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ELINOR BENNETT

Elinor Bennett is one of Wales’ most distinguished musicians, and has been at the forefront of music performance and education for many years. She has travelled extensively giving concerts, recitals and masterclasses, and she is regarded as one of Britain’s most inlfuential harp teachers.

Elinor became prominent in Wales from an early age by winning many prizes in the National Eisteddfodau.

Her first degree was in law at the University College of Wales, Aberystwyth, but her career changed course on winning a scholarship from the Countess of Munster Musical Trust, to study at the Royal Academy of Music, London under Osian Ellis, where she was the first harpist ever to succeed in the Recital Diplomma.

Early in her career, Elinor played with all the major British orchestras, and worked with some of the world’s finest conductors and composers, including  Sir John  Barbirolli, Sir Adrian Boult, Sir Malcolm Sargeant, Sir Colin Davies, Erich Leinsdorf, Andre Previn and Benjamin Britten.

Elinor gives concerts, recitals and masterclasses all over the world, regularly appears on radio and TV, and since the 1970s has made many recordings, ranging from an acclaimed and definitive selection of 20th Century  harp classics , to collections  of traditional music  and Welsh folk songs on the Triple Harp.

In 1985 Elinor was awarded a Churchill Scholarship to travel to Australia to study Music Therapy and on her return, was instrumental in promoting its use for people and children with learning disabilities.

Steeped in the musical traditions of Wales, Elinor has been the driving force  establishing Canolfan Gerdd William Mathias Music Centre, in Caernarfon and was the Artistic Director from 2002 -2008.  She also organised and directed the First Wales International Harp Festival in 2006, and the Second Festival in 2010.

Many leading composers have written works for Elinor, including John Metcalf, Alun Hoddinott, Malcolm Williamson, Geraint Lewis, Gareth Glyn, Hilary Tann, Rhian Samuel, Karl Jenkins and Paul Mealor. Original works for the harp which were written for Elinor by twelve  living composers were prepared and edited by her and published by Curiad in 1995/6.

Her ex-pupils include Catrin Finch, Sioned Wiliams, (Principal Harpist of the BBC Symphony Orchestra) and many other distinguished harpists. In 1988, Elinor established Coleg Telyn Cymru (The Harp College of Wales) with Meinir Heulyn and Gillian Green, and currently organises influential courses for harpists of all ages.

In recent years, Elinor has been Visiting Professor of Harp at the Royal Academy of Music, and the Guildhall School of Music, London, and is Advisor to the Tamnak Prathom Harp Centre in Bangkok.

Elinor was awarded the Royal Academy of Music’s Honorary Fellowship (FRAM) in 2006. Other Honorary Fellowships came from the Universities of Bangor, Cardiff and Aberystwyth, as well as the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama, Cardiff. 

She has been  Special Guest and member of the Jury in Harp Festivals and competitions in Venice, Moscow, Szeged, (Hungary), Soka (Japan) Wellington (New Zealand) and Nantes (France), Schlitz (Germany), The Summer Harp Academy in Kentucky, USA,  and Bangkok, Thailand.  She has played at the World Harp Congress  and European and American Congresses on many occasions, and was the  Artistic Director of the Tamnak Prathom Harp Festival in Bangkok in 2008 and again in 2012.

In 2002, Elinor was given the White Robes (Order of the Druid) by the National Eisteddfod of Wales, was the “Celtic Woman of the Year” in the USA, and was awarded the Glyndwr Prize by the Machynlleth Festival in 2003. Elinor received an OBE in 2006 for services to music in Wales, as well as the Golden Jubilee Award from the Welsh Music Guild. In November 2008, she received an Honorary Doctorate from the University of Wales.

ELINOR BENNETT

Adnabyddir Elinor fel un o brif gerddorion Cymru, a bu’n weithgar fel  perfformwraig ac athrawes am gyfnod hir. Bu’n teithio’r byd gan gynnal cyngherddau, datganiadau a dosbarthiadau meistr, ac ystyrir hi yn  un o athrawon telyn mwyaf dylanwadol gwledydd Prydain.

Daeth Elinor Bennett i’r amlwg yn gynnar iawn yng Nghymru trwy ennill gwobrau yn  Eisteddfodau’r Urdd a’r Genedlaethol.  Graddiodd yn y Gyfraith ym Mhrifysgol Cymru, Aberystwyth, ond newidiodd gwrs ei gyrfa trwy ennill ysgoloriaeth arbennig i’r Academi Gerdd Frenhinol, yn Llundain, lle’r astudiodd gyda’r Dr. Osian Ellis.

