Biography

At the age of 18, Lorna Geller left Irvine, where she grew up, first to study for a music degree at Oxford and later to pursue postgraduate study in violin performance at the Guildhall School of Music in London.

Lorna is one of several awardees who started her musical education at St Mary’s Music School in Edinburgh. While she was a student of David Takeno’s in London, he encouraged her passion for solo and chamber music playing. During that time, Lorna was playing on a wonderful Degani violin on long-term loan.

Now 23, Lorna’s musical CV is impressive. Winner of many prizes and awards, including the 2005 Waddell Memorial Prize for Scottish String Players, Lorna has played with several leading chamber orchestras and appeared as soloist with the Ariette Ensemble, the Oxford Sinfionetta and the Edinburgh Festival Concerto Orchestra.

Lorna also took part in a Cultural Exchange Programme in the Gambia studying West African tribal culture and musical traditions which led to a collaborative project and exhibition in both the Gambia and London.

Lorna is both a talented and dedicated musician who is still improving and developing. She has an opportunity to buy the Degani violin she has been playing for many years.

How the Award Helped

The Dewar Arts Award provided the balance of the funds required to purchase the instrument.

Since the Award

After completing her studies at the Guildhall, Lorna went on to pursue a career as a violinist, including work with the Scottish Chamber Orchestra, the Yorkshire Baroque Soloists and in 2012 as a trialing sub-principal of the BBC National Orchestra of Wales.

After 10 diverse and busy years in London, she moved back to Scotland in 2013 to work with the Sistema Scotland charity, and holds the post of Senior Musician at Big Noise Govanhill in Glasgow.