Culture

International music festival returns to Welsh town

08 Aug 2026 2 minute read

Nation.Cymru Staff

International musicians from across Europe, North America and Asia will gather in west Wales this month for four days of classical music performances.

From 13–16 August 2026 Tenby International Music Festival will return for its second edition at St Mary’s Church and Tenby Museum & Art Gallery.

Founded by Welsh musicians Thomas Mathias and Dominic Ciccotti in 2025, the Festival brings classical music, family events, free performances, and new music to Tenby.

Thomas Mathias explained: “Our ambition is simple: to make Tenby one of the UK’s great destinations for classical music. We believe world-class music shouldn’t only belong in major cities—it should belong in communities like Tenby.”

The Festival opens on Thursday 13 August at 7.30pm with a special collaborative concert featuring the acclaimed Tenby Male Choir and Festival musicians in St Mary’s Church.

Led by Paul Rapi and founded in 1975, the Choir is one of Pembrokeshire’s most cherished musical institutions, with performances ranging from local churches to the Royal Albert Hall.

Also on the programme, Prague to Paris (Friday 14 August, 7.30pm) will trace a musical journey across Europe through Mozart, Liszt, Debussy, Mendelssohn, Elgar and Dvořák, including Mozart’s Piano Concerto No. 20 and Dvořák’s Slavonic Dances.

Fire and Fiddle (Saturday 15 August, 7.30pm) will celebrate the energy of Hungarian music with works by Dohnányi, Bartók, and Monti, along with Brahms’ Hungarian Dances.

One of the Festival’s most ambitious new initiatives is its Tenby International Composer Fellowship, a tuition-free programme is directed by Los Angeles-born composer Kian Ravaei.

Reflecting the Festival’s growing international profile, the Tenby International Composer Fellowship attracted an extraordinary 256 applications from more than 30 countries, with just three composers selected to take part: Fiona Frank (Wales), Bea Carr (USA) and Will Stackpole (USA).

Their new works will be presented during the Festival Finale, From the World to Wales, on Sunday 16 August.

Founder Dominic Ciccotti commented: “Whether someone is attending their first classical concert or has loved this music for decades, we want everyone to feel welcome.”

Tickets and the full programme are available on the festival’s site here.

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