In addition to this, she has been involved in televised performances with Bryn Terfel at the Faenol Festival and at the Albert Hall, also supporting artists such as Llyr Williams, Chloe Hanslip, Catrin Finch, Peter Donahoe and Andrea Bocelli. As a baroque violinist, Gwenllian has been fortunate to share a platform as a soloist with Rachel Podger and perform frequently with the Purcell Orchestra and St. James Baroque Orchestra . She has performed in numerous concert halls throughout the world as an orchestral and chamber musician. Recent tours include Germany, Italy, Japan, Korea and China. Gwenllian is a founder member of the Mizenus String Quartet who have performed extensively within Britain.
Gwawr Edwards - Opera Singer
Gwawr is a Soprano who was born in Aberystwyth in1984. She graduated in 2006 from the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama in Cardiff where she gained an entrance Scholarship. During her third year at The Royal Welsh college of Music and Drama, Gwawr undertook an Erasmus exchange for a term to The Giuseppe Verdi Conservatoire in Turin, Italy.
She is continuing her vocal studies at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London under the tuition of Yvonne Kenny during 2007/08 funded by The Elizabeth Evans Trust
Gwawr has had numerous successes over the years in countless competitions including the prestigious W.Towyn Roberts scholarship award, the Llais Llwyfan Llambed and a finalists at the Mocsa competition in 2007 and 2008. In 2004 she won the Osbourne Roberts Scholarship and the Violet Mary Davies award for most promising soprano at the National Eisteddfod of Wales and hasalso won the solo competition at Llangollen International Eisteddfod, the Urdd Eisteddfod and many other Eisteddfodau.
Gwawr has traveled far and wide entertaining audiences from America to Patagonia and to Beijing.
Since her first visit in concert to America twelve years ago she has returned on a further 6 occasions to the States to perform in concerts and festivals. She traveled to Patagonia in 2000 on a singing tour, and has recently been out to Beijing, China in March 2007 and 2008 where she performed in St David’s day concerts
Gwawr’s credits include: Playing ‘Alice’ in ‘Alice in Wonderland’, being the cover of ‘Dido’ in ‘Dido and Aneas’, a chorus member of ‘Ryder’s to the Sea’ and playing the Lead role of a fellow student’s opera composition (2002-06).
During her time at the Guildhall school of music and Drama she has played ‘Donna Anna’ in a scene from ‘Don Giovanni’, ‘Titania’ in a scene from Midsummer night’s dream, ‘Frasquita’ in a scene from ‘Carmen’, ‘Santuzza’ in a scene from ‘Cavalleria Rusticana’ and Nannetta in a scene from Falstaff. She has performed as a soloist in Faure’s requiem, Handel’s Messiah and Bach’s St John’s Passion as well as countless concerts around Wales and the UK. She has also recently participated in a masterclass taken by Dame Kiri Te Kanawa and last May she sang the National Anthem at Wembley stadium for an England V USA Football game.
In October she sang for The Prince of Wales at Highgrove, and on the same weekend she was the guest soloist at the Royal Albert Hall for the thousand male voice choirs festival. On March 1st she will sing with the choirs again at the Wales Millennium Centre in Cardiff. In July she will be the soprano soloist for Handel’s ‘Creation’ with Birmingham choral society along with a number of concerts across the U.K. To visit her agents website then please click here
Aled Start - Composer
Aled was brought up in an artistic family, taking up the piano very early and beginning the drumkit later on. He developed his skills on both instruments, playing in school and county ensembles. He played with National Youth Jazz Wales and continues to be a member of the Three Counties Youth Big Band. His musical interests are varied and include jazz, world and classical influences, giving birth to a more recent stimulus in the area of composition. He now studies at Trinity College of Music, London from which he has expanded his vision as a composer, studying under Stephen Montague and Deirdre Gribbin amongst others. He has earned himself a place in the forthcoming Young Composers Dyfed and Trinity College of Music string quartet composition competition finals this year. Aled is very grateful to the Elizabeth Evans Trust for enabling him to buy scores and orchestration books.
