June 09, 2026 - 356 views
A talented young harpist will take centre stage at a special gala concert celebrating the first anniversary of Conwy Music Cooperative.
The event, which takes place at Festival Church in Old Colwyn on Thursday, June 18, will mark a year of success for the not-for-profit organisation, which was established to safeguard music education across the county.
Audiences will be treated to performances by some of Conwy’s most promising young musicians, with internationally renowned opera singer Rhys Meirion acting as compere and performing during the evening.
The concert will also feature the cooperative’s first awards ceremony, sponsored by the Pendine Park Arts and Community Trust (PACT), established by Pendine Park owners Mario Kreft MBE and his wife Gill to support arts and community initiatives.
Among the performers will be 11-year-old harpist Elowen Spofforth, a pupil at Ysgol Deganwy who has been making a name for herself through her musical achievements. Taught by professional harpist and Conwy Music Cooperative tutor Dafydd Huw, Elowen was runner-up in her age category at this year’s Urdd county eisteddfod.
Her mother, Nicola, praised the support provided by the cooperative.
“Elowen loves learning the harp. She has lessons through school and also at home,” she said.
“We cannot thank her tutors enough for the way she has progressed and we appreciate all the work the Conwy Music Co-operative does to ensure children like Elowen continue to benefit from first-rate music education. We are delighted she is performing and can’t wait to see her and some of her peers take to the stage.”
The evening will also showcase a young pop band from Ysgol Aberconwy and a traditional Cerdd Dant group from Ysgol Dyffryn Conwy.
Conwy Music Cooperative manager Rhianwen Tonon said the concert would celebrate a remarkable first year for the organisation, which was established after Conwy County Borough Council reviewed the way music education was delivered locally.
Inspired by the successful model created by music educator Heather Powell in Denbighshire and later Wrexham, the cooperative ensured there was no interruption to lessons when changes were introduced.
“Nearly 12 months later, we are able to report great results, with music services still accessible to youngsters at 55 schools across the county and our 38 tutors delivering hundreds of lessons every week,” said Rhianwen.
“The work of our tutors is widely recognised and hundreds of young learners have ongoing access to high-standard music lessons. That is at the root of our achievement.”
Rhianwen, herself a professional harpist, said the evening was as much about recognising the dedication of tutors and staff as it was celebrating the achievements of young musicians.
“It should be a wonderful night with some great performances, but the main reason for doing it is to recognise the amazing work put in over the last year by all our tutorial and administrative teams, and to pay tribute to the young people who work so hard to develop their musical talent,” she said.
Mario Kreft said supporting the cooperative reflected Pendine Park’s long-standing commitment to the arts.
“Music and the arts should never be allowed to die out in any community. They enrich and bring joy to so many, from young learners to music-loving older people. Music is a life-force,” he said.
Heather Powell, founder of the North Wales Music Cooperative movement, congratulated the Conwy team on building a thriving organisation in such a short period.
“The work they have done is remarkable. From the word go Rhianwen and the Conwy team have been determined to meet the highest standards, facilitating access to music and supporting young people across the county,” she said.
Councillor Mark Young, chair of the North Wales Cooperative, described the first year as a tremendous success.
“The achievements of the organisation in such a short space of time are a testament to the dedication of the team and their commitment to ensuring young people across the county have access to high-quality music education,” he said.
The anniversary concert promises to be both a celebration of musical talent and a showcase of the impact Conwy Music Cooperative has made in securing the future of music education for young people across the county.
