Catrin Finch Academy at Musicfest

Catrin Finch Academy at Musicfest

Wednesday 2nd August 2023
9:00 am - 5:00 pm


Aberystwyth Arts Centre
Penglais
Aberystwyth SY23 3DE

Reserve Space(s)
We are excited to host our first harp short course this summer with our Artistic Director, Catrin Finch. As Head of Harp at the Royal Academy of Music, and in great demand for masterclasses wherever she goes, Catrin Finch is in great demand as a teacher. The Catrin Finch Academy gives harpists of all ages and standards the unique opportunity to study and play with Catrin, both through workshops and courses and now also through one to one teaching, both in-person and online. The Academy has held four hugely successful summer residences for advanced students, and many workshop days. For this short course, come and spend a day with Catrin, our Artistic Director, at this summer’s Musicfest, to work on your technique, experience some improvisation, and enjoy some time with fellow harpists sharing tips and stories. This course is open to any harpist, of any standard. You will need to bring you own harp, be that lever or pedal harp. It is also encouraged that you please prepare one piece to be able to play in the days’ sessions.

Your course leader

Inspired to learn the harp at the age of 5, her rise to prominence started almost immediately, achieving the highest mark in the UK for her Grade Eight exam at the age of nine. She studied with Elinor Bennett for eight years before entering the Purcell School. Catrin graduated from the Royal Academy of Music in 2002 where she studied with Skaila Kanga and received the Queen’s Award for the most outstanding student of her year. Her first major competition success came in 1999 winning the Lily Laskine International Harp Competition in France, one of the premier harp competitions in the world. On winning the Young Concert Artists International Auditions in New York, Catrin went on to play in over 30 states in the USA, including recitals and concerto debuts in New York, Boston and Washington D.C. In May 2004 she was nominated for a Classical Brit Award and has also received an Echo Klassik in Germany. Catrin is the former Royal Harpist to HRH the Prince of Wales. Holding the appointment from 2000–2004, she had the honour of reviving this ancient tradition last held in 1873. During her period as Royal Harpist she played regularly at the royal palaces and performed to royalty from around the world.

She has performed extensively throughout the US, the Middle East, Asia and Europe. She has appeared with many of the world’s top orchestras including the Boston Pops, the New York Philharmonic, the Philharmonia, the Academy of St Martin in the Fields at the Barbican’s Mostly Mozart Festival, the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, the BBC National Orchestra of Wales, the London Mozart Players, the English Chamber Orchestra, the Charlotte Symphony, the Lake Charles Symphony, the North Carolina Symphony and the Manchester Camerata. Catrin has appeared on all the major television and radio networks in the UK and many abroad. Among her earliest appearances on TV were two features on the BBC’s Blue Peter, and since then there have been many appearances on radio and television in the UK. In 2003 Catrin presented a TV documentary about herself entitled Charlie’s Angel, which was awarded a BAFTA Cymru/Wales award for the best music programme.

She has recorded for most of the major international recording companies, including Universal Records, Deutsche Grammophon, EMI and Sony Classical, both solo and with notable artists such as Bryn Terfel, Sir James Galway and Julian Lloyd Webber. Her versatility in different musical genres is demonstrated in her many recordings, which range from solo classical recitals and concertos, through to an eclectic cross-over mix and her own 14-piece band CF47. She has received honours from the University of Wales Aberystwyth and Bangor, the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama and the Royal Academy of Music. Known for her work within the community and with the younger generation, Catrin is committed to promoting the harp and classical music in general to a new and wider audience.

Fees and your stay

The tuition fee for this short course is £100.00 excluding accommodation.

Please note that there is a £50 bursary awarded by Friends of Musicfest towards the course fees. There will be full bursaries available for students from Ceredigion

Self-catering and en-suite accommodation is offered at a discounted rate for Musicfest students in University halls of residence, or you can book your own accommodation outside the University.  See the accommodation page for further details.

Financial Support

Musicfest Aberystwyth welcomes bursary students from all over the world and prides itself on offering high-quality, intensive training for music students, graduates, and music professionals. We do not wish finance to be a barrier to attending our Summer School so our bursaries (funds towards the cost of fees) are available to help students, graduates and young musicians attend our courses. Friends of MusicFest provide bursaries towards MusicFest Aberystwyth course fees for students in full-time education. The number of bursaries available is limited, so it is essential you apply as soon as possible.  For more information and how to apply, please visit our Fees and Bursaries page.

For more information about financial support, please visit our Fees and Bursaries page.

Request a space on this course

You can request a space on this course here. Applications will be reviewed, and if accepted we will send full information on course joining and fee payment via email. We aim to respond within 7 days to your reservation request.

If you are booking more than one place, you will need to fill in application details for each potential student. Mandatory fields are marked with *

Bookings are closed for this event.

Date(s) - Wednesday 2nd August 2023
9:00 am - 5:00 pm