Matthew Morgans - Stage Manager
Matthew first became involved with theatre in 1994 and studied with Elizabeth Evans for nearly ten years. He then gained a place at central school of speech and drama, Studying for a degree in Production Management, he has since worked on the hit West End Productions of Wicked & Jersey Boys. Matthew is currently the technical swing on the UK tour of Fame! the musical. For more information click here
2007
Laura-Beth Davies - Actor, Musical Theatre
Laura-Beth began her career with the Shirley and Mandy Morris Dance School at the age of 3. She started singing at the age of 8, and is an Associate of the London College of Music and a successful teacher in her own right.
Prior to entering drama school, she was the musical director and choreographer of the Ultimate Stage Company, a youth group based in the Cynon Valley in Wales. She has performed with theatre groups across South Wales, and has sung with Peter Karrie on several occasions. In September 2005 Beth successfully gained a place at the prestigious Mountview Academy of theatre arts, where she graduated with a First class honours degree in Musical Theatre. Beth made her professional debut as Anita in West Side Story in September at the Barbican. Other credits include Belino / Madam D’Urfe in the original cast of Casanova, she performed in Best Friend and Butterflies as part of the Olympic handover celebrations, played Flossie in Sherlock Holmes Murder mystery Tour and was the lead vocalist in Helen of Troy. Beth still works very closely with the Ultimate stage company and in March was able to choreograph their performance in Disneyland Paris as part of the Welsh weekend. Beth also teaches Musical Theatre classes at Bodens Theatre School.
Liz Donovan - Opera Singer
Elizabeth Donovan was born and educated in South Wales, and studied at the Royal Northern College of Music. Her awards include being a Prizewinner in the 2006 Concours International de Chant de Toulouse, a Prizewinner in the 2007 Veronica Dunne International Singing Competition and winner of the 2002 Welsh Singer Competition. In 2003 she represented Wales in the BBC Cardiff Singer of the World Competition.
Elizabeth was a Welsh National Opera Associate Artist from 2003 to 2006 and was the first recipient of the Marjorie Gill Award as well as the WNO Chris Ball Bursary and the WNO Sir John Moores Award. Roles for the company include Zerlina in Don Giovanni, Barbarina in Le Nozze di Figaro, First Lady in The Magic Flute, Berta in Il barbiere di Siviglia, Flowermaiden in Parsifal, Echo in Ariadne auf Naxos and also a concert performance of Brigitta in Iolante at the 2005 BBC Proms. Other roles include Leila in Les Pecheurs des Perles for Chelsea Opera Group.
Operatic roles this season include Constanza in The Abduction from the Seraglio for English Touring Opera and Norina in Don Pasquale for Diva Opera. Future plans include Clorinda in La Cenerentola for Scottish Opera.
Elizabeth will join the National Opera Studio, London in January 2008. To visit her webste click here
Natalie Morgans - Musical Theatre
Natalie Morgan had a lead role in the West End production of The Secret Garden for the Royal Shakespeare Company and has worked with NYMT. Currently studying at Mountview Theatre School
Matthew Morgans - Stage Manager
Matthew first became involved with theatre in 1994 and studied with Elizabeth Evans for nearly ten years. He then gained a place at central school of speech and drama, Studying for a degree in Production Management, he has since worked on the hit West End Productions of Wicked & Jersey Boys. Matthew is currently the technical swing on the UK tour of Fame! the musical. To visit his web site click here
Rhidian Marc - Actor, Musical Theatre
Rhidian is 21 and in his graduating year of a BA(Hons) Acting - Musical Stage Degree at the Central School of Speech and Drama. While at Central he has played roles ranging from Montel/Jesus in Jerry Springer The Opera and Malcolm in Macbeth. Other credits include The Governor of Montevideo - Candide (Welsh National Youth Opera) Enjolras - Les Miserables (20′th Anniversary Gala, Queen’s Theatre) and Marius - Les Miserables (Theatre Ieuenctid Cenedlaethol yr Urdd). Rhidian was a soloist and chorister in the National Youth Choir of Wales and a meber of Wales’ leading choral groups, Only Men Aloud and Serendipity.
