Renowned harpist Elinor Bennett who convinced King Charles to reinstate the position of royal harpist after a century-long gap is aiming to inspire a new generation to play the instrument.

The Artistic Director of the Wales International Harp Festival, who hails from Llanidloes, is currently on a 12-stop Wales-wide tour, The Dwylo ar Dannau'r Delyn (Hands on Harp Strings) to places where she has close personal connections.

Elinor has recently held concerts, masterclasses and workshops in Llangadfan, near Llanfair Caereinion where she has close family links and Aberystwyth where she studied for a law degree at the town's university.

According to Elinor, who will be stepping down as the festival’s Artistic Director after next year’s event, one of the aims of the tour is to encourage youngsters to learn how to play the harp.

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"I have heard that fewer children and young people are taking up the harp and the tour will create an interest in the harp and raise awareness of the festival itself," she said.

Born at Llanidloes in the former county of Montgomeryshire, Elinor's family later moved to Llanuwchllyn near Bala. She said she started learning to play the harp in 1954 when there were very few harpists.

Her father bought her first harp when she was just seven years of age though she did not begin lessons for another four years as her legs were not long enough to reach the pedals.

County Times: Renowned harpist Elinor Bennett, who hails from Llanidloes, convinced King Charles to reinstate the position of royal harpist after a century-long gap is aiming to inspire a new generation to play the instrument.

Renowned harpist Elinor Bennett, who hails from Llanidloes, convinced King Charles to reinstate the position of royal harpist after a century-long gap is aiming to inspire a new generation to play the instrument.

After leaving school Elinor studied law at Aberystwyth but later applied for and won a scholarship to attend the Royal Academy of Music in London and wnet on to play with numerous orchestras at home and abroad after graduating.

Though known mostly for classical music she has also played with some of Wales' most renowned rock musicians. She has recorded twelve solo albums and founded the Coleg Telyn Cymru (Harp College of Wales) and helped set up Canolfan Gerdd William Mathias Music Centre in Caernarfon.

Finding herself seated next to the then-Prince of Wales at a dinner, she told him of the tradition of a Royal harpist but which had not been filled for more than a century.

"He was interested and asked me to send him a proposal which I duly did. That led to the revival of the tradition with the first being Catrin Finch in 2000," Elinor said.

As well as re-igniting interest in harp music following the Covid pandemic, the aim is to promote the fifth Wales International Harp Festival which will be staged at Galeri Caernarfon next April which will bring together leading exponents of the instrument from around the world.

Elinor said performances will be given by world-class artists representing various aspects of the harp spectrum. These include the Latin-American harpist from Colombia, Edmar Castaneda, French harpist Isobel Moretti, who makes a return visit to Caernarfon and jazz harpis Deborah Henson-Conant from the USA.

Elinor will also be inviting harpists to take part in four competitions at the festival, with the aim of giving children and older harpists a platform to perform, receive comments from internationally esteemed harpists and make friends with young musicians from other parts of the world.

The closing date for applications for the competitions is January 2, 2023. Further details about the tour, the festival and the competitions are available on the Festival website www.walesharpfestival.co.uk