Machynlleth Festival

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The Machynlleth Festival takes place in the Auditorium of The Tabernacle in late August every year. During the week eminent performers take part in events ranging from recitals for children to jazz. Special features are the Hallstatt Lecture on some aspect of Celtic culture and the Glyndwr Award for an Outstanding Contribution to the Arts in Wales.

[edit] Performers (1987-1996)

Performers in the first three Machynlleth Festivals included: tenor Paul Agnew (1987), oboist Nicholas Daniel (1988), soprano Elizabeth Vaughan (1988), actor Leonard Fenton (1988 & 1989), saxophonist Don Rendell (1989) and bass-baritone Bryn Terfel (1989).

Among the Festival artistes in the next few years were: Alan Skidmore, tenor saxophonist, 1990; Bernard Roberts, pianist, and Kit and The Widow, 1991; and Robin Williamson of the Incredible String Band, 1992.

The 1994 Festival, the last to contain four events per day for eight days, featured musicologist John Amis, violinist Tasmin Little, soprano Joan Rodgers, clarinettist Emma Johnson and pianist Joshua Rifkin.

In 1995 the Festival was reduced for reasons of economy to two events each day, more or less the pattern of the first Festival. Performers included broadcaster Richard Baker and mezzo-soprano Sarah Walker.

Jazz singer George Melly and trombonist Christian Lindberg were amongst the highlights of 1996.