Ceri Rhys Matthews

Biography

Matthews was born in the Welsh-speaking village of Treboeth, in Swansea, Wales. Educated in Welsh-Medium schools in Ynystawe, Lonlas and Ystalyfera, he went on to study Fine Art and Painting at Swansea Art School and Maidstone College of Art under Patricia Briggs, Robin Sewell, Noel White and Michael Upton.

Music and production

As a soloist and member of the Welsh folk group Fernhill, he has been called "a key figure in the renaissance of Welsh musical traditions", by journalist Julian May in Songlines (magazine) and described by him as "a one man Welsh music industry" He has produced twenty-one CDs for Welsh label Fflach's subsidiary fflach:tradd. In 2000, he produced the Rough Guide to the Music of Wales for World Music Network. In 2009, he produced Blodeugerdd: Song of the Flowers - An Anthology of Welsh Music and Song for Smithsonian Folkways which came first in the 2009 Independent Music Awards for Best World Traditional Album.

He plays flute, pibgorn, bagpipe and guitar.

Teaching

His teaching activities cover a wide spectrum. These include a long term Junior School Flute-making project in Dolgellau, Wales; teaching at various Summer Schools including The English Acoustic Collective Summer School, Ruskin Mill; and at the Yscolan Weekends, Pentre Ifan.

He is a visiting tutor at the BMus Degree in folk and traditional music at Newcastle University, and The Sage Gateshead; and at the BMus (Hons) Music Degree at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama in Cardiff.

He has spoken on Welsh music at the World Music Centre, University of Limerick, in 1998; The Glucksman Ireland House, New York University, in 2002; The Centre for Advanced Welsh Music Studies, Bangor University, in 2007; English & Welsh Diaspora Conference at Loughborough University, 2010.

With Saith Rhyfeddod

As solo musician

With fernhill

As Record Producer