He is very grateful to The Elizabeth Evans Trust for their help, and looks forward to starting his career in a few months time.
For more information click here
Gary Griffiths - Opera Singer
25 year-old Welsh baritone Gary Griffiths is currently studying on the Masters vocal course at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama. He initially trained as an actor at the Mountview Academy of Theatre Arts and then went on to study singing at the Guildhall from where he recently completed a BMus with First Class Honours and was awarded the ‘Dove Memorial Prize’ and the ‘Wyburd Trust Award’ for outstanding achievement. He studies with Susan McCulloch.
Gary has recently won the MOCSA Young Welsh Singer of the Year Competition and the Lampeter Eisteddfod Blue Ribbon Competition. He has been awarded an HRH Prince of Wales Advanced Study Award in Music and has recently performed for the Prince and the Duchess of Cornwall at Caerphilly Castle. He is this year’s recipient of the Maidment Scholarship, awarded by the Musician’s Benevolent fund. His studies are also supported by the Countess of Munster Musical Trust, the Elizabeth Evans Trust and Mr Christopher Ball.
Operatic roles include Belcore L’Elisir D’Amore for British Youth Opera in Tuscany, Ford Falstaff at the Royal Albert Hall (excerpts), Count Almaviva Le Nozze di Figaro, the title role Eugene Onegin, Papageno Die Zauberflöte, Zurga Les Pêcheurs de Perles, Guglielmo Cosi fan Tutte and Dr Malatesta Don Pasquale for GSMD opera scenes. Recent concert engagements include solo debuts at the Royal Albert Hall, the Wigmore Hall and the Barbican Hall, a Schubert lieder recital at Kings Place with Iain Burnside, performances at the Ludlow English Song Weekend with Simon Lepper, the Chipping Campden Music Festival with Joel Harder and Duruflé Requiem with the Orchestra of Johns. In October Gary travelled on tour with the Morriston Orpheus Male Voice Choir as a soloist to Geneva, Switzerland.
In 2007 he attended the Steans Institute for Young Artists at the Ravinia Festival in Chicago, USA and made his BBC Radio 3 debut, performing on ‘In Tune’ with Iain Burnside. He also travelled on tour to the US with the Pontarddulais Male Voice Choir as a soloist, performing in Manhattan, New York, Pennsylvania and Washington D.C. His passion for the Lieder repertoire has seen him work with many distinguished figures including: Graham Johnson, Iain Burnside, Malcolm Martineau, Sarah Walker, Brian Zeger, Eugene Asti and Ken Noda. His extensive oratorio repertoire includes Mozart’s Requiem and C Minor Mass, Haydn’s The Seasons, The Nelson Mass and the Paukenmesse, Brahms Requiem, Fauré Requiem, Handel’s Messiah and Karl Orff’s Carmina Burana.
Future plans include The Dog and The Innkeeper The Cunning Little Vixen for Grange Park Opera, a dramatised song performance at Kings Place directed by Iain Burnside, a recital at Birmingham Symphony Hall, the final of The Guildhall School’s Gold Medal competition, he will participate in the Samling Foundation masterclass week run by Sir Thomas Allen and in September 2009 Gary will join the prestigious opera course at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama. To visit his web site click here
Iwan Hedd Lewis - Actor, Musical Theatre
Iwan currently is in his second year at The Guildford School of Acting.
