Welsh tuba player Owain Skyrme has been announced as the 2021 winner of the prestigious Richard Fice Memorial Award.

Held annually by Cardiff County & Vale of Glamorgan Music Service (CCVGMS) it rewards the county's leading brass player aged 19 and under.

Memory

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

Since its inception in 1991, the annual £2,000 prize has helped 29 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), trumpet player Simon Cox (Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra and Aurora Orchestra) and tuba player Daniel Trodden (BBC National Orchestra of Wales).

Joy

The competition was held this week at the Music Service's new headquarters in Chapter Arts Centre, Cardiff.

Former recipients, Meilyr Hughes (BBC National Orchestra of Wales) and Matthew Downes (Orchestra Manager, Welsh National Opera) joined Head of CCVGMS Emma Coulthard to form the adjudicating panel.

Speaking about the winner, Panel Chair, Emma Coulthard told 4BR: "It was a joy to hear live music again after so long and this was made all the greater by the impressive standard of the performances we heard.

This year's competition was keenly fought by four wonderful finalists but in the end the panel's decision was unanimous. The maturity and sensitivity of Owain's interpretations of music by Lebedev and Capuzzi made him the deserved winner."

It's wonderful that another talented musician will benefit from this prize and we wish Owain the very best for his future careerJohn and Marcia Fice

Talented musician

Owain Skyrme from Rhiwbina, Cardiff is in his final year at Ysgol Gyfun Glantaf and plays with CCVG Youth Brass Band and Symphonic Brass. He is taught the tuba by Matthew Thistlewood and was a member of the National Youth Brass Band of Wales in 2021.

Richard Fice's parents John and Marcia were unfortunately unable to attend this year's competition but sent a message of congratulations, saying: "It's wonderful that another talented musician will benefit from this prize and we wish Owain the very best for his future career."