Why we love Gregynog Hall…

Gregynog has always felt like the natural home for PYFA. Long before we ever played here, the Davies sisters had already filled this house with music, art, and community. Not long after they arrived, they turned the old billiard room into a music room, installed a Rothwell organ, and gathered local people to form the Gregynog Choir. Between 1932 and 1938, the Annual Festival of Music and Poetry brought some of the most remarkable artists of the time; Elgar, Vaughan Williams, Holst, George Bernard Shaw and for a while, Gregynog became one of the great cultural homes of Britain.

We’ve always felt that spirit still lives here. When we first began performing at Gregynog, we could almost feel the echoes of that history — the warmth, the generosity, and the belief that music should belong to everyone. That’s exactly why we wanted to continue this tradition, not by recreating the past, but by letting it evolve into something new. The Davies sisters believed deeply in sharing art with their community, and that same ethos sits at the heart of PYFA.

Here, students and professors live, learn, and perform side by side, working on solo repertoire, chamber music, and orchestral projects together. Everything happens under one roof, surrounded by the calm and beauty of the Welsh countryside. It’s a place where music naturally brings people together, just as it did all those years ago. Continuing that story feels like an honour and a joy, keeping Gregynog alive with the sound of music once again.