| Biography | John Thomas was a Welsh composer and harpist. The bardic name Pencerdd Gwalia (Chief of the Welsh minstrels) was conferred on him at the 1861 Aberdare Eisteddfod.
He taught at the Royal College of Music, where he eventually became professor, and at the Guildhall School of Music.
He wrote many pieces for the harp that are popular today and are used in the exam syllabus. He also wrote an opera, a symphony, two harp concertos, overtures, chamber music, and two cantatas Llewellyn (1863) and The Bride of Neath Valley (1866). He played one of his own harp concertos at a Philharmonic concert in 1852.
In 1872, he was appointed harpist to Queen Victoria. |