Cardiff Youth Classical Music Festival
applications
We welcome all classical musicians to this year's festival! Whether you have been playing your instrument for ten weeks or ten years, we want to offer you a beautiful performance space, the chance to meet other musicians like you, and some positive feedback from an expert adjudicator. Come and join us at St Edward's Church, Roath, from Friday 10th to Sunday 12th July 2026.
Classes are for strings, brass, harp, voice, woodwind, piano and chamber music and run in seven categories; beginner (pre-grade 1-grade 1), initial (grades 2-3), intermediate (grades 4-5), advanced (grades 7-8), diploma (grade 8+), conservatoire/university level, and adult amateur. These standards are guidelines, but no exams need to have been taken to enter (your teacher can help place you within an appropriate level). Entry fees per class range from £7 to £15.
We also offer the opportunity to participate in the festival without having to compete - simply tick the "non-competitive" box on the entry form. In this case you will recieve adjudicator feedback and a fantastic performance opportunity, but will not be rated against the other class participants.
To enter for this year's festival, please read the syllabus and rules in the following documents (click the links) and complete the application form, then email the completed form to us at hello@growmusic.co.uk. We can't wait to meet you!
Adjudicator
This year we are delighted to welcome Dr Kitty Cheung to adjudicate the festival. Currently sub-principal 2nd Violin in the Welsh National Opera Orchestra, Kitty holds Doctor of Musical Arts and undergraduate degrees, the Performer’s Certificate and Orchestral Studies Diploma from the Eastman School of Music, where she also won prizes in excellence in teaching, excellence in chamber music and the Lecture Recital Prize. She was also appointed the Teaching Assistant of Professor Charles Castleman. She received Master of Music and Master in Music Performance (Guildhall Artist) degrees, both with distinction from the Guildhall School of Music and Drama. Kitty's major teachers included Lin Yao-Ji, Yau Sing-Yeh, Li Hou-Yi, Ho Hong-Ying, Charles Castleman, David Takeno and Zvi Zeitlin. was the Associate Concertmaster of the Hong Kong Sinfonietta in 2011-2017, Associate Musician of the Hong Kong New Music Ensemble, and has performed in the London Symphony Orchestra, Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra and Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra in the past. She has given solo recitals in Germany, Vienna, UK, USA, Thailand, Hong Kong and Shanghai, and made solo appearances with orchestras including the Hong Kong Sinfonietta and Hong Kong City Chamber Orchestra. She recorded broadcast performances for BBC Radio 3 and Radio Television Hong Kong. As a chamber musician she performed at Carnegie Hall, Vienna Konzerthaus, Wigmore Hall, Toppan Hall in Japan, Sabah Art Gallery in Malaysia, Shanghai Concert Hall, Central Conservatory of Music in Beijing, The University of Macau, Marvao International Music Festival in Portugal, Lakes Area Music Festival in USA, Hong Kong Week in Taiwan, Hong Kong Arts Festival, Hong Kong Beare’s Premiere Music Festival, and Hong Kong World Cultures Festival.
The Grow Music Team
We are Rebecca Totterdell, Giordano Ferla & Becca Spencer.
We met teaching at the junior department of the Royal Welsh College of Music, which closed in 2024. Together with CF Music and other teachers from RWCMD we set up a new Saturday Academi for young musicians, aiming to provide a pathway for young people in Wales to study music at the highest level, create community and connection, and assist application for studying music at university or conservatoire. It has been running since the junior department closure and now operates out of Cardiff High School.
Rebecca is a violinist in the orchestra of Welsh National Opera and a qualified yoga teacher.
Giordano is a pianist who travels the world performing recitals and chamber music.
Becca is a fully qualified teacher of Dalcroze Eurythmics and violist.
