Talynau A Chan - Folk Songs & Harps, album cover

Elinor Bennett, Baroness Wigley, OBE (born 17 April 1943) is a Welsh harpist who has an international reputation as a soloist, master instructor, and founded the Harp College of Wales.

Biography

Bennett was born in 1943 in Llanidloes,

Wales Wales ( cy, Cymru ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by England to the east, the Irish Sea to the north and west, the Celtic Sea to the south west and the Bristol Channel to the south. It had a population in ...

. When she was six, her family moved into a house known as Gwyndy on the White Hall estate of Owen Morgan Edwards at Llanuwchllyn near Bala. She was a student at the local primary school and then attended the Bala Girls' Grammar School. Her father bought Bennett her first harp when she was six, though she did not begin lessons until age 11. Upon graduation from high school, Bennett studied law at

University College Wales, Aberystwyth , mottoeng = A world without knowledge is no world at all , established = 1872 (as ''The University College of Wales'') , former_names = University of Wales, Aberystwyth , type = Public , endowment = ...

and after completing a

Bachelor of Laws Bachelor of Laws ( la, Legum Baccalaureus; LL.B.) is an undergraduate law degree in the United Kingdom and most common law jurisdictions. Bachelor of Laws is also the name of the law degree awarded by universities in the People's Republic of Ch ...

, she moved to London, where she was employed in a law office. Wanting to continue her education, she applied for and won a scholarship to attend the Royal Academy of Music, studying with Osian Ellis. Graduating three years later, she later completed music therapy courses in Australia. Bennett's debut was at Wigmore Hall, London and then she worked from 1967 to 1971 as a freelance artist playing with the

English Chamber Orchestra The English Chamber Orchestra (ECO) is a British chamber orchestra based in London. The full orchestra regularly plays concerts at Cadogan Hall, and their ensemble performs at Wigmore Hall. The orchestra regularly tours in the UK and internationall ...

London Symphony Orchestra The London Symphony Orchestra (LSO) is a British symphony orchestra based in London. Founded in 1904, the LSO is the oldest of London's symphony orchestras. The LSO was created by a group of players who left Henry Wood's Queen's Hall Orc ...

, and the Philharmonia Orchestra. She has performed many recitals on BBC Radio 3 and BBC television. Though known most for classical music, Bennett has also played with some of Wales' most renowned figures from

rock music Rock music is a broad genre of popular music that originated as " rock and roll" in the United States in the late 1940s and early 1950s, developing into a range of different styles in the mid-1960s and later, particularly in the United States an ...

. She has recorded twelve solo albums, and is one of the organisers of the Wales International Harp Festival. She founded the ''Coleg Telyn Cymru'' (Harp College of Wales) and is known for her instruction. Her students have included

Catrin Finch Catrin Ana Finch is a Welsh harpist, arranger and composer. She was the Official Harpist to the Prince of Wales from 2000 to 2004 and is visiting professor at the Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama and the Royal Academy of Music in London. ...

, who later married her son Hywel. In 1996, Bennett was made an Honorary Fellow at her alma mater in Aberystwyth; and in 2002 she received the White Robe of the National Eisteddfod of Wales, the festival's highest honour. She was the recipient of the Glyndŵr Award in 2003 and in 2006, she was honoured for her service to Wales with her music, receiving the

Order of the British Empire The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding contributions to the arts and sciences, work with charitable and welfare organisations, and public service outside the civil service. It was established o ...

. She published ''Tannau Tynion'', her autobiography in 2011.

Family

Bennett married the

Plaid Cymru Plaid Cymru ( ; ; officially Plaid Cymru – the Party of Wales, often referred to simply as Plaid) is a centre-left to left-wing, Welsh nationalist political party in Wales, committed to Welsh independence from the United Kingdom. Plaid wa ...

politician,

Dafydd Wigley Dafydd Wynne Wigley, Baron Wigley, (born David Wigley; 1 April 1943) is a Welsh politician. He served as Plaid Cymru Member of Parliament (MP) for Caernarfon from 1974 until 2001 and as Assembly Member for Caernarfon from 1999 until 2003. He w ...

, later Baron Wigley, in 1967. Two of the couple's four children predeceased their parents, dying from an inherited genetic condition,

Sanfilippo syndrome Sanfilippo syndrome, also known as mucopolysaccharidosis type III (MPS III), is a rare autosomal recessive lysosomal storage disease that primarily affects the brain and spinal cord. It is caused by a buildup of large sugar molecules called g ...

."Elinor Bennett Wigley talks about her new autobiography, Taut Strings"
''Wales Online'', 9 March 2012; accessed 12 May 2014.

References

External links

elinorbennett.co.uk
Official site {{DEFAULTSORT:Bennett, Elinor 1943 births Officers of the Order of the British Empire People from Llanidloes Living people Welsh harpists Welsh-speaking musicians Wigley Spouses of life peers