15 July 2009
Ongoing Support for Up and Coming Scottish Talent
The trustees of the Dewar Arts Awards are delighted to announce another round of awards covering a wide range of the arts. Despite the present financial climate they are continuing to support young people in Scotland with outstanding talent and helping them reach their potential.
Three awards go to students from Edinburgh. Asher Zaccardelli’s ambition has always been to become a great violist. He won a scholarship to St. Mary’s Music School and went on to become a member of every National Youth Orchestra in Scotland and the National Youth Orchestra of Great Britain. His award will help towards his studies at the Royal Academy of Music, London, where he is now studying.
James Kenny initially learnt to play the piano from his mother and was a pupil at Edinburgh City’s Music School, where he studied double bass, piano, composition and choral singing and became an active member of various ensembles. He was offered a number of places but chose the Royal College of Music and his award will go towards the substantial costs involved. Jenni Fagan, who is studying for a BA in Creative Writing has an award for her final year at Greenwich University.
From Glasgow awards have been made to eight students. Sean Reilly, who was born with clubbed feet, was told by doctors he would never walk but, in his own words ‘music helped me move at the age of four and I have loved to dance ever since.’ When he was 15, Sean entered Anniesland College and subsequently won a place at Bird College in Kent to study musical theatre. His real passion is jazz dance and his award will help towards year two of his studies.
Elisabeth Ingram joined the MLitt in Creative Writing at Glasgow University where she co-edits the Glasgow online creative writing journal. She has already had a piece accepted by New Writing Scotland. Elisabeth is working on her first book. She also designs jewellery. Her award helps towards the cost of the MLitt. Terri O’Brien began her Musical Theatre studies at Glasgow Academy of Musical Theatre and went on to study at Liverpool Institute of Performing Arts, where everyone was impressed with her talent, including Ben Elton. She won a coveted place on the post graduate course in musical theatre at the Royal Academy of Music. Her award will assist with the fees.
Tom Harrold comes from a professional musical family and has already had his music performed and recorded worldwide. He won the 2007 BBC Proms/Guardian Young Composer’s Competition amongst other awards which confirmed his ambition to become one of the foremost contemporary composers of his generation. The award will help Tom during his first year at the Royal Northern College of Music. Jon Savage, who started his training at the Dance School of Scotland, Glasgow, will continue to study at the Royal Ballet School in London for his final year.
Thanks to their awards, both mezzo-soprano Katherine Grosset, who was a peripatetic Kodaly vocal instructor for the National Youth Choir of Scotland, is continuing her post graduate studies in singing at GSMD for a second year and Alan Benzie will continue to study jazz performance (piano) at Berklee College of Music in the USA. David Gray, who is studying for BMus (Performance) at the Royal Academy of Music has an award towards cost for his second year.
Iain Culross, from Dundee, is considered by many to be one of the finest young cornet players in Scotland. He has had notable successes in competitions and been a member of the National Youth Brass Band of Scotland since he was eleven. His award will help him to study for a Masters in Performance at Salford University to develop his trumpet playing in order to become a first-class trumpet player alongside the cornet. From nearby Perth, Shaun Kelly, who is studying dance at the English Ballet School, has been awarded help towards his final year.
Gayle Rankin, from Kilmarnock, is studying acting at the Juilliard School, New York, and her award goes towards costs for year three of a four year course. From Wallyford, East Lothian Beth Mackay’s award will help towards her opera studies RSAMD.
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