Cerys Rees is a Welsh harpist whose work centres on contemporary music and close collaboration with Welsh composers, with a particular focus on expanding the harp’s modern repertoire. She is a graduate of the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama, where she completed both a First-Class Bachelor of Music (Hons) and a Master’s degree in Music Performance, studying under Caryl Thomas and Rhodri Davies. Her studies were supported by a Sir Howard Stringer Scholarship.
Cerys is an award recipient of the Royal Welsh Fusiliers Harp Prize, the Daniel Emlyn Davies Award, and the Reverend Paul Bigmore Music in the Community Award, recognising both her artistic achievement and her commitment to engagement beyond the concert hall. Her performance experience includes national events such as the Motion of Condolence at the Senedd, attended by HM The King and Queen.
A passionate advocate for new music, Cerys works closely with Welsh composers to develop and premiere new works for the harp, exploring extended techniques, interdisciplinary performance, and the instrument’s role within contemporary classical music. Through these collaborations, she seeks to challenge traditional perceptions of the harp and amplify Welsh musical voices on a national platform.
Alongside her creative work, Cerys was the first Regimental Harpist to the Royal Welsh and is deeply committed to community engagement, using performance and collaboration as tools to connect audiences with contemporary Welsh music in meaningful and accessible ways.
