Sir Karl Jenkins gifts his musical collection to the National Library of Wales

Nation Cymru staff

World-renowned composer Sir Karl Jenkins has presented his musical collection to the National Library of Wales.

The collection provides a unique record of the career of one of Wales’s most celebrated contemporary composers. It includes performance scores with his notes, photographs illustrating his career, concert programmes and promotional materials.

His best-known works include the global ‘cross-genre’ phenomenon Adiemus (1995) and The Armed Man: A Mass for Peace (2000). The latter has been performed over 3,000 times around the globe since its millennium premiere. His recorded output has resulted in 17 gold and platinum disc awards.

Rhodri Llwyd Morgan, Chief Executive at the National Library of Wales said, “It is a great honour to welcome Sir Karl Jenkins’s musical collection to the National Library of Wales.

“Sir Karl’s work has reached audiences across the globe and established him as one of the most performed and widely celebrated living composers of our time.

“This generous gift ensures that the story of his remarkable creative career becomes part of Wales’s national memory. From annotated scores and concert programmes to photographs and promotional material, the collection offers a unique insight into the development of works that have touched millions of people around the world.

“We look forward to making these materials accessible to researchers, musicians and the wider public for generations to come.”

At the event presenting his collection, Sir Karl Jenkins said, “I’m Wesh, my roots are here, and therefore The National Library of Wales seemed like the proper home for my collection.

“The National Library of Wales plays such an important part in the history of Wales, it felt like the right place to house my archive, among the works of other Welsh composers such as Alun Hoddinott and Williams Mathias.”

Nia Mai Daniel, Head of Unique Collections Department at the National Library of Wales added, “Sir Karl Jenkins’s collection will be a very special addition to our musical archives, and will be preserved here alongside other renowned Welsh musicians. It will also ensure that his compositions and work remain accessible to future researchers.”
The collection will now be catalogued by staff at the National Library of Wales and will be available for the public to view early in 2027.