Raphael James is a 19-year-old pianist from Aberteifi. He studies at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London with Professor Gareth Owen. Raph has performed many times at Rhosygilwen, from winning the Young Musician of Dyfed competition in 2024 to making his concerto debut with the Lampeter Chamber Orchestra last year. He is generously supported in his studies by the Menter Rhosygilwen music bursary.

Recent achievements include winning two consecutive instrumental Blue Riband awards at the National Eisteddfod, in the 16-19 category in 2025, and the 19 and over category in 2026 in Eisteddfod y Garreg Las. He has performed several times at many of West Wales’ music festivals, including Aberystwyth Musicfest (where he also performed Rachmaninoff with the Philomusica orchestra), Fishguard Festival of Music, and the St Davids Cathedral Music Festival. This summer, Raph performed trio chamber music in France at the Festival Musical de Saint-Yrieix, and spent two weeks studying with pianist Megumi Masaki and other renowned faculty in the Musiktage am Rhein festival in Germany.

Raphael is very excited and grateful to return to Rhosygilwen with the LCO to perform one of Mozart’s most powerful and dramatic works.