Catrin Hughes

Catrin was educated at Tregaron Secondary School and then went to the University of Wales, Aberystwyth, where she graduated with a BMus degree.

She travelled to Germany as a soloist and harpist with the University orchestra and she also performed one of the leading roles in Mozart’s ‘Don Giovanni’ in her final year. Catrin was the Musical Director of the National Children’s Pageant Llandeilo in 1996, and also performed with her singing group “Catrin a’r Mabinogi” in the S4C’s Noson Lawen in the Eisteddfod pavilion. The group have represented Wales in the Welsh Festival in Toronto, and have released a CD titled "Etifeddiaeth Cymru’; which includes original songs by Catrin herself. She is currently a Music teacher, Head of Year 7, and a member of the Senior Management Team at Ysgol y Strade. She enjoys composing and many of her vocal arrangements and compositions have been published by Curiad and Sain, and are often performed in various competitions.

She is an adjudicator in various Eisteddfodau in Wales and further afield- the Urdd Eisteddfod, the Pan Celtic Festival in Ireland, ‘Gŵyl Fawr Aberteifi’, ‘Teulu James Pantyfedwen’, and ‘Gŵyl Fawr Llambedr Pont Steffan’, and in 2013 she was an adjudicator at the National Eisteddfod in Denbighshire. In 2014, she was one of the adjudicators at the Urdd Eisteddfod Meirionnydd, and in 2016 she was one of the choral adjudicators at The Urdd Eisteddfod in Flintshire.

She is a familiar face on S4C as a conductor, adjudicator and performer. Under her leadership, Cantata Youth Choir and Lleisiau’r Cwm have now gained their place on local, National, and International platforms. Catrin also conducts the traditional Gymanfa Ganu in Wales and on S4C’s, Dechrau Canu Dechrau Canmol, and had the honor of conducting the Wessex Gymanfa in Romsey in 2012. Catrin was one of the conductors of the Eisteddfod Choir and the Gymanfa Ganu, in the Carmarthenshire National Eisteddfod 2014. She also conducted the Gymanfa Ganu in Jewin Chapel London in that particular year. Catrin has raised thousands for charity, and she was acknowledged for her hard work and dedication in the Llanelli Star Community Awards in 2017.