A renowned artist will take inspiration from the music at a concert and paint a new picture live as part of the 25th anniversary celebrations of a top festival.

The connection between artist Chris Holley and Bangor Music Festival came about during the Covid lockdown in 2020 when she discovered a piece of music on YouTube that was composed by the event’s artistic director, Guto Pryderi Puw.

Guto, a Reader in Music Composition at Bangor University, founded the festival in 2000 as a showcase for contemporary music and it has featured a total of 225 world premieres over the years.

This year’s milestone festival, from Friday, February 14, to Sunday, February 16, will be taking place at the city’s Pontio Arts Centre.

According to Chris, she was entranced by the piece called Different Light, which in turn inspired her to create two abstract paintings which she later emailed to Guto.

The paintings will form part of Music and the Muse, an exhibition of 28 paintings at the Pontio Arts Centre from January 27 until the end of the Festival.

Meanwhile, Guto’s composition will be performed during a concert starting at 7.30pm on Saturday, February 15, alongside a number of new works during which Chris will also create new artwork.

Chris, who lives in the Thames Valley, said: “I heard Guto’s beautiful and restless Different Light online during lockdown and was fascinated by the music and its concept – a painting being moved from space to space and how the differing light would subtly affect its values.

“So, turning the concept around, over a period of weeks I made two paintings based on his composition, emailing him images of the resulting paintings.

“My art practice is mainly either figurative, influenced by movement and dance – or abstract motivated by a musical connection. To me, music, visual art and dance are all different sides of the same rich coin.”

During the festival Chris will also lead workshops introducing art to children of different ages.

She added: “When working with young children it’s important to have fun, stay light-hearted and playful and be encouraging.

“They have such creative minds and ‘go for it’ in their mark-making without the concerns we accumulate as adults. You never know – there may be a budding young Picasso out there!”

Guto was surprised but delighted that his work had inspired the paintings and invited her to take part in this year’s festival, which has ‘Music within the arts’ as its theme.

“My piece, Different Light, was originally composed and performed at the Vale of Glamorgan Festival in 2000 and during the Covid-19 pandemic Chris heard it again and was inspired to create new paintings.

“She contacted me about her work during lockdown and I was totally speechless by her kind gesture. So, as our own returning gesture, The Festival is delighted to stage an exhibition of her paintings as well as staging a live-art event in Saturday evening’s concert at Pontio when Sinfonia Cymru will perform music by John Metcalf and Mikel Kuehn, alongside new festival commissions by Lynne Plowman, Claire Victoria Roberts, Zach Reading and myself,” he said.

Launching this year’s programme, Guto revealed 15 new pieces will be performed for the first time during this year’s event.

He said: “This year we celebrate the 25th festival since its founding in 2000 and the theme is ‘music within the arts’ and we believe there’s something for everyone in the various concerts, workshops, talks and community events.

“There is the same emphasis on new music that challenges and inspires, with new commissions by six established composers/sound artists, in addition to new works by Music students and Film students from Bangor University, responding creatively within the Festival theme.

“Consequently, the majority of the music is combined with various poetry, dance or film, but also abstract paintings by Chris Holley that will be exhibited in Pontio before and during the festival.

“We are also proud to invite American composer Mikel Kuehn as our featured composer, performing his pieces that combines live and recorded vocals, video projection, electronics and the poems of e e cummings and Wallace Stevens.”

This year’s programme contains some of Wales’ finest contemporary performers including Cerys Hafana on the triple harp, the experimental dancers Hedydd/VDKL to music by Eädyth Crawford, the enthralling Sinfonia Cymru in addition to the innovative sounds of Electroacoustic Wales and celebrated soprano Deborah Norin.

Cerys Hafana’s concert on Friday, February 14 is part of Pontio’s Cabaret evenings, and provides a relaxed atmosphere and an intriguing insight into folk music with one of the most distinguished artists on the circuit.

“According to Cerys, she mangles, mutates and transforms traditional music on the triple harp!” said Guto.

Camau Cerdd/First Steps in Music with Marie-Claire Howorth on Saturday, February 15 introduces music to children aged 6 months to seven years of age in workshops staged in collaboration with Canolfan Gerdd William Mathias.

A lunchtime concert in Pontio’s Bar Ffynnon will feature live performance of original songs by Canfod y Gân, a group of musicians with special needs.

During the afternoon there will be live performances at Pontio’s various public spaces by the Bangor New Music Ensemble where university student performers present works by composition students.

On Sunday, February 16 at 12.30 a free (but ticketed) concert by Electroacoustic Wales will feature pieces by student composers.

Later, at 3pm in Theatr Bryn Terfel, the festival will present Dancing in the Ether as a climax to the celebrations. Soprano Deborah Norin and Electroacoustic Wales will include music by the Festival featured composer and sound artist, Mikel Kuehn together with a new commission by Bangor based composer, Andrew Lewis.

More details about the festival and ticketing information is available online at www.bangormusicfestival.org.uk