AS PART of Bangor University’s celebration of 100 years of music at the institution, performers from the ‘Welsh of the West End’ show will be putting on a masterclass for young people.
Taking place at the University’s Pontio Arts and Innovation Centre on Saturday, 19 February between 9.45am and 12pm, the performers will be sharing their experiences and tips for success in the entertainment industry for those aged 16-25..
Ffion Evans, Head of Drama Theatre and Performance, said: “This is a great opportunity for our students and other young people who are interested in performance to have a really interactive experience with individuals who are pursuing a career in musical theatre.
“We’ll warm up the voice, do some vocal exercises for musical theatre as a group, and then students can either have a go at singing on their own or just watch, whatever they feel comfortable doing.”
The masterclass will be hosted by Steffan Rhys Hughes and Tom Hier.
Steffan Rhys Hughes, from Denbighshire, has earned over 160 national prizes, previously duetted with Katherine Jenkins, performed with Classical Brit Award-winning group Only Men Aloud and has released two solo albums.
Tom Hier, originally from Merthyr Tydfil, who has also toured with Only Men Aloud and with theatre credits including Chris in Miss Saigon (International Tour), Joseph in Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat (UK tour), and Chuck Cranston in Footloose (UK tour).
Mr Rhys Hughes said: “I’m looking forward to returning to Pontio after several years.
“It’s a very special building for the arts in North Wales and it will be great to perform there with the Welsh of the West End team for the first time.
“The opportunity to hold a masterclass for talented young people from the local area is very special, especially in musical theatre.
“Tom Hier will lead the masterclass – a performer who is very experienced in this field and now trains students from some of the most iconic performance colleges in London, including Italia Conti, and the Guildford School of Acting.”
The ‘Welsh of the West End’ recently performed at the Theatr Clwyd, and are made up of Welsh performers who showcase their talents in the regions they hail from.
Gwyn Williams, Director of University Music, added: “Our Music100 centenary celebrations this year are designed to draw attention to all the different University music activities taking place within the wider community.
“What began a century ago, the orchestra and the choir, both deeply rooted within the city, are still going strong today.
“It’s wonderful to be able to welcome young people to be part of our celebrations.
“And what better way to do so than to create these opportunities for students from the University itself and the local area to enjoy a masterclass with some of the best Welsh musicians who are achieving great things in musical theatre, and familiarise themselves with the great resource we have in Pontio as a performance and arts venue.”
To sign-up for the free masterclass, visit https://forms.office.com/pages/responsepage.aspx?id=VUxHxiOpKk2b1OzjcUjbsldeVg-MGx5DiInwyiHlc51UMDJBUlIzOUI4UFVSMTlMUExWUTlGWkNQNy4u.
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