Talented Welsh tuba player Gruffudd Thomas has been named as the winner of the prestigious Richard Fice Memorial Award.

Held annually by Cardiff County & Vale of Glamorgan Music Service and this year hosted by Ty Cerdd — Music Centre Wales, the major prize rewards the county's leading brass players aged 19 and under.

In memory

The award was created in memory of Richard Fice, former principal cornet of South Glamorgan Youth Brass Band, who was tragically killed in the bombing of the Royal Marines School of Music in 1989.

Since its inception in 1991, the annual £2,000 prize has helped 25 promising local players to further their careers by enabling them to purchase instruments, pay for tuition or attend residential courses.

Many previous winners have gone on to become professional musicians, including horn player, Andrew Budden (BBC Philharmonic Orchestra) and trumpet player Simon Cox (Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra and Aurora Orchestra).

Panel

Former recipient, Daniel Trodden, who is the BBC National Orchestra of Wales's principal tuba, joined John Hendy (Trombone, Welsh National Opera), Gwyn L. Williams (Director, Ty Cerdd — Music Centre Wales) and Emma Coulthard (Head of CCVG Music Service) to form the 2016 adjudicating panel.

The five competitors; Oliver Bartlett (trombone), Ifor Evans (trumpet), Michain Hain (trumpet), Joseph Morgan (trumpet) and Gruffudd (tuba) each performed a 15 minute recital as followed by 10 minute interview at the Ty Cerdd Recording Studio at the Wales Millennium Centre.

Ability

Chair of the adjudicating panel, Emma Coulthard told 4BR: "We were impressed by the very high standards of musicianship on display but were unanimous in our choice of winner.

Gruffudd's performance had genuine range and demonstrated his ability to play both flashy, technically demanding passages and also to phrase in a highly sensitive and lyrical style."

Gruffudd's performance had genuine range and demonstrated his ability to play both flashy, technically demanding passages and also to phrase in a highly sensitive and lyrical styleJudges

Student

Gruffudd is a former pupil at Ysgol Gyfun Gymraeg Glantaf and is currently a student at Bristol University.

He has been a member of a host of county ensembles from the Transitional Wind Band through to the Youth Orchestra and Symphonic Brass and has also gained membership of six national ensembles, including the National Youth Brass Band of Wales and National Youth Orchestra of Great Britain.

Gruffudd has been fortunate enough to be loaned a county instrument but now plans to put the prize money towards the cost of his own tuba.