Young Singer Award
Applications for our 2025 Young Singer Award competition are now closed.
The 2025 Winner
Leisa Lloyd Edwards as selected as the winner of the 2025 Brecon Choir Festival Young Singer Award at the competation event on March 8th.
The other shortlisted candidates were Phoebe Gault, Hester Jones-Reddy and Mared Phillips.
Leisa will sing at the Grand Concert in Brecon Cathedral on Saturday 19th July.
Leisa is a year 13 pupil at Ysgol Syr Hugh Owen studying AS level Music, Welsh and History. Sian Wyn Gibson is her vocal tutor at Canolfan Gerdd William Mathias. She is a member of Cor Glanaethwy as well as the National Youth Choir of Wales. She regularly competes in local and national competitions including the Urdd and the National Eisteddfod. A recent highlight for her was winning the 15-17 vocal solo at the Llangollen International Eisteddfod. Whilst classical performance is a preference, she's open to learning different singing styles as in 2023 she came first in the solo folk singing competition at the Urdd National Eisteddfod and won the musical theatre solo at the National Eisteddfod.
Judging
Our judges for the 2025 Young Singer Award were Adrian Partington and Elisabeth Priday.
Adrian is Director of Music at Gloucester Cathedral and conductor of the BBC National Chorus of Wales. For most of his career Adrian has been working with young singers, from Cathedral Choristers to aspiring soloists at conservatoires. For many years he taught at the RWCMD and conducted the College Chorus, the Chamber Choir and the Opera Scenes productions. Over twenty years ago he instituted the Bursary Scheme for young singers at the National Chorus of Wales.
Elisabeth studied at the Royal Academy of Music, of which she later became an Associate. While there she became involved with the evolving early music scene, and joined the Monteverdi Choir at the age of 19. She also became a member of the Deller Consort which along with her solo career took her to many parts of the world including La Scala Milan and the Sydney Opera House. She was a founder member of the Cardiff based Welsh Baroque Soloists. Elisabeth taught singing at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama, and spent several happy years teaching at Christ College in Brecon. Each August finds her in Siena, teaching at an international summer school for singing students from Conservatoires all over the world.
Past Winners
2024 Winner
Penelope George was the winner of our 2024 Young Singer Award competition.
2023 Winner
Erin Thomas was our 2023 winner. In 2024 she was placed 2nd in the National Eisteddfod - Under 25s Mezzo Soprano and joined the Juilliard’s intensive voice programme in June.
Young Singer Award Sponsors
