Iwan Owen graduated from the Royal Northern College of Music in 2019 achieving a Master’s degree with distinction. He studied with Benjamin Frith on a full scholarship as an ABRSM Scholar and won the Piano Recital Prize in 2018, the college’s highest award for piano playing. He was also awarded the Shirely Catarall Award and the Elsie Thurston Accompanist Prize.
Iwan has enjoyed success in national and international competitions; a finalist in the keyboard category at the Royal Over-Seas League Competition in February 2016 and, in 2014, he won first prize at the Llangollen International Eisteddfod and the National Eisteddfod of Wales. He was also awarded Gregynog Young Pianist of the Year in 2013.
Iwan has participated in masterclasses given by renowned pianists including Paul Badura-Skoda, Peter Frankl, John Perry, Nelson Goerner, Pascal Rogé, Phillippe Cassard, Vovka Ashkenazy, Kathryn Stott, David Owen Norris and Stefano Fiuzzi. He has also received chamber music coaching from Susan Tomes, Peter Cropper, Sara Bitlloch, Jeremy Young, Antonia Koster, Petr Prause, Natalie Klouda, Leonard Elschenbroich and Qian Wu.
Iwan also has much experience as a collaborative pianist. He joined Ensemble Cymru in 2019, an ensemble focused on bringing chamber music to audiences in and around Wales. Iwan was also accepted on to the Live Music Now scheme in 2016. Founded by Yehudi Menuhin in 1977, the scheme provides regular performance opportunities to musicians at the beginning of their careers, with particular focus on bringing music to people who do not have the opportunity to attend concerts.
Iwan derives particular enjoyment from working on art song repertoire. He has enjoyed working closely with many of the RNCM’s vocal teachers, including Louise Winter, Sandra Dugdale, Deborah Rees, Susan Roper, Mathew Best and Peter Wilson. He was invited to perform at the Peter Warlock Society Annual Concert in 2015 and the RNCM Day of Song in 2019.
Born in 1995, Iwan Owen hails from Anglesey, North Wales and started learning the piano at the age of 7. He studied with Iwan Llewelyn-Jones from the age of 9 until attending the RNCM in 2013.
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Yn hanu o Garreglefn, ger Amlwch, Môn, ganwyd Iwan ym 1995 gan ddechrau gwersi piano yn saith mlwydd oed. Dechreuodd astudio gyda Iwan Llewelyn-Jones pan oedd yn naw oed, gan aros yn ddisgybl iddo hyd nes ennill lle i astudio yng Ngholeg Cerdd Brenhinol y Gogledd (RNCM), ym Manceinion, yn 2013. Graddiodd Iwan o’r RNCM yn 2019 yn cyflawni Gradd Meistr gyda anrhydedd, ar ôl astudio fel Ysgolhaig ABRSM. Yn ddisgybl i Benjamin Frith ym Manceicion, ennillodd Iwan y gystadleuaeth Piano Recital Prize yn 2018, gwobr uchaf y coleg ar gyfer Piano, ac enillodd hefyd wobr Shirley Cattarall a Gwobr Cyfeiydd Elsie Thurston.
Mae Iwan wedi cael llwyddiant mewn cystadleuthau cenedlaethol a rhyngwladol; cyrhaeddod rownd derfynol categori y Piano yng nghystadleuaeth y Royal Over-Seas League yn 2016 ac, yn 2014, ennillodd y wobr gyntaf yn yr Eisteddfod Genedlaethol ac Eisteddfod Ryngwladol Llangollen. Cafodd hefyd ei wobryo yn Bianydd Ifanc Gregynog yn 2013.
Mae gan Iwan repertoire eang; o gerddoriaeth Bach a Scarlatti i William Mathias a Peter Sculthorpe, gyda mwynhad o waith Chopin a Schubert yn enwedig. Mae wedi bod yn ffodus i dderbyn hyfforddiant gan enwogion yn cynnwys John Perry, Peter Frankl, Paul Badura-Skoda, Nelson Goerner, Pascal Rogé, Kathryn Stott, Federico Colli a David Owen Norris.
Cyfeilio a cherddoriaeth siambr yw canolbwynt gwaith Iwan. Mae yn perfformio gyda Ensemble Cymru ers 2019, ac yn perfformio gyda ‘Live Music Now’ ers 2016. Mae hefyd yn bianydd preswyl gyda Camerata Gogledd Cymru. Mae wedi derbyn hyfforddiant gan Peter Cropper, Qian Wu, Antonia Koster, Petr Prause, Natalie Klouda a Leonard Elschenbroich.
Iwan Owen 