2003 Awardee: Maeve Gilchrist

I promise to make the most of all the opportunities that have been given to me and to push my own limits musically, particularly on the harp

Biography

Even by the time Maeve was nominated for an Award she was an accomplished singer, clàrsach player and teacher.

She performed a specially-commissioned piece by Martyn Bennett on electro-clàrsach at the opening of the Scottish Parliament and has been invited to perform at several high-profile events since.

A graduate of the Broughton School of Music in Edinburgh, Maeve explains why she chose Berklee, “It was founded in the early 20th Century … as a place to study the roots of jazz and blues as well as moving with the times and embracing the modern rock and pop cultures..  I feel I would develop more as a musician if I developed my knowledge of jazz and blues.”

How the Award Helped

The Dewar Arts Award supported Maeve for four years at the Berklee College of Music in Boston.

Since the Award

Maeve teamed up with two Argentinian musicians, also Berklee graduates, to form the Maeve Gilchrist Trio, who create a wonderful fusion of Scottish traditional, Latin American and jazz rhythms.  Her debut album “Reaching Me” was released in 2006.  Maeve divides her time between the States and the UK.  For more information about Maeve’s current work, see her website www.maevegilchristmusic.com.

I promise to make the most of all the opportunities that have been given to me and to push my own limits musically, particularly on the harp

2003 Awardee: Andrew Lamb

The experiences I have had meant that having graduated I was in a great position and gave me the confidence to set up on my own

Biography

As an undergraduate at the Edinburgh College of Art, Andrew Lamb, was considered to be one of the finest young metalworkers/jewellers of his generation.  By the time he went on to do a Masters at London’s Royal College of Art, Andrew had won several prestigious UK and international awards for his work, including the World Crafts Council Europe Award for Contemporary Crafts in Munich.

Andrew writes that the award came at just the right time for him creatively.  He had been spending a lot of time mastering new techniques, but was cautious about the cost of the materials he was using.

Receiving the award meant that “I could take the plunge and put to the test my discoveries using white, yellow and red gold, and silver. The results meant I could successfully go on to produce an exciting final body of work which would subsequently lead me to the next level in my career.”

Andrew went on to win a number of major prizes for his final year show. He was also given the very prestigious commission by De Beers to design a piece to be presented by the Queen to John Oxx, trainer of Azamour, the winning horse in the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Diamond Stakes.

How the Award Helped

The Dewar Arts Award supported Andrew in the second year of his Master’s degree.

Since the Award

Andrew writes that he is “so pleased and extremely grateful to have been given such a prestigious Award. It goes without saying that the Dewar Arts Award has been massively beneficial and supportive to me at that particular stage in my career.” For more information about Andrew’s work, see www.andrewlamb.co.uk.

The experiences I have had meant that having graduated I was in a great position and gave me the confidence to set up on my own