Dr Iwan Llewelyn Jones

Senior Lecturer

i.ll.jones@bangor.ac.uk

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Dr Iwan Llewelyn Jones

Biographical overview 

Born and raised in North Wales, Iwan Llewelyn-Jones has firmly established himself as one of the finest pianists of his generation. Iwan is a graduate of the University of Oxford and the Royal College of Music where he won several awards and competitions for both academic and pianistic excellence. Further prizes followed in international piano competitions in Spain, France, Italy and Great Britain. 

He has performed at many of the world’s prestigious concert halls including London’s Wigmore Hall and Queen Elizabeth Hall, Leipzig Gewandhaus, Sydney Opera House and Cardiff St David’s Hall. During 2018-19 Iwan appeared in concert in Belfast, Glasgow, Cardiff, Manchester and Bangor. In October 2018 he visited China to give a series of concerts and masterclasses in Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou. Iwan is a Steinway Artist.

Iwan’s commercial recordings span a wide range of classical genres: piano works by Franz Liszt, a cd of solo French piano works entitled ‘French Portraits’, and a recording of contemporary Welsh solo piano music (‘Welsh Portraits’). Iwan’s highly successful solo recording of Welsh song transcriptions, ‘Songs without words’, was released in Spring 2011 and in December 2017 his latest recording project, the world premiere of his own arrangement of Frédéric Chopin’s First Piano Concerto for solo piano, was released to critical acclaim. 

Iwan appears regularly on television and radio (BBC and S4C). He has been the recipient of several awards and honours, including the Sir Geraint Evans Award in recognition of his significant contribution to Welsh music. He holds a doctorate in performance and musicology from Cardiff University and is Director of Performance at Bangor University.

  • Professional: Fellow of the Higher Education Academy
    Higher Education Academy, 2021
  • Professional: Associate of the Higher Education Academy (AHEA)
    2018
  • PhD
    Cardiff University, 2016
  • MA: Advanced Performers Diploma
    Royal College of Music, 1984
  • BA: BA in Music
    University of Oxford, 1981
  • Professional: 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)