Iwan’s first role in musical theatre was with the Carmarthen and District youth opera’s 2004 show, Singing in the Rain, playing the part of Don Lockwood. Since then Iwan has performed in a number of shows throughout the UK, including Les Miserables (Longborough Festival Opera and MJ-UK productions) playing the role of Marius. Other shows include Sound of Music (Captain Von Trapp); Oklahoma; West Side Story (Action); We Will Rock You (Galileo) and The Secret Garden (Dickon).
GSA Productions
Surtees Cook in Robert and Elizabeth, Apollo in The Orestia, Antipholus of Syracuse in Comedy of Errors, Gideon in Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, Leading Soloist in the highly acclaimed GSA singers who tour throughout the UK
Iwan is very grateful for the help he has received from the Elizabeth Evans trust.
Elen Hâf Richards - Violinist
Elen Haf Richards is a first-class honorary graduate of the Royal Academy of Music in London where she accepted a full scholarship. She studied the violin under the guidance of Mateja Marinkovic and Mayumi Fujikawa and she also studied harp as a secondary study with Charlotte Seal. She achieved distinction in the ABRSM Diploma whilst attending school in 2001.
In 2008, Elen was appointed a member of the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra in London and has also performed with the Philharmonia Orchestra, the BBC National Orchestra of Wales and the English National Ballet. She has been appointed second violin leader of the National Symphony Orchestra who recently supported Katherine Jenkins on her solo tour. Elen has also been a member of the European Union Youth Orchestra 2006-2007, Sinfonia Cymru, Chamber Orchestra of Wales was leader of the National Youth Orchestra of Wales for three years.
Elen has been involved in televised performances with Bryn Terfel at the Faenol Festival and at the Albert Hall with massed Welsh Male Voice Choirs. She has also supported Russell Watson on his nationwide tour, Kanye West, Maxim Vengarov, Joshua Bell, Peter Donahoe, Chloe Hanslip, Thomas Carroll, Willard White and many more et al whilst a member of these orchestras.
Elen has been kindly supported by the Elizabeth Evans Trust, Russell Shepperd Memorial Scholarship, the Craxton Memorial Award, Ryan Davies Awards and the Pantyfedwen Trust for her studies at the Academy. To email Elen please click here
Emily-Jane Thomas - Opera Singer
Emily-Jane was born in Cardiff. Last July, she graduated with a first-class Masters degree from the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, for which she was kindly supported by the Elizabeth Evans Trust, the Sir John Cass Foundation, the Worshipful Company of Innholders, the Worshipful Company of Goldsmiths and the Susan Chilcott Scholarship. In 2005, she studied at the Hochschule für Musik und Theater, Hamburg, on an Erasmus exchange with William Workman. Emily’s scene credits include Despina, Papagena, Susanna, Barbarina, Adele, Cunegonde, Gilda, Madame Goldentrill and Zerbinetta. She played the role of Juliet in S4C’s 2001 television production of ‘The Little Sweep’, and Paquette in Welsh National Youth Opera’s production of ‘Candide’ (Cardiff, 2005). Other roles include Elmire in Erwin und Elmire (Anna Amalia, GSMD), and Phyllis in Iolanthe. Emily’s recital experience includes Fauré’s Requiem, Tippett’s Spirituals from A Child of our Time (UK tour with National Youth Choir of Wales, 2005), Dvorak’s Stabat Mater (St. Ives, 2007), Haydn’s Creation with Sir David Willcocks, and various recitals at LSO St. Luke’s, City of London livery halls, Christchurch Spitalfields and St. Lawrence Jewry. Emily’s plans include British Youth Opera Easter workshops, Glyndebourne chorus 2009, and her third undertaking as a director for Britten’s The Turn of the Screw (London, 2010). She continues to study privately with her teacher, Yvonne Kenny.
