2024 Awardee: Ciorstaidh Chaimbeul
I am extremely grateful for the support of the Dewar Award in giving me the opportunity to pursue my Masters Studies at the Royal Danish Academy of Music in Copenhagen, Denmark. The Dewar Award has given me the invaluable gift of time to dedicate myself to my musical development in an international context. Without the Dewar Arts Award, such an opportunity would have been beyond my financial means. The funding opened doors to being able to move to Denmark to study, where I’ve had the opportunity to meet musicians from all over the world. I’ve had the privilege of learning from world-class teachers, whose expertise I’m learning so much from. The funding has also allowed me to immerse myself in the life and culture of a new country, where I’ve been able to connect with people and share the joy of music. It's marvellous to share different musical and cultural traditions which enriches us all together. The Dewar Award has made all of this possible, and I’d like to express my gratitude for the time, resources and support you have provided as I take these next steps in my musical career. Thank you for the support.
Biography
Ciorstaidh Chaimbeul is a musician who is influenced by traditional Gaelic music as well as a passion for classical music. She is a graduate of the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland where she studied with distinguished Serbian Accordionist, Djordje Gajic.
She is currently pursuing her Masters in Classical Accordion Performance at the Royal Danish Academy of Music in Copenhagen, Denmark. There, she studies with Professor Geir Draugsvoll and Professor Bjarke Mogenson, and is kindly supported by the Dewar Arts Awards, the Anglo/Danish Society and the Cross Trust.
Ciorstaidh grew up on the Isle of Skye, where she was surrounded by Gaelic music and culture from a very young age. She regularly performs at festivals and venues throughout the UK, including Celtic Connections, where she was awarded a Danny
Kyle Award in 2024. She was a semi-finalist in the BBC Young Traditional Musician of the Year 2019. She is a keen collaborator, and premiered new works for accordion at the RCS Plug Festival. She appeared alongside the RCS Accordion Quartet at the BBC Radio 4 Front Row Programme, ahead of their performance at the St Magnus Festival in Orkney.
Internationally, she has performed at the Malmo Folk Festival in Sweden. Alongside performing, Ciorstaidh is an experienced music teacher, teaching both privately, and at the Glasgow Folk Music Workshop.
How the Award Helped
Ciorstaidh received an award to support her Masters studies at the Royal Danish Academy of Music in Copenhagen, Denmark, where she studied with Professor Geir Draugsvoll and Professor Bjarke Mogenson.
I am extremely grateful for the support of the Dewar Award in giving me the opportunity to pursue my Masters Studies at the Royal Danish Academy of Music in Copenhagen, Denmark. The Dewar Award has given me the invaluable gift of time to dedicate myself to my musical development in an international context. Without the Dewar Arts Award, such an opportunity would have been beyond my financial means. The funding opened doors to being able to move to Denmark to study, where I’ve had the opportunity to meet musicians from all over the world. I’ve had the privilege of learning from world-class teachers, whose expertise I’m learning so much from. The funding has also allowed me to immerse myself in the life and culture of a new country, where I’ve been able to connect with people and share the joy of music. It's marvellous to share different musical and cultural traditions which enriches us all together. The Dewar Award has made all of this possible, and I’d like to express my gratitude for the time, resources and support you have provided as I take these next steps in my musical career. Thank you for the support.