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Robin Huw Bowen

b. 1957

British musician (born 1957)

Harpist
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About Robin Huw Bowen

Born 1957. Robin Huw Bowen is a British harpist.

Robin Huw Bowen (born 1957) is a player of the Welsh triple harp, known in Welsh as Telyn Deires . He was awarded the Glyndŵr Award in 2000.

Born into the Welsh community in Liverpool, England, into a family originally from Anglesey, Bowen learned to play the Celtic Harp while at school, inspired by the Breton harper, Alan Stivell. In 1979 he received a degree in Welsh Language and Literature from the University of Wales, Aberystwyth.

He was first exposed to the Welsh Triple Harp by two members of the Welsh traditional music group Ar Log, brothers Dafydd and Gwyndaf Roberts. They had learned to play the instrument from Nansi Richards, one of the last traditional Welsh folk harpists from the previous generation.

Although he regularly performs as a soloist, Bowen joined the Welsh traditional group Mabsant in 1986 and later joined Cusan Tân. In 1996, he along with Stephen Rees and others, formed the society for traditional musical instrument of Wales, Clera. Since 1998 he has been a member of the Welsh 'super-group' Crasdant. In 2004 he and four other Triple Harpists formed Rhes Ganol, the first Welsh Triple Harp 'Choir' to exist since that of Llanover Hall during its heyday at the beginning of the twentieth century.

Robin Huw Bowen worked for many years at the National Library of Wales in Aberystwyth. While there he discovered several old collections of Welsh tunes and arrangements for harp, some of which have since been published. His research has also drawn on living sources, in particular the harpist Eldra Jarman (1917–2000), a great-granddaughter of .

In 2015, Bowen was allegedly banned from a branch of HSBC in Aberystwyth, a largely Welsh-speaking area, for complaining that the bank gave precedence to the English language in its signage.

Albums Trwy'r Weiar(Through the Wire) (1987) with Mabsant Telyn Berseiniol Fy Ngwlad (Sweet Harp of My Land) (1991) Cusan Tân (Kiss of Fire) (1992) with Cusan Tân Hela'r Draenog (Hunting the Hedgehog) (1994) Cerddoriaeth Telyn Cymru (Harp Music Of Wales) (1995) Esgair (The Ridge) (1996) with Cusan Tân Hen Aelwyd (Old Hearth) (1999) Crasdant (1999) with Crasdant Nos Sadwrn Bach (Not Yet Saturday) (2001) with Crasdant Yn y Gwaed (In the Blood) (2004) with Rhes Ganol Dwndwr (The Great Noise) (2005) with Crasdant Y Ffordd i Aberystwyth (The Road to Aberystwyth) (2007) Harp Music of Wales (Cerddoriaeth Telyn Cymru) (2011) Iaith Enaid (2015)

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Important facts

Born
1957, Liverpool
Birth century
Occupation
Harpist
Nationality
Education
Aberystwyth University

People in Robin Huw Bowen's life

Named in this biography and alive at the same time

Contemporaries

People whose lives overlapped Robin Huw Bowen's

Frequently asked questions

Who is Robin Huw Bowen?

British musician (born 1957)

When was Robin Huw Bowen born?

Robin Huw Bowen was born in 1957 in Liverpool.

What is Robin Huw Bowen's occupation?

Robin Huw Bowen is a harpist.

What nationality is Robin Huw Bowen?

Robin Huw Bowen is British.

Sources & further reading

· Wikipedia: Robin Huw Bowen

· Wikidata: Q3399830

· DBpedia: Robin Huw Bowen

Cite this page

APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Robin Huw Bowen. https://biography.guide/robin-huw-bowen/

MLA: "Robin Huw Bowen." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/robin-huw-bowen/.

Chicago: "Robin Huw Bowen." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/robin-huw-bowen/.

Data last updated: 2026-09-24 · Spot an error? Report a correction.

Portrait: Wikimedia Commons · author & licence

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