January 27, 2026 - 200 views
A moving opera about the Gresford mining disaster that’s touring Welsh pit communities has been shortlisted for a classical music “Oscar”.
The NEW Sinfonia production will start in Rhos, near Wrexham, and then visit Blackwood, Ystradgynlais and Caernarfon as it competes for a Royal Philharmonic Society Award.
The opera was nominated after judges praised its life-changing impact on people who might never have normally experienced classical music.
The orchestra was founded by brothers Robert and Jonathan Guy in 2011 as part of their vision to make musical experiences of the highest quality available to local people.
The opera, Gresford - Up From Underground, tells the story of how 266 men and boys were killed when a massive underground explosion and fire ripped through the pit near Wrexham on September 22, 1934.
Ruth Evans, NEW Sinfonia’s co-company director who directs Gresford - Up From Underground, said: “The Royal Philharmonic Society Awards are like the Oscars of classical music.
“I am so pleased we have been shortlisted in the Impact Award. Getting to the shortlist is a huge achievement, I am so proud of what we have done.
“We are championing Wales and we are championing North Wales and also high quality impactful music-making which has a community element at its heart.
“I personally want to say a huge thanks to everybody who has made it happen and who will continue to make it happen, and also to our audiences and to our supporters, musicians, staff team and everybody behind the scenes.”
The awards ceremony will be held on March 12 at the Southbank Centre’s Queen Elizabeth Hall in London
Conductor Robert Guy said: “To be honest, it’s mad, it’s bonkers - essentially we are among the big guys, the big boys.
“If you win, it’s the icing on the cake, but at the end of the day NEW Sinfonia is going to the Royal Philharmonic Society Awards in the Impact category telling a Wrexham story - we are just delighted.
“It’s a dream really, if you said years ago we would be doing what we are doing now, you would have been mad.”
Brother Jonathan composed the music for Gresford - Up From Underground while the words were written by poet Grahame Davies from Coedpoeth.
Jonathan said: “It’s a little bit of disbelief to hear about being nominated to be honest though obviously I am thrilled and really excited.
“Every national big name in terms of organisations and composers and musicians will all be there, they’re all wanting to be nominated, they are all wanting to receive the recognition themselves.
“So for a small organisation like NEW Sinfonia in North East Wales, to be among the elite of the UK music industry is quite incredible.”
The award nomination is the second time Jonathan Guy and Grahame Davies have been shortlisted for a major classical music honour.
They were nominated last year for an Ivor Novello Award for their work in creating Gresford - Up From Underground.
Grahame Davies said: “It is a great thrill that we have been recognised in the Royal Philharmonic Society Awards.
“In writing the opera, Jon and I very much wanted to pay tribute to the community we come from and to ensure that people remember this event from 1934 which was so hugely significant for the community.
“To get this recognition from the Royal Philharmonic Society is a tribute to all the people in the community who put this opera together and who performed it and who by doing so are keeping that memory alive.
“I feel we are being recognised because of the importance of the opera to the community, the commitment of the performers and the passion with which everyone who is part of this project has contributed.”
The world premiere of Gresford - Up From Underground took place at the North Wales International Music Festival in St Asaph in 2024, thanks to backing from the arts loving care organisation, Pendine Park via the Pendine Arts and Community Trust which supports arts and community activities.
The project held special significance for Pendine who once cared for Albert Rowlands, the last survivor of the disaster, before his death in 2020 at the age of 100.
Pendine founder Mario Kreft MBE said he was delighted NEW Sinfonia was in the running for a Royal Philharmonic Society Award.
He said: “Everybody involved in NEW Sinfonia can take great pride in the organisation being shortlisted for one of the greatest honours in the classical music world.”
Royal composer Paul Mealor, the Artistic Director of the North Wales International Music Festival, who co-commissioned the opera with NEW Sinfonia, added: “Gresford - Up From Underground is an inspirational piece of work, created to the highest artistic standard.
“The nomination for a Royal Philharmonic Society Award is richly deserved.”
Audiences can enjoy performances of Gresford - Up From Underground when it hits the road on the new tour.
The Rhosllannerchrugog performances will take place at The Stiwt on Saturday, February 21, at 7.30pm and on Sunday, February 22, at 4pm.
The Blackwood performance will take place at Blackwood Miners’ Institute at 7.30pm on Thursday, February 26.
The opera will be performed at Galeri Caernarfon on Friday, February 27, at 7.30pm.
The work will take to the stage at The Welfare, Ystradgynlais, at 7.30pm on Friday, March 6.
For more information and to buy tickets for the performances go to https://www.newsinfonia.org.uk/events
Blackwood - https://www.blackwoodminersinstitute.com/en/whats-on/gresford-up-from-underground/
Caernarfon - https://www.galericaernarfon.com/eng/whats-on-selected.php?show-id=873679480
Ystradgynlais - https://thewelfare.co.uk/Shows/new-sinfonia-gresford-up-from-underground/