Owain Williams - Actor, Musical Theatre
A native of South Wales, Owain took his first musical theatre steps at the Lyric Theatre with the Carmarthen & District Youth Opera; credits include: My Fair Lady (Freddy), Fiddler on the Roof (Perchik - awarded the Owen Picton Award for outstanding performance), and Les Miserables (Marius). He then attended Warwick University to study a law degree, and became heavily involved with the drama, musical theatre and dance societies; credits include: Clockheart Boy (Springs), Cymbeline (Arviragus), Return to the Forbidden Planet (Cookie), Honk! (Drake), Fame (Joe Vegas), The Wild Party (Black), Copacabana (Tony), The Rocky Horror Show (Frank N. Furter), A Chorus Line (Director) all at the Warwick Arts Centre, as well as choreographing for the university street dance society, and providing vocals for the university jazz band in such venues as Hampton Court Palace and the Toronto Jazz Festival. Owain has also performed on the Edinburgh Fringe stage for two years, gaining 5-Star reviews in Kenspeck Theatre’s production of Putting it Together (Man 2), and Echo Productions’ Songs for a New World (Man 1), as well as playing the role of Tony in West Side Story at the RSC’s Courtyard Theatre as part of their Complete Works Festival. He recently graduated from the Royal Academy of Music with a Postgraduate Diploma in Musical Theatre and a DipRAM for Outstanding Public Performance, as well as the Toni V Feel Prize for Speech and Song. Credits whilst training: Jeffrey (Jeffrey), The Boys From Syracuse (Antipholus of Syracuse), Much Ado About Nothing (Don John), Company (Robert). He is currently appearing in The Phantom of the Opera on London’s West End (ensemble/understudy Raoul). To visit his agents website please click here
2006
Sioned Saunders - Actress
Sioned was born and raised in South Wales and trained at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama.
She is currently the female understudy and covering the lead role of Betty Schaeffer in the Olivier Nominated Sunset Boulevard at the Comedy Theatre, London, directed by Strictly Come Dancing’s Craig Revel Horwood.
Theatre credits include: Mollie in Animal Farm (West Yorkshire Playhouse, dir. Nikolai Foster); John Doyle’s production of Amadeus (Wilton’s Music Hall); Penny in Honk! (Watermill, Newbury); Jane Smart in the Welsh premiere of The Witches of Eastwick (New Theatre, Cardiff); Opening of the Wales Millennium Centre directed by Ken Caswell; Marigold in Tickledom (Wales Millennium Centre); Louise in the World Premiere of Only the Brave (New Theatre, Cardiff).
Television credits include Shelley in Casualty for BBC.
Sioned is extremely grateful for the suport she received from The Elizabeth Evans Trust and hopes that the Trust can continue to assist young performers to develop their careers. To visit her spotlight page click here, or to visit her agent please click here
Jamie Hutchinson - Violin
Born and educated in Tenby, South Wales, Jamie Hutchinson currently lives and works as a freelance violinist in London. Jamie graduated from the Royal Northern College of Music with BMus(hons) and MMus distinction having led several of the college’s orchestras and taken part in access schemes with the BBC Philharmonic and Halle orchestras.
Since moving to London Jamie has enjoyed working with professional orchestras such as the Philharmonia Orchestra, BBC Concert Orchestra, London Concert Orchestra and City of London Chamber Orchestra, and she is frequently invited back to the North West of England to perform with the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra and the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra. Jamie is also in demand as a session musician, recording classical material and working with bands such as The Kooks, and appearing on live TV with artists such as Leona Lewis, Paul Potts, Westlife and Il Divo.
Jamie travels extensively as a performer both around the UK and internationally. Highlights of 2009 included a cruise to Egypt and the Suez Canal with her piano trio and a tour of The Czech Republic as a guest artiste with Pontnewydd Male Voice Choir. She also travels to Frankfurt when possible in order to study with esteemed performer and teacher Markus Daunert.
Teaching and education work are very important to Jamie and she has held the post of violin tutor at Manchester High School for Girls since the final year of her Undergraduate studies. She has also delivered workshops at and on behalf of many of the countries leading ensembles and concert venues, working with young people of diverse backgrounds and musicians of many genres.
