The winner of the prestigious Main Composer title of the ground-breaking Eisteddfod T, the first ever digital Urdd National Eisteddfod, has been revealed as 20-year old Cai Fôn Jones from Penrhosgarnedd.   

A familiar face to the UrddNational Eisteddfod, Cai has been competing successfully from an early age. He is also one of the six who competed for the UrddGobaith Cymru Bryn Terfel Scholarship last year, having won first prize in theCardiff and Vale Urdd Eisteddfod recitation competition in 2019. 

He wins the title for composing a piece of music of no more than 2 minutes in duration on any theme, a competition that attracted 21 compositions of a high standard, according to the competition judge, Eilir Owen Griffiths. 

Cai, under the pseudonym ZartMo, presented a piece for a string quartet which, according to the judge, was “compelling throughout”.

A former pupil of Ysgol Tryfan, Bangor, Cai, 20, is in his second year at Bangor University studying Welsh and History. He is a versatile and experienced performerand has appeared many times on stage in Wales and beyond over the years. A personal highlight for him was when he reached the stage in three of Cardiff National Eisteddfod’s under-21 competitions in Cardiff in 2018. 

Cai is also a member of Johns’Boys choir and Neuadd JMJ college choir and is looking forward to resuming his performing when appropriate.

In his critique, Eilir Owen Griffiths said:“What this composer manages to do is to cleverly deliver many contrasting short sections and develop them effectively within 2 minutes – it’s a complete composition. The composer is obviously experienced inwriting for strings and manages to create interesting textures and share the ideas between the instruments effectively. There is innovation here. Congratulations!” 

Cai will receive a specially createdtrophy by north Wales sculptor Ann Catrin. 

Eisteddfod T will be held throughout this week (May 25-29). To date, 4,000 competitors have competed in over 80 competitions, with further competitions taking place during the week. You can join in the fun, on TV, radio and online and there will be results and information on the s4c.wales/urdd website and on the Urdd’s social media with the hashtag #EisteddfodT.