On Wednesday 6 April 2016, the new artistic director of the Wales International Piano Festival, pianist Iwan Llewelyn-Jones took to the road for a series of impromptu performances in North West Wales. Armed with a brilliant red piano supplied by Pianos Cymru and with the help of Ian Jones, Iwan visited four venues (Ysbyty Gwynedd in Bangor, Waitrose Menai Bridge, and the Fron Goch Garden Centre and Morrison’s supermarket in Caernarfon) to play a wide selection of popular music for passers-by, from Chopin to Stevie Wonder.
Before embarking on the roadshow Iwan said:
It’s going to be fun going on the road with this bright red piano – you’ll not be able to miss us! I hope that people enjoy hearing lovely piano music played live in these rather unexpected places. I’ll be taking requests, so people can come along and I’ll play something just for them. They can even have a sing along if they like, or join me in a duet!
The aim of the Roadshow was to raise awareness of the Wales International Piano Festival 2016, which was organised by the William Mathias Music Centre in Galeri, Caernarfon and which took place from 29 April – 2 May, 2016. The four-day event featured concerts, a competition with competitors from all over the world, and performances in informal settings.