Dr Iwan Llewelyn Jones

Senior Lecturer

i.ll.jones@bangor.ac.uk

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Dr Iwan Llewelyn Jones

Bywgraffiad 

Magwyd Iwan yn Ynys Môn gan dderbyn ei addysg ym Mhrifysgol Rhydychen a’r Coleg Cerdd Brenhinol yn Llundain, lle’r enillodd sawl ysgoloriaeth a gwobr am ei berfformiadau  a’i ysgolheictod academaidd. Mae wedi cyflwyno datganiadau unawdol yn neuaddau gyngerdd enwoca’r byd, megis Wigmore Hall, Neuadd Dewi Sant, Y Tŷ Opera yn Sydney, a’r Gewandhaus yn Leipzig. 

Fel unawdydd cyngerdd, mae Iwan wedi ennill clod a pharch am ei ddehongliadau deallus o gerddoriaeth Ffrengig. Yn ddiweddar derbyniodd Iwan ysgoloriaethau oddi wrth Prifysgol Caerdydd a Phrifysgol Paris-Sorbonne i gyflawni ymchwil doethurol ar bianyddiaeth y cyfansoddwr Maurice Ravel. Mae ei recordiadau yn cynnwys casgliadau o gerddoriaeth unawdol i’r piano gan Debussy, Ravel, Fauré, Chabrier, Poulenc a Messiaen (‘Portreadau Ffrengig’) ynghyd â chryno ddisg o gerddoriaeth Cymraeg sy'n cynnwys gweithiau a gyfansoddwyd ar ei gyfer gan Alun Hoddinott , John Metcalf , Richard Elfyn Jones, Pwyll ap Sion a Syr Karl Jenkins.

Derbyniodd gryn ganmoliaeth am ei ddisg ‘Caneuon heb eiriau’, sef casgliad o ganeuon adnabyddus Cymraeg, wedi’u trefnu a’u perfformio gan Iwan, a gyhoeddwyd yn 2011. Fe fydd cryno ddisg o berfformiadau byw o weithiau Frédéric Chopin yn cael ei rhyddhau yn 2017 ynghyd â’r recordiad cyntaf o drefniant Iwan o’r Consierto Op. 11 ar gyfer piano unawdol. Mae Iwan wedi derbyn sawl anrhydedd gan gynnwys Gwobr Syr Geraint Evans er clod am ei gyfraniad sylweddol i gerddoriaeth yng Nghymru, Ysgoloriaeth Cymry Creadigol gan y Cyngor Celfyddydau, Llywyddiaeth Ymddiriedolaeth Gerdd Ynys Môn ac Is-lywyddiaeth Canolfan Gerdd William Mathias. Yn 2016 Iwan oedd Cyfarwyddwr Gŵyl Biano Ryngwladol Cymru a gynhaliwyd yn Galeri Caernarfon.

Yn dilyn astudiaethau doethurol ar bianyddiaeth Maurice Ravel ym Mhrifysgol Caerdydd a’r Université de Paris-Sorbonne fe dderbyniodd Iwan radd doethur mewn perfformio a cherddoreg ac fe’i apointiwyd fel Cyfarwyddwr Perfformio ym Mhrifysgol Bangor. Yn Hydref 2018 bu’n ymweld a Tseina i roi cyfres o gyngherddau a dosbarthiadau meistr yn Beijing, Shanghai a Guangzhou.

 

  • Profesiynol: Fellow of the Higher Education Academy
    Higher Education Academy, 2021
  • Profesiynol: Associate of the Higher Education Academy (AHEA)
    2018
  • PhD
    School of Healthcare Sciences, Cardiff University, 2016
  • MA: Diploma Perfformio Uwch
    Royal College of Music, 1984
  • BA: BA mewn Cerddoriaeth
    University of Oxford, 1981
  • Profesiynol: LRAM
    Royal Academy of Music, 1977

I convene and teach all undergraduate and postgraduate Solo and Ensemble Performance Modules.

UG Historical Topics include:

'Musical Theatre'

'Contemporary Welsh Chamber Music'

'French music 1880-1945'

Research interests • Piano music from 1797 to the present day • 19th/20th Century French instrumental and vocal music • European instrumental chamber music from 1797 to the present day • Pianistic pedagogy from 1797 to the present day • Performance studies

2024

Awards/Honours 

  • 2021 - Awarded Fellowship of the Higher Education Authority
  • 2020 - nominated Unsung hero at Bangor University 2020 Student Led Teaching Awards
  • 2018 - Wales Arts International - International Opportunities Award to visit China to give a series of recitals and lectures
  • 2017 – nominated in two categories at the Bangor University 2017 Student Led Teaching Awards, namely ‘New Teacher of the Year’ and ‘Award for Welsh Medium Education’ 
  • 2014 - Erasmus Award for study at Universite de Paris IV (Sorbonne)
  • 2011 - Cardiff University School of Music Scholarship to pursue doctoral studies
  • 2007 – Creative Wales Award (Arts Council of Wales) to pursue performance studies into contemporary Welsh music
  • 2006 - Wales Arts International – International Opportunities Award to give a series of chamber music performances in Quebec, Canada
  • 2005 - Sir Geraint Evans Award (Guild for the Promotion of Welsh Music) – awarded for a significant contribution to Welsh music
  • 1999 - Admitted to the Gorsedd of the National Eisteddfod of Wales (white robe)
  • 1991 - 3rd Prize at Mavi Marcos International Piano Competition, Italy 
  • 1989- 3rd Prize at Epinal International piano Competition
  • 1986 - Semi-finalist Concurso Busoni, Bolzano, Italy
  • 1985 - Finalist - Royal Overseas League Piano Competition 
  • 1984 - 4th prizewinner, Premio Jaen International Piano Competition, Italy
  • 1984 – 3rd Prizewinner at the Dudley International Piano Competition
  • 1983-5 - Awarded scholarships from Ian Fleming Charitable Trust, Countess of Munster Music Trust, Welsh Arts Council, Geoffrey Crawshay Trust (University of Wales), Pantyfedwen Trust and Gwynedd County Council.

IWAN LLEWELYN-JONES

REVIEWS OF PERFORMANCES OF FRENCH SOLO PIANO MUSIC

 

Cesar Franck: Prelude Choral et Fugue - his playing had breadth and power and succeeded in bringing to the contrapuntal arguments a flair and a sense of instinctively realised keyboard colour which reinforced both the music’s strength and its detailed effect. Wigmore Hall, London (Daily Telegraph)

 

Gabriel Fauré: Theme and Variations Op.73 - the power and clean-cut precision of his playing brought out by sparing and beautifully-judged pedalling had all the more impact for being so regularly set against daringly gentle pianissimos of jewelled clarity. Wigmore Hall, London (The Guardian)

 

Maurice Ravel: Sonatine - the lovely liquidity of sounds which characterises Iwan Llewelyn- Jones’s approach to French music flowed abundantly with some delightful coloristic effects. St David’s Hall, Cardiff (Musical Opinion)

 

Olivier Messiaen: Le baiser de l’Enfant-Jésus - a continuously sustained concentration of outstanding technique and thought.  

Ravel: Scarbo (Gaspard de la nuit) - an impressive command of the keyboard, from a fine feathering of the fingers in crossover hands to a sinister sonority of chords. Wigmore Hall, London (The Times)

 

Henri Dutilleux: Sonate - is a much darker work and the first of the evening to demonstrate a level of virtuosity by Llewelyn-Jones that was jaw dropping. (Aberdeen Evening Express)