APPLICATIONS are now open for this year’s Wrexham Music Festival.

The 2020 festival is a ‘Celebration of our Young People in Music’ and will take place in Ty Pawb, Wrexham’s Art’s, Markets and Communities hub on Thursday, April 16.

The Festival is an opportunity for school pupils and students to perform in front of a live audience and receive encouragement from the panel of adjudicators.

Applications are open for two age categories: under 12 years and 12 to 18 years offering pupils and students from both junior and senior education opportunities to perform across six classes of musical performance: Keyboard, Brass, Vocal, Strings (Violin, Viola, Cello, Double Bass, Harp and Guitar), Woodwind and Percussion.

Festival, co-ordinator Derek Jones said: “The weekly free to attend Live Music Showcase in Tŷ Pawb is very popular offering a platform for local musicians to perform their music.

“Offering some of the Live Music Showcase weekly concerts as a ‘Celebration of our Young People in Music’, enables us to encourage our young people as they continue their journey in music.”

The age qualifying date for both age categories is 31st July 2020 and applicants must be in full time education. Participants in the U12 age group will be required to perform a 5-minute recital.

Participants in the 12-18 age group will be required to perform an 8-minute recital of two contrasting pieces.

Two of Wrexham’s most talented musicians will be performing during the Festival. Hefin Duo with Charlotte Thomas (Flute) and Bethan Griffiths (Harp) will present a varied programme of classical and contemporary music and share about their journey into music and of their hopes and aspirations for the future.

Derek added: “We are thrilled that Hefin Duo will be sharing the Festival with us; Charlotte and Bethan are graduates of the Wrexham and Flintshire Music Services and are extremely talented young musicians.

“I am confident that they will offer much inspiration and advice to our Festival musicians.”

Information leaflets and applications forms are available from the Tŷ Pawb Information desk, Wrexham Tourist Information Centre and The Music Place. They can also be obtained by sending an email request to wrexhammusicfestival@gmail.com.

The closing date for entry is 5pm on Friday, March 20 and entries are to be submitted in a sealed envelope addressed to Wrexham Music Festival 2020, Shop/Siop, Tŷ Pawb, Market Street, Wrexham. LL13 8BB. There is no charge for entering the Festival.