Rhys Taylor has already made his mark on the international music stage. Welsh by birth, from a passionately committed yet musically eclectic home, he played clarinet as a small child and by the age of eleven he was a member of the National Children’s Orchestra of Great Britain.

Rhys has developed performance, directorial and compositional excellence in classical as well as jazz contexts. In 2005 Rhys graduated from the Royal Northern College of Music, gaining First Class Honours. Rhys gained valuable experience with various solo performances, including Artie Shaw’s Clarinet Concerto with the RNCM Big Band, and in his final year was awarded the prestigious Professional Performance diploma award (PPRNCM).

Among Rhys’ public solo performances have been concertos by Mozart, Weber and Copland and in March 2005 he performed Copland’s Clarinet Concerto with the BBC National Orchestra of Wales at the Brangwyn Hall, Swansea.

November 2006 saw the release of Rhys’ debut album, ‘In Two Minds / Mewn Dau Feddwl’, on the ‘Kissan’ record label, that soon sold out across Wales and on ‘itunes’.

In March 2007 and 2009 Rhys performed as a soloist in the Madisson Restaurant, Long Beach, California, and for the Welsh Community in the Welsh Presbyterian Church, Los Angeles.

Comfortable on the international circuit, Rhys nevertheless retains a strong sense of the musical passions of his roots. ‘Eisteddfodau’ are very close to Rhys’ heart and he has gained a superb record of victories whilst competing over the years. At the age of 18 he won the 18-25 Open Instrumental competition at the Llangollen International Eisteddfod and in September 2006, Rhys won the ‘Bryn Terfel Urdd Scholarship Award’, of which he was appointed Musical Director 2 years later.

In 1999 at the very young age of 16 Rhys gained his druid robes and became a member of the ‘Bards Circle’ of Wales. In June 2010, with the National Urdd Eisteddfod in his local Llanerchaeron, Rhys took on many roles, including Musical Director for the Youth Musical ‘Plant Y Fflam’, soloist in the opening concert, Master of Ceremonies, and TV and radio pundit.

Rhys’ orchestral experience is extensive, playing regularly with such orchestras as the BBC National Orchestra of Wales, BBC Symphony Orchestra, Orchestra of Welsh National Opera, Sinfonia Cymru and the Chamber Orchestra of Wales.

Also comfortable in Musical Theatre, Rhys has a wide experience in musical direction and pit playing. As Musical Director, he has worked on shows such as ‘West Side Story’, ‘My Fair Lady’, ‘Joseph and His Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat’, ‘Charlie and the Chocolate Factory’, and also worked as a Woodwind player on the Wales Theatre Company’s world premiere of ‘The Thorn Birds A Musical’, having also been responsible for arranging and orchestrating the score. Recently Rhys has been playing multi instrumentals in ‘Avenue Q’ in London’s West End. Rhys was also an essential part of the ‘Wales Has Got Talent’ concert at the Cardiff International Arena in December 2010, being responsible for arranging the music for Rhydian Roberts, Only Men Aloud, Sophie Evans, Mark Evans and Tara Bethan, as well as the on-stage orchestra. Rhys has recently arranged the music for the welcoming of the Olympic Flame to Aberystwyth on May 27th 2012.