Cliciwch yma ar gyfer cyfieithiad Cymraeg

The Welsh Music Guild expresses its unequivocal opposition to the proposed closure of Cardiff University School of Music. This institution has been a cornerstone of musical excellence in Wales since 1883, fostering generations of composers, performers, and scholars who continue to contribute significantly to both national and international musical landscapes. 

Since our founding, the Welsh Music Guild has been proud of its long-established relationship with Cardiff University School of Music (formerly University College, Cardiff). Together, we have consistently upheld the primary goal of promoting the public education, understanding, and appreciation of the music of Welsh composers, and music creators of any nationality residing in Wales. It is vitally important that we not only maintain, but further advance, this vital academic and creative centre for Wales. 

The School of Music not only continues to nurture emerging talent. It also plays an integral role in the cultural fabric of Wales: promoting our nation’s rich musical heritage through promoting and recording Welsh composers such as Morfydd Owen to Eloise Gynn, and cultivating a truly diverse, unique, and international community of music makers and thinkers in the heart of our Capital City. Bolstered by the expansion of its iconic purpose-built building under the direction of composer Professor Alun Hoddinott CBE, and becoming the largest university music faculty in Europe in the 1980s, the School of Music has attracted some of the twentieth and twenty-first centuries’ most recognised and innovatory music creators as part of its faculty and invited composers, including Benjamin Britten OM CH, David Wynne, Randall Thompson, Olivier Messiaen, Professor William Mathias CBE, Sir Peter Maxwell Davies CH CBE, Henri Dutilleux, John McCabe CBE, John Ogdon, Michael F. Robinson, Professor Hilary Tann, Jonathan Harvey, Norman Kay, Dame Judith Weir, Rhian Samuel, Sir George Benjamin CBE, Professor Arlene Sierra, Dr Robert Fokkens, and Dr Pedro Faria Gomes, to name only a few.

The Welsh Music Guild finds it deeply concerning that such an esteemed institution is at risk of closure. The loss of this department would be a devastating blow to Wales’s cultural infrastructure, jeopardising opportunities for future musicians and diminishing our nation’s standing as a centre for musical excellence.

Cardiff’s delicate cultural ecosystem thrives on the symbiotic presence of two world-leading institutions: the Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama (RWCMD), our national conservatoire dedicated to training performers, actors, and theatre technicians; and Cardiff University’s School of Music, the academic hub for music scholarship, composition, and innovation. These institutions offer distinct yet interdependent contributions vital to the city’s artistic and intellectual vibrancy. 

Since 1955, the Welsh Music Guild has recognised a wealth of Cardiff University graduates in their annual awards, all of whom have been leaders in the creative industries and ambassadors for Welsh musical excellence on this international stage (in alphabetical order): Dr Gareth Churchill, Dr Nathan James Dearden, Tim Rhys Evans MBE, Dr Jordan Hirst, Professor Alun Hoddinott CBE, Brian Hughes, Dr Gareth Olubunmi Hughes, Owain Arwel Hughes CBE, Sir Karl Jenkins CBE, Sarah Lianne Lewis, Andrew Matthews-Owen, John Metcalf MBE, Christopher Painter, Gail Pearson, Dr David John Roche, John Hugh Thomas OBE, Mark Thomas, Grace Williams, Huw Tregelles Williams, Dr Jeremy Huw Williams BEM, and Dr Jerry Yue Zhuo.

At a time when the arts face increasing challenges, it is imperative that we uphold and protect our musical institutions rather than dismantle them. The proposed closure contradicts Cardiff University’s stated commitment to the arts and undermines Wales’s reputation as a nation that values and nurtures its cultural heritage. The economic rationale for such a decision must be questioned, as the long-term repercussions will far outweigh any short-term financial savings.

We urge Cardiff University’s leadership to reconsider this decision and engage in meaningful dialogue with stakeholders, including students, faculty, alumni, and the wider artistic community, to explore alternative solutions that will ensure the sustainability of the School of Music. Furthermore, we call upon the Welsh Government to intervene and support the preservation of this vital institution.

The Welsh Music Guild stands with those campaigning against this closure. We reaffirm our commitment to advocating for the protection and promotion of Wales’s musical institutions, its future success, and call on all who value the arts to join us in opposing this deeply regrettable proposal.