The first weekend of Cowbridge Music Festival has been a success, one of the artistic directors has told Nub News.

After the 2020 event was cancelled due to the pandemic, the festival began last Friday [1 October] with performances from the Feinstein Ensemble, the Hot Club of Jupiter and Catrin Finch and Seckou Keita.

Rosalind Ventris, violist and artistic director of Cowbridge Music Festival said the atmosphere at well-known Cowbridge venues was "truly electrifying", even with reduced audience capacity due to social distancing measures.

"Our amazing band of volunteers have been doing fantastic work to ensure that our audiences are looked after," Rosalind told Nub News.

"It's been an emotional experience hearing live music together again for the festival after a two-year gap and a real treat to listen to such high-quality performances over the last few days. I couldn't be more delighted by how it's all gone so far.

"Looking forwards, we have a few tickets left for our concerts next weekend: we're very excited to hear the premiere of a new work for piano by Welsh composer Sarah Lianne Lewis, commissioned by the Festival and performed by talented young Welsh pianist Luke Jones."

This event will take place on Sunday 10 October at 5pm and 7.30pm in Holy Cross Church.

Rosalind herself will also be performing a concert of romantic pieces alongside internationally acclaimed mezzo-soprano Marta Fontanals-Simmons and Christopher Glynn on Saturday 9 October, 5pm and 7:30pm in Holy Cross Church.

The prize-winning Piatti String Quartet will play at the Festival on Friday 8 October at 5pm and 7:30pm in the United Free Church, for the first time, presenting a programme that they will play at the Wigmore Hall later that week.

"In the Festival Fringe, we are so happy to be welcoming singer Inês Castillo and pianist Pedro Asencio for a jazz brunch on Sunday 10 October, and jazz dinner the following Thursday at the Bear Hotel, performing a mix of Latin jazz and jazz classics," said Rosalind.

"A Festival musician will be visiting care homes too.

"For the first time, we are also holding a concert for little ones at Forage Farm on Saturday 9 October: an event specially designed for children ages 0-4.

"We are excited to be expanding our outreach programme this year, with the wonderful team from Children's Musical Adventures giving workshops in local primary schools next week and I'll be going into Cowbridge Comprehensive School myself to give some workshops and a masterclass for the students."

Find out more about the programme of events and book your tickets here.