Jamie plays on a Richard Duke violin c.1780 on kind loan from the Tomkins Tate Trust. To visit her web site then please click here
Elizabeth Jones - Trumpet
Elizabeth is currently studying trumpet at thye Royal Northern College of Music with John Miller.
Originally from Cardiff, she has been a member of many ensembles, including the National Youth Orchestra of Great Britain, Welsh National Youth Opera and has recently worked with the Orchestra of the Welsh National Opera.
Elizabeth has also received tuition at the Junior Welsh College of Music and Drama and during this time she performed the Hummel trumpet concerto with the college orchestra.
After finishing her studies in Manchester, Elizabeth hopes to pursue a successful career as a professional musician.
Gruffudd Glyn - Actor
Gruffudd Glyn is 20 years old and is currently studying at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art.
Originally from Cardiff, he attended Ysgol Gyfun Gymraeg Glantaf.
Gruffudd Glyn is in his second year and he has already taken part in RADA productions of Little Eyolf by Henrik Ibsen and has played Shylock in the Merchant of Venice.
Since leaving RADA Gruffudd has been in Romeo and Julliet for the Theatre of Memory Company. Future plans include Winters Tale and Julius Caeser for the RSC at Stratford, where Gruffudd will be a company member for the next two and a half years.
Camile Butcher - Opera Singer
Camille Butcher (Soprano) was born in Wales in 1980 and studied singing at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama graduating in 2006. Since then, Camille has been studying in Germany with Professor Christiane Hampe at the Karlsruhe Opera School and the Lübeck Music School with Gerard Quinn on a post-graduate vocal studies course. Whilst in Cardiff, she sang the roles of First Witch in Purcell’s Dido and Aeneas, Sœur Constance (in part) in Poulenc’s Dialogues des Carmélites, Mabel (in part) in Gilbert and Sullivan’s The Pirates of Penzance and Frog in Janacek’s The Cunning Little Vixen. She also won the 1st prize in The Monmouth Society Singing Prize 2006 and was later invited by the society as a soloist to sing Händel’s Messiah. Camille has performed in many of the Karlsruhe Opera School’s producti-ons, major roles include Die Kluge in Carl Orff’s Die Kluge and Sophie (in part) from Strauss’s Der Rosenkavalier. Camille’s success as a singer has led her to the professional concert and operatic stage as a soloist with performances of Mahler’s Symphony no. 4 conducted by Manfred Schreier, a recital at Lübeck’s Brahms Festival 2008 and her appearance in the role of Barbarina in Mozart’s Le Nozze di Figaro for Theater Pforzheim last season. In June 2008, she appeared on the radio as a soloist for the first time, singing Ann Trulove’s Aria and Cabaletta from Stravinsky’s opera The Rake’s Progress on Deutschlandradio Kultur. This radio debut was recently followed by a performance of the bravura aria from Bernstein’s Candide, „Glitter and be Gay“ on Nord Deutschland Radio Kultur. In January, Camille sang the role of Laura from Carl Millöcker’s Der Bettelstudent at the Musikhochschule Lübeck. Future projects include the role of Anna Reich in an open air production of Otto Nicolai’s Die lustigen Weiber von Windsor in July 2009 and a contract with the Zürich Opera House as a member of the International Opera Studio starting in August 2009.
Kayley Davies-Richards - Drama Therapy
Kayley currently studying in her final year Drama BA(Hons) at UWE Bristol, and is thrilled to be so involved in the Performing Arts. Since recieving her grant she has used the money to join numerous companies in and around Bristol, giving her the opportunity to audition for BLOC (Bristol Light Opera Club), and perform in ‘Me and My Girl’ at the Bristol Hippodrome. In addition to this she has performed the principle role of Mme Dubonnet, in ‘The Boyfriend’, at the Redgrave Theatre with the Bristol CPA (Centre of Performing Arts). Having such an interest in Psychology, Kayley has recently looked into employment in Drama Therapy, and is keen to work in Paediatrics within this area. Looking into postgraduate courses involved with Drama Therapy and Applied Therapy,she no longer wants to do Drama, but instead use it to encourage others to become involved in the arts, and apply it to their everyday functions and communications.
