Young musicians from Monmouthshire 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 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.

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.

"The first winner was harpist Heledd Wynn Newton from Cardiff who returned last year to perform at the festival. The 2025 winner was pianist Rufus Edwards from Bersham and he has a very bright future ahead of him," he said.

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.

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.