Trombonist Dewi Thistlewood has been announced as the 2022 recipient of the prestigious Richard Fice Memorial Award.
Held annually by Cardiff County & Vale of Glamorgan Music Service it rewards the county's leading brass player aged 19 and under.
Dewi, aged 16, is a student at Ysgol Gyfun Plasmawr in Cardiff and the current principal trombone of the National Youth Orchestra of Wales. A pupil of Dafydd Thomas, he is also a member of Cardiff County & Vale of Glamorgan Symphonic Brass and Youth Brass Band.
Memory
The prize was established in memory of Richard Fice, former principal cornet of South Glamorgan Youth Brass Band, who was killed in the bombing of the Royal Marines School of Music in 1989.
Richard Fice's parents John and Marcia were on hand to make the presentations. John commented, "We are very grateful to CCVG Music Service and TÅ· Cerdd for their support of this wonderful competition and are delighted that another young musician is set to benefit from the fund."
Since its inception in 1991, the annual £2,000 award has helped 30 promising local players to further their careers by enabling them to purchase instruments, pay for tuition or attend residential courses.
Winners
Many previous winners have gone on to become professional musicians, including horn player Meilyr Hughes (BBC National Orchestra of Wales), trumpet player Elizabeth Jones (Malmö Symphony Orchestra) and trombonist Stephanie Muncy-Dyer (His Majesty's Sagbutts & Cornetts).
1998 winner, Daniel Trodden (principal tuba, BBC National Orchestra of Wales) and freelance trumpeter Rob Johnston formed the adjudicating panel for this year's competition which was held at TÅ· Cerdd — Music Centre Wales in the Wales Millennium Centre.
It was wonderful to hear such accomplished performances which demonstrated secure technique and mature musicianshipAdjudicator, Daniel Trodden
Accomplished
Daniel told 4BR: "We were treated to a wonderfully entertaining afternoon that encompassed music from the classical period through to the twentieth century and included works by Peter Graham, John Hartmann and Joseph Haydn.
It was wonderful to hear such accomplished performances which demonstrated secure technique and mature musicianship.
The competition was hard fought but we felt that Dewi's expressive and dramatic renditions of works by Saint-Saëns and Kazimierz Serocki marked him out as a worthy winner."