Yn ystod blynyddoedd cynnar ei gyrfa, bu’n chwarae gyda phrif gerddorfeydd Prydain, yn arbennig Cerddorfa Symffoni Llundain, y Philharmonia a Cherddorfa Siambr Lloegr, a gweithiodd gydag arweinyddion a chyfansoddwyr gorau’r byd, gan gynnwys Sir John  Barbirolli, Sir Adrian Boult, Sir Malcolm Sargeant, Sir Colin Davies, Erich Leinsdorf, Andre Previn a Benjamin Britten .

Mae Elinor yn rhoi cyngherddau, datganiadau a Dosbarthiadau Meistr ym mhob cwr o’r byd, ac  ymddengys yn gyson ar radio a theledu. Cynhyrchodd lawer record a chryno ddisg, g yn cynnwys CD o gerddoriaeth definitve i’r delyn yn yr ugeinfed ganrif i gasgliadau o gerddoriaeth draddodiadol a chaneuon gwerin Cymraeg ar y Delyn Deires.

Enillodd Ysgoloriaeth Winston Churchill i deithio i Awstralia yn 1985 lle y gwnaeth astudiaeth i Therapi Cerdd, ac ar dod yn ol bu’n weithgar i hybu ei ddefnydd i helpu pobl aphlant ag aableddau dysgu.

Wedi’i thrwyddo yn nhraddodiadau cerddorol Cymru, bu Elinor yn ganolog i’r gwaith o sefydlu Canolfan Gerdd William Mathias yng Nghaernarfon, a hi oedd  Cyfarwyddwr Artistig  cyntaf y Ganolfan 0 2002 - 2008. Trefnodd a chyfarwyddodd Wyl Delynau Rhyngwladol Cymru yn 2006, a’r Ail Wyl yn 2010.

Ysgrifennodd llawer  o gyfansoddwyr gerddoriaeth yn arbennig i Elinor, yn cynnwys John Metcalf, Alun Hoddinott, Malcolm Williamson, Hilary Tann, Gareth Glyn, Hilary Tann, Rhian Samuel, Karl Jenkins and Paul Mealor. Ymhlith ei disgyblion nodedig, mae Catrin Finch, Sioned Williams, Prif Delynores Cerddorfa BBC Llundain, a llawer o delynorion amlwg eraill. Ym 1988 sefydlwyd Goleg Telyn Cymru gan  Elinor, Meinir Heulyn a Gillian Green, gan drefnu llawer o gyrsiau preswyl i delynorion ifanc.

Yn ddiweddar, bu Elinor yn Athrawes Ymweliadol yn yr Academi Gerdd a Choleg y Guildhall  yn Llundain, ac yn Ymgynghorydd i Ganolfan Delyn Tamnak Prathom yn Bangkok.

Derbynniodd Gymrodoriaeth Anrhydeddus gan yr Academi yn 2006 a chafodd Gymrodoriaethau er Anrhydedd gan Brifysgolion Bangor, Aberystwyth, a Chaerdydd, a Choleg Cerdd a Drama Frenhinol Cymru.

Bu’n Westai arbennig ac yn Feirniad  yng Ngwyl y Delyn yn Fenis, Moscow, Szeged(Hwngari), Soka (Japan), Bangkok, (Gwlad Thai) Soka (Japan) Wellington (Seland Newydd),  Nantes (Llydaw), Schlitz (Yr Almaen), Academi’r Delyn yn Kentucky, UDA, a Bangkok. Gwahoddwyd hi i berfformio yng Nghyngres Delynau’r byd sawl gwaith yn ogystal ag yng Nghyngres Delynau’r Unol Daleithiau ac Ewrop. Hi yw Cyfarwyddwraig Artistig Gwyl Delynau Bangkok – gorchwyl a gyflawnodd  yn 2009, a gwahoddwyd hi eto ar gyfer 2012.

Mae ganddi Wisg Wen yng  Ngorsedd y Beirdd , ac yn 2002 hi oedd Menyw Geltaidd y flwyddyn yn yr Unol Daleithiau, a chafodd Wobr Glyndwr yng Ngwyl Machynlleth  yn 2003, ac OBE am wasanaeth i gerddoriaeth yng Nghymru yn 2006. yn ogystal â Gwobr Jiwbili Aur gan Gymdeithas Gerddoriaeth Cymru. Yn Nhachwedd 2008 derbyniodd Ddoethuriaeth er Anrhydedd gan Brifysgol Cymru.