Young musicians from Powys are being urged to bid for a £2,000 prize at a top festival.

Royal composer Paul Mealor is backing the prestigious Pendine Young Musician of Wales competition and telling talented youngsters not to miss out on a “glorious opportunity”.

The competition returns for a third time at the North Wales International Music Festival at St Asaph Cathedral.

The winner will receive a £2,000 cash prize, a silver trophy and a shot at performing on a world-class stage. There is a second prize of £1,000 and the two runners up will each receive £500.

Prof Mealor, the festival’s Artistic Director, said the contest offers a rare platform for under-21s to perform, gain expert feedback and be broadcast live on BBC Radio Cymru.

It’s been made possible by support from the owners of the Pendine Park care organisation, Mario Kreft MBE and his wife Gill, via the Pendine Arts and Community Trust which they set up to support community and arts activities.

As part of their 40th anniversary celebrations, Pendine has also announced they will continue to back the competition for the next five years.

Prof Mealor said: "The Pendine Young Musician of Wales is a unique opportunity for young musicians born or living in Wales to showcase their talents at the North Wales International Music Festival and perform in one of the greatest acoustics in Wales, St Asaph Cathedral and at Tŷ Pawb in Wrexham.

"The competition is open to all musicians who were born or who are living in Wales or who are Welsh nationals studying abroad.

"We are a fully inclusive competition and positively welcome applications from musicians with apparent and non-apparent disabilities."

Mario Kreft MBE of the Pendine Arts and Community Trust said: "The past two competitions have been truly memorable and we are delighted to be part of this exciting competition.

"It is a wonderful opportunity for a young musician to perform in the cathedral at St Asaph. It has a fantastic atmosphere and the most wonderful acoustics.

“The knowledgeable and appreciative audience who enjoy the concerts at the North Wales International Music Festival will simply add to the occasion and I am looking forward to the Grand Final very much indeed.

“Supporting this wonderful competition chimes perfectly with our ethos at Pendine where intergenerational activities and the arts provide a golden thread running through daily life at all our care homes.”

According to Prof Mealor, entries for the competition are now open and the closing date for applications is 5pm on Friday July 31, 2026.

"All musicians must be under the age of 21 on January 1, 2026 to be eligible to compete but there is no minimum age for entry," he said.

He said the idea for the competition came from young performers who have taken part in festival concerts in recent years.

"They realised there was no competition like it and little opportunity for them to perform individually in the cathedral which has the best acoustics for a solo performer.

"I suggested the competition and spoke with Mario Kreft and he loved the idea and came straight onboard. The competition has been staged during the past two festivals and produced some wonderful performances and very worthy winners.

The competition this year will be staged in two sections with entrants asked to submit a video or audio clip of their performance for consideration by the judges.

"The performance can be no longer than five minutes in duration. It may be a performance of a single piece or a movement of a larger work or a short programme of no more than 5 minutes in duration.

“The judges will select four performers and invite them to participate in the live Grand Finale on Wednesday, September 16," Prof Mealor added.

Paul Mealor, who was born in St Asaph and raised in Connah's Quay, took over as Artistic Director of the North Wales International Music Festival from the acclaimed mezzo soprano, Ann Atkinson, in 2024.

He first came to prominence in 2011 when one of his compositions, Ubi Caritas, featured at the wedding of Prince William and Catherine Middleton.

His compositions featured in three of the four national services of thanksgiving for the life of the late Queen Elizabeth II in September 2022.

The following year he was commissioned to create a brand new piece for the Coronation of King Charles III and Queen Camilla.

The work, "Coronation Kyrie" was sung by Welsh bass-baritone Sir Bryn Terfel – the first time that the Welsh language was sung at a Coronation. He was appointed Lieutenant of the Royal Victorian Order (LVO) in the 2024 New Year Honours.

William Mathias, who was Professor of Music at Bangor University, founded the festival at St Asaph Cathedral in 1972 and directed it until his death, aged 57, in 1992.

As a student Paul Mealor studied with William Mathias and cites him as being the person who inspired his career in music and particularly his love of large scale choral compositions.

Anyone interested in taking part in the Pendine Young Musician of Wales competition is asked to upload a video or audio clip of a five- minute performance – along with their application form and proof of age document – via the Festival’s website at https://nwimf.com.

The North Wales International Music Festival 2026 will be held from September 10-19 at St Asaph Cathedral. Tickets go on sale from Wednesday, June 24.