THEATR Brycheiniog in Brecon has been added as a new venue for Plethiad, the Balkan Beacons festival taking place from Friday, May 31 to Sunday, June 2.

The canalside theatre will stage Klezmer workshops on Sunday, June 2 culminating in a 'Klezmer Keilidh' in the evening.

The theatre's director Paula Redway told The Brecon & Radnor Express: "Theatr Brycheiniog is very excited about the prospect of another festival for Brecon and is looking forward to working with the Plethiad organisers to offer some workshops at the theatre as part of the Balkan Beacons programme."

The festival will be launched on Friday, May 31 at the Hours Cafe and Bookshop in Ship Street with yet to be named live Klezmer band.

Leigh Hendra from the Hours Cafe and Bookshop told The Brecon & Radnor Express: "We are absolutely thrilled to be a part of Plethiad and can't think of a better place for people to hear the Balkan/Klezmer sound than in this beautiful market town in the very heart of the Welsh countryside in the Brecon Beacons. We are truly committed to playing our part in the eclectic and evolving cultural scene in Brecon and Plethiad is a unique opportunity to bring yet more vibrancy, diversity and choice to locals and visitors alike. We can't wait."

The three day eastern European party music festival will include a live Balkan band at the Market Hall on Saturday, June 1 with Balkan beat DJs in the evening.

Plethiad Festival organiser Peter Phillips tells The Brecon & Radnor Express: "Balkan music is upbeat and dramatic and uses brass with traditional Balkan rhythms and beats with jazz, soul, funk. Balkan beat is huge in the clubs in Europe.

"Klezmer music has its origins somewhere in history east of Poland and when the Second World War came along and the persecution of the Jewish population, many of the inhabitants of that area migrated west to America.

"It had a major influence on the development and origins of jazz. Instruments like the clarinet in jazz came from Klezmer. So it's fitting that a festival featuring the best in world Klezmer should find itself in Brecon."

Peter Phillips' festival organising background includes the Porthcawl Elvis Festival which attracted 40,000 Elvis fans in 2012, Wales' only Rockabilly Festival which was started last year and the well established and slightly bizarre Ted Fest which celebrates everything related to the cult TV show of the same name.

With only a four month lead-in to Plethiad Peter Phillips is busy with the innaugural line-up: "At the moment I've got a long list of over 20 Klezmer bands, from Berlin, New York, Cardiff and beyond, eager to be involved. It's very likely that a fantastic eight piece Klezmer band from Amsterdam called Zorita will headline one of the venues.

"They're very bohemian and perform with an eclectic mix of instruments - accordion, trumpet and violin and create a completely unique sound. A pure party band."

He adds: "Take a generous portion of Klezmer and leave to chill in Amsterdam for five years. Mix with the same amount of raw Balkan brass. Beat. Add equal measures of ska, dub and a pinch of punk. Bring to boil and serve. Plethiad Festival, Balkan Beacons."

Plethiad Festival 2013 takes place in Brecon at the Market Hall, Theatr Brycheiniog and the Hours Cafe and Bookshop from Friday, May 31 to Sunday, June 2.