2007 Awardee: Lynsey Payne

I find it hard to express how delighted and excited I am about this award. I am truly grateful to you for your support.

Biography

Lynsey, who hails from Cumbernauld, started learning to play the saxophone when she was eleven. She attended the Douglas Academy of Music where she had lessons in the saxophone with Josef Pacewicz. When she progressed to the RSAMD, Glasgow, she continued to study with Joseph Pacewicz.
Lynsey graduated with a BA (Hons), specialising in saxophone and wooden flute. She is particularly passionate about chamber music and has played in a number of saxophone quartet line-ups over the past few years.

In 2005, while still a student, Lynsey won the prestigious Governor’s Recital Prize in Chamber Music and the Mary D Adams Prize for Chamber Music with her quartet ‘Sax-Ecosse’. (For more details, see www.sax-ecosse.co.uk) In 2006 ‘Sax-Ecosse’ performed for Bill Clinton during his visit to Glasgow in May of that year, and for the Lord Provost of Glasgow, with guest of honour, Cherie Blair.

Thanks to a Scottish Arts Council grant, Lynsey has been taking lessons in Switzerland for the past year and a half with Bruce Weiberger of the world-famous Rascher Saxophone Quartet, during which time she transformed herself into ‘one of the finest baritone saxophone players in Europe.’

How the Award Helped

Lynsey is being assisted to pursue a Masters specialising in baritone saxophone performance at SUNY, Fredonia, USA.

Since the Award

Lynsey writes, “[I have always had the] intention to study further after my degree, away from Scotland, to get a different perspective on learning and teaching and I am extremely grateful to the Dewar Awards who have helped make this happen.”

I find it hard to express how delighted and excited I am about this award. I am truly grateful to you for your support.