Resident Conductor
Dewi Griffiths
Dewi Griffiths hails from Bethel, a small village in North Wales at the foot of Snowdon, and started to play the Cornet at the age of 7 with the Llanrug Silver Band, quickly rising through the ranks from youth band to Principal Cornet with the senior band. Dewi moved on to play Principal Cornet with the Menai Bridge band for a couple of years, before moving to Beaumaris Band where he held the position of Assistant Principal for 6 years. In 2004, he accepted the Assistant Principle position at the Yorkshire Building Society Brass Band, and held this for just over 2 years before finally moving back over the border down to South Wales, where he currently plays Principal Cornet with the Tredegar Town Band.
Dewi is currently considered to be one of the finest Principal Cornet Players of his generation, and to support this claim, he has won numerous “Best instrumentalist awards”, which include 4 at the Welsh Regional Championships in Swansea (2008, 2010, 2013, 2016), two in the Grand Shield contest held in Blackpool (2009 & 2010) and the “Best Soloist” award at the prestigious British Open Championships held in Birmingham (2013). Dewi has also been awarded the Harry Mortimer Best Principal Cornet Award at the Brass in Concert Competition at the Sage, Gateshead in 2011 and 2014.
Dewi started his conducting career back in 2010 where he was appointed Musical Director of the newly formed Melingriffith 2 Band, where they had a very successful 3-year partnership, during which the band won the National Chamionship of Great Britain (4th Section Finals) in 2011. Between 2010 and 2012, the band won 9 out 12 contests. Following this, Dewi briefly took the BTM band in 2013 before hanging up the baton to focus on his day-to-day teaching and commitments with Tredegar Town Band.
In 2016, Dewi was presented the opportunity to conduct the City of Cardiff (Melingriffith 1) Band, where he enjoyed a successful period of stability and contesting success. The partnership between himself and the band grew from strength to strength, and he enjoyed working alongside Nigel Seaman to bring the best out of the band.