Owain Arwel Hughes

One of Britains most respected conductors, Owain Arwel Hughes (b. 1942) studied at University College, Cardiff, and the Royal College of Music in London. Having worked with Sir Adrian Boult, Bernard Haitink and Rudolf Kempe, he has become a distinguished interpreter of both traditional and contemporary music. He regularly conducts the major British orchestras and their choirs, and is renowned as an advocate of British composers, with an impressive tally of commissions and premires. He is particularly acclaimed for his performances of large-scale works such as Mahlers Eighth Symphony and Verdis Requiem. Owain Arwel Hughes is the driving force behind the Welsh Proms, which since its inauguration in 1986 has become one of Britains major musical festivals. He has also forged strong links with the Nordic countries, conducting leading orchestras in Finland, Denmark, Norway and Sweden; he has served as principal conductor of the Aalborg Symphony Orchestra in Denmark. Among his BIS recordings are a highly praised series of symphonies by Rachmaninov, and an extensive Vagn Holmboe cycle comprising both the symphonies and concertos.