FINAL plans have been confirmed for the new Wrexham Music Festival.

The event will take place on Thursday, April 18 in Tŷ Pawb and is a new collaboration with Wrexham Symphony Orchestra, who are celebrating their 50th anniversary concert season and Wrexham Glyndŵr University.

This festival will see 17 school pupils and students take part in a celebration of music and its importance in building character, self- confidence, life and social skills.

Derek Jones, who is co-ordinating the festival shares his excitement at the prospects for a special event in Tŷ Pawb. He said: ‘We are thrilled that 17 school pupils and students have applied to be part of this brand new event which is designed to highlight the young talented musicians within the borough of Wrexham.

"We are so blessed by a large number of extremely talented musicians and to be able to promote them, is an honour and a privilege."

The festival will last for a full day with the under 12 age group performing in the morning from 9.15am through to 12 noon and then in the afternoon from 2.15pm through to 5pm, students in the 13 to 18 age group will perform a varied programme.

As an added festival bonus, one of Wrexham’s most accomplished young musicians, 17 year-old Elias Ackerley from Coedpoeth, who was a category finalist in the 2018 BBC Young Musician of the Year competition, will be performing a recital of music by Beethoven and Rachmaninoff with Cellist Julianna Antczak, a fellow student from Chethams School of Music in Manchester.

This is sure to be a memorable recital and Elias and Julianna will be sharing how music inspires them together with local musicians, Daniel Bradford and Rachael Marsh.

All participants will receive a specially commissioned certificate and a medal. Special accolades will be made to participants who in the view of the adjudicators, offers the most accomplished, all round contribution during the festival.

Mr Jones added: "Several years ago Wrexham had an annual arts festival which celebrated the contribution and role of performance arts in its broadest sense.

"We are hoping that the new Wrexham Music Festival will be the start of a more inclusive community wide arts festival in future years building on the momentum which Tŷ Pawb is experiencing in its arts, culture and communities programmes.

"This is a very exciting time for the arts in Wrexham. It is widely recognised that it has a vital contribution to make to the health and general well being in the lives of the borough’s citizens."

Jo Marsh, Tŷ Pawb’s creative director, said: "One of the most successful events at Tŷ Pawb are the weekly to attend Live Music Showcase concerts which regularly attract audiences of between 60 and 80.

"They offer a platform to promote very talented musicians and their music comes from a wide cross section of tastes and styles. The added value of the new Wrexham Music Festival offers a fantastic opportunity for our young people and Tŷ Pawb is delighted to host this very special new event in the local performance arts calendar."

Plans are already being made for a second Wrexham Music Festival in 2019; this time the focus will be on school choirs.

This will take place just before the October half term holiday as part of the Wrexham Symphony Orchestra’s official 50th birthday whole family concert on Sunday November 3 when it will pay tribute to the Classic FM Hall of Fame.

The concert will include a performance by Wrexham’s very own Tom Blomfield, a former youth member of the Orchestra, who is now the Principal Oboe of the Philharmonia Orchestra, one of the UK’s most accomplished, leading orchestral ensembles.

Tom is also a Professor of Oboe at the Royal Academy of Music in London. The Orchestra will be supporting Classic FM’s charity, ‘Make Some Noise’ through a number of activities and events involving many of Wrexham schools and colleges.