The 18 year-old from Bersham, a pupil at Coleg Cambria Yale in Wrexham, won the Instrumental Blue Ribbon (Rhuban Glas) at the National Eisteddfod, held this year at Boduan, Gwynedd.

The victory came just days before he achieved A*s in Music and Politics, and an A in English Literature.

Rufus will now go on to study Music at Oxford University, to the delight of lecturer Tim Heeley.

“It has been such a privilege to input into Rufus’s musical journey whilst he has been studying at Coleg Cambria,” he said.

“He is a phenomenal talent but has consistently worked hard on all aspects of his music, certainly during his A Level studies and probably since starting to play.

“This award at the Eisteddfod is well deserved and the culmination of years of hard work by Rufus supported by his piano teacher John Gough, many different musicians and class teachers and also not least his parents – well done, Rufus!”

Rufus added: “I’m really happy to have won the Rhuban Glas. I was also very pleased with my A Level results and am looking forward to starting university in October.

“I would like to thank my tutors at Yale – Tim, Carys and Mel – for all their support throughout my time at Cambria.”

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