Sophie Brown - Actress, Musical Theatre
Sophie is originally from Swansea, South Wales and is now 21 years of Age. Educated at Birchgrove Comprehensive School and undertook a successful BTEC National Diploma in Performing Arts at Gorseinon College Swansea achieving best of year results with 3 Distinctions. Sophie is currently undertaking a BA (Hons) in Acting for Musical Stage at Central School of Speech and Drama and is presently in her second year of Training. Whilst at Central Sophie had undertaken the lead roles of Renyevskya in Chekhov’s The Cherry Orchard; Viola in Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night; she played both lead parts of Catherine and Beatrice in View from the bridge; Amanda in the restoration comedy The Relapse and is currently in rehearsal for Sweeny Todd taking the part of Mrs. Lovett. Sophie was also extremely honored to be able to be involved in the third year production of Jerry Springer the Opera where she was part of the ensemble. During her time at Central Sophie has also been involved in an outside professional show in her home town. Swansea Girls is a new musical and the main character Keely was especially written for Sophie herself. After the huge success of the show a sequel has now been written which she is presently in rehearsal for.
Other experience in the entertainment world to date has been varied and includes musicals, being a member of a Pop Group, personal radio appearances, pantomime, musical reviews and charity solo and group Gigs.
Sophie is excited about her future in Acting on stage and screen and would like to thank The Elizabeth Evans Trust for all their help and support.
Gemma Thomas - Stage Manager
Gemma Thomas, a former pupil of Sandfields Comprehensive School, studied on the BTEC National Diploma in Performing Arts at Gorseinon College and followed this with the BTEC National Certificate in Production Arts.
Having passed both courses with flying colours, Gemma went on to study the Diploma in Technical Theatre and Stage Management at RADA. She had applied to several of the most prestigious colleges in the UK and was accepted by each of them!
At this time, Gemma was also an active member of the highly-acclaimed West Glamorgan Youth Theatre Company.
Such was the impression made during her work experience project on the production team of “Lord of the Rings” that, on completion of her Diploma, Gemma was immediately offered a post on the Stage Management Team for the stage musical, “Billy Elliott” and is enjoying her first professional engagement.
Laura Morris - Soprano
Originally from Dafen, Llanelli she has recently completed a Postgraduate Diploma at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama receiving a Distinction in Performance. She completed a BMus Hons degree at the college in 2006 gaining a 2.1 Hons.
Stiletto
The Elizabeth Evans Trust funded the involvement of three young actors Michael Rae Formston, Kayley Davies Richards and David Tomlin to take part in an independant film, created by Christine Morris, a former member of Carmarthen Youth Opera with Elizabeth Evans.
Stiletto is the story of one woman’s desire for a pair of red shoes and the lengths that she goes to in order to get them.
Katie Palmer is having a really bad day, so when she sees a pair of red stilettos in a shop window, she knows she just has to have them. If she owned those shoes, then her everything in her life would be OK. But her day goes from bad to worse when she loses her job, gets mugged and ends up in hopspital. She limps away from A&E and after buying bottle of vodka with a crumpled £10 note she finds in her pocket, she decides to break into her old office and steal her boss’s lap-top for shoe money. She is caught by the security guard and thrown out onto the street. There she meets a lady of the night who shares her words of wisdom with Katie. Surely Katie won’t follow down that path? But the lure of the shoes is too much for her, and she is then arrested for soliciting and thrown into a police cell.
The next morning, unkempt and unhinged, she stumbles back to the shop where she witnesses a woman about to walk off with the red stilettos. But Katie knows that those shoes belong to her. This woman must be stopped!
How far would you go to get what you want…….?