Monthly Organisational Highlight
New Symphonia
Robert Guy and his brother Jon founded NEW Sinfonia in 2011. They were part of a group of friends from Wrexham and wanted to keep making music in Wrexham. They always felt like the underdogs – Robert was born 70% deaf and it was his Nana who lives in Llay who taught him piano who noticed this. Jon and Robert were told by major national organisations don't bother creating a professional orchestra in Wrexham - there is no audience for classical music. We like to feel we have proved them wrong.
NEW Sinfonia is now a multi-faceted arts organisation with a professional chamber orchestra, community vocal ensemble NEW Voices and an education programme NEW Academi, based in Wrexham and across North Wales. They create work for over 100 freelancers each year, engage 1000s of young people in their community work and bring together up to 150 singers from all parts of our community. Raising money over for local based charities such as Nightingale House Hospice and others.
NEW Sinfonia welcomed organisations and artists across Wrexham and North Wales to create a week of remembrance to mark 90 years since the Gresford mining disaster in September 2024. Central to NEW Sinfonia's contribution was the commissioning of a new community opera written by Jon and with words by poet Grahame Davies (who is from Coedpoeth), adding value to the collective memory of Gresford, and exploring its lasting relevance and significance to the people of Wales and beyond today. The themes of loss, social injustice, and powerlessness, as well as those of triumph over adversity and celebration of cultural identity and community are all central to the Gresford story.
’ We wanted to bring this ‘emotional story’ to life, in a way which stimulates conversation, brings people together, and helps audiences (from all corners of our community) connect the Gresford story with their own contemporary experiences’.
This Gresford project brought together all the strands of the charity. The professional orchestra with 350 local school children playing alongside as part of the Academi. The NEW Voices Community Choir - all-inclusive vocal ensemble of around 150 enthusiastic members come from all walks of life and share a passion for singing. They have people from the UAREUK Refugee hub, so each week you hear Welsh, English, Afrikaans, Ukrainian and more on a Saturday morning. The cast of professional 6 soloists. All produced Spectacular visuals projected into the beams/arches of St Giles.
This spectacular opera was commissioned and the ‘Gresford Tour’ early in 2026 was featured across Wales, including the Stiwt Theatre ,Rhos.
