Welsh Composer's Commissioned Fanfare to Open Prestigious Llangollen Festival
A gifted young Welsh composer has expressed that it means the world to him to have his specially commissioned piece provide a stunning fanfare for this year's Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod, sharing the stage with musical legend Sir Karl Jenkins. The festival's innovative Harmony Without Borders initiative invited early-career composers born, living, or studying in Wales to apply for a £6,000 paid commission, made possible through substantial support from the Arts Council of Wales.
A Bilingual Masterpiece for Choir and Orchestra
The project challenged applicants to create a six-minute bilingual work for choir and orchestra. The resulting piece, currently under the working title Greeting the Dawn, will receive its world premiere on Tuesday, July 7, as part of the festival's flagship opening concert, Uniting Nations: One World. This special evening, featuring Sir Karl Jenkins conducting his own powerful work, One World, opens the festival with a profound message of unity, renewal, and global collaboration, forming a centrepiece of the 2026 artistic programme.
Meet the Talented Composer: Sam Buttler
The young composer selected by a panel of musical experts including Brian Hughes, Anthony Gabrielle, and Tori Longdon is 29-year-old Sam Buttler. Originally from Cardiff, Sam has already made a significant impact on the musical world during his relatively short career. In 2024, he received the prestigious Paul Mealor Award for Young Composers from the Welsh Music Guild, marking him as one of Wales's most promising musical talents.
Sam's impressive credentials include:
- Participation in the 2025 Composers Academy at the Cheltenham Festival, where he wrote a new work for George Parris and The Carice Singers
- Membership in the 2024 JAM on the Marsh Composer's Residency, creating an opera based on Derek Jarman's films with a libretto by Grahame Davies
- Release of his debut EP with Ensemble Matters, To the Waters and the Wild... for Pierrot Ensemble in 2024
- Selection for the Peter Reynolds Composers Studio at the Vale of Glamorgan Festival in 2023, composing two new works for cello octet and violin and piano
A Rising Star in Composition and Education
Sam was chosen as one of six composers for Tŷ Cerdd's CoDI Lead scheme, working closely with musicians from Paraorchestra on Chariots, Death, Jewels, and the Moon, premiered in 2022. That same year, his work Stones Have Memory Here featured as the BBC NOW Composition: Wales. Beyond his compositional achievements, Sam is a dedicated music educator, having taught composition and academic music at secondary and higher education levels for seven years.
Currently serving as a Graduate Teaching Assistant at King's College, London since 2021, Sam specialises in helping students with composition and integrating it into their learning, fostering confidence in music creation. His musical journey began at just four years old, starting with the recorder before switching to the oboe. He progressed through county orchestras and wind bands during school, eventually joining both the National Youth Orchestra of Wales and the National Youth Wind Orchestra of Wales.
Academic Excellence and Musical Development
Sam continued his musical education at St Peter's College, Oxford, where he served as a choral scholar and graduated in 2017. He completed his Master's in Composition at Royal Holloway and is currently in the final stages of his PhD in Music Composition at King's College, London. This academic foundation has provided him with the technical skills and theoretical knowledge to create sophisticated, emotionally resonant works.
A Dream Realised at Llangollen
Speaking about the significance of having his newly-penned work premiere at such an auspicious occasion, an elated Sam said: "It means the world. I've never had an opportunity on this scale and to not only open the festival, but to have my music alongside Sir Karl Jenkins's - another Welsh oboist and composer - is something I don't think I could have ever imagined."
He continued: "It means so much that my music will open the Eisteddfod, as so often the 'new music' is not given such a prominent spot. I can't thank everyone involved enough. I'm still slightly in shock. Wales has such an incredible musical culture, and especially some brilliant composers. It's easy to feel like no-one is hearing your musical voice, so to be selected from such a strong field is amazing."
Sam added: "The spirit of the Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod also really appealed to me. Music has the power to bring people together and can be a real force for good." This sentiment perfectly captures the festival's mission of fostering international understanding and cultural exchange through musical excellence.
