2006 Awardee: Stephanie Tinney

I am grateful to the Dewar Arts Awards for granting me this wonderful opportunity to progress in my clarsach playing.

YEAR OF AWARD: 2006
AGE AT AWARD: 13
ARTFORMS: ,
 
 
 

Biography

Even at the age of 13, Stephanie was considered to be an outstanding clàrsach player and a “perfect example of the revitalisation of our traditional music making within the younger generation”, according to her clarsach teacher.

Stephanie, whose four siblings all have musical talent and interests, has played clàrsach since Primary 4 and quickly progressed to play to a standard well beyond her years.

Stephanie was born on Skye where she still lives with her family. She has entered many local and national music competitions, always being placed in the first three. In 2004 and 2005 she won the Mod Skye and Lochalsh clàrsach duet and in 2005 gained second place in the solo clàrsach advanced.

How the Award Helped

The Dewar Arts Award will enable Stephanie to buy a new clàrsach.

Since the Award

Since buying a new clàrsach, Stephanie has not looked back musically speaking. She has won umpteen prestigious prizes in performance and arrangement and achieved an ‘A’ in SQA High Music a year ahead of her peers.

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I am grateful to the Dewar Arts Awards for granting me this wonderful opportunity to progress in my clarsach playing.

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2006 Awardee: Steven Nelson

YEAR OF AWARD: 2006
AGE AT AWARD: 21
ARTFORMS: ,
 
 
 

Biography

Steven started playing pipe band snare drum at the age of eight. Currently a student of the renowned Jim Kilpatrick at the RSAMD, Glasgow, Steven played snare drum at the world championships in the Shotts and Dykehead pipe band drum corps, led by Kilpatrick.

A Pipe Major of the world champions considers Steven to have achieved a standard of performance equal to the best in the piping and drumming world. In particular, he commented that Steven’s “flair for technical and musical performance is rarely seen in young percussionists of his generation.”

Steven intends to go on to a professional career in music.

How the Award Helped

The Dewar Arts Awards will enable Steven to buy a new snare drum.

Since the Award

Having his own snare drum enabled Steven to practise whenever he wanted to, consequently he graduated with a first in Scottish Traditional Music from RSAMD, one of only three students to achieve this. His own drum also opened up other performance and competition opportunities. Most notably he performed with the SOS Allstars Ensemble at the Live Earth concert in 2007. This ensemble included some of the best percussionists in the world. With the Shotts and Dykehead Pipe Band he won second prize in the Scottish Pipe Bank championships.

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2006 Awardee: Stuart Peters

I am absolutely delighted that I have been awarded funding by the Trustees of the Dewar Arts Awards and I am proud to accept the award

YEAR OF AWARD: 2006
AGE AT AWARD:
ARTFORMS: ,
 
 
 

Biography

Stuart’s first set of bagpipes were bought for him by his grandparents. Two years later he joined the Arbroath Royal British Legion Pipe Band, and then progressed to become piper with the Grade 1 David Urquhart Pipes and Drums.

In 2002 he was selected to play for the National Youth Pipe Band of Scotland and in 2003 became Champion Piper at the Pitlochry Solo Competition. As well as being a piper of great potential, Stuart plays acoustic and electric guitar and writes and arranges his own music.

Currently studying at RSAMD, Glasgow, Stuart, who hails from Dundee, plans to pursue a career in Scottish traditional music. He is particularly interested in experimenting with the fusion of Scottish music with rock, pop and jazz.

How the Award Helped

The Dewar Arts Award will enable Stuart to buy a new set of border pipes.

Since the Award

Stuart graduated successfully with a BA in Scottish Music. Since then he has branched out into music producing as well as continuing to perform solo and with his band ‘Slaps & Styles’.

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I am absolutely delighted that I have been awarded funding by the Trustees of the Dewar Arts Awards and I am proud to accept the award

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2006 Awardee: Tom Butler

[This opportunity to study] at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama is a huge step forward towards my ambition to make a significant contribution to our cultural life.

YEAR OF AWARD: 2006
AGE AT AWARD: 23
ARTFORMS: ,
 
 
 

Biography

After a highly competitive audition, Tom was awarded the only place for postgraduate conducting at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama in Cardiff. The position offers him the opportunity to study full-time with David Jones, newly-appointed Conductor in Residence, whilst also acting as his assistant and preparing the college orchestras. This unique position will enable Tom to improve his conducting and musical skills at the highest level.

Tom graduated from the University of Edinburgh with a first-class degree in Music. There he is described as a ‘brilliant student’ where his accomplishment as a composer is already considerable. While still an undergraduate Tom was commissioned to write a piece for the Edinburgh Contemporary Arts Trust 2005-06 season which was performed to acclaim by the international duo of Rohan de Saram and Ananda Sukarlan.

After graduating, he studied with James Lowe, associate conductor of the RNSO, and conducted both the Edinburgh University Chamber Orchestra on tour to Belgium and the Edinburgh Studio Opera’s production of Smetana’s The Bartered Bride.

Tom has a keen commitment to new music which inspired him to establish his own Ensemble specializing in work by young composers of all nationalities who are working or studying in Scotland.

Tom excels equally at composition, performing on the cello and conducting. He has enormous potential to make a huge contribution to the artistic life of Scotland and internationally.

How the Award Helped

The Dewar Arts Awards is contributing towards the costs of Tom’s postgraduate studies at the RWCMD.

Since the Award

Tom successfully gained a Postgraduate Diploma (Conducting) from RWCMD.  More importantly, the experience proved invaluable to him in his development as a conductor, in particular helping him to communicate his musical ideas and thoughts through his gestures as conductor.  Whilst not abandoning conducting, Tom is currently pursuing his other passion, composition, at the RSAMD.

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[This opportunity to study] at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama is a huge step forward towards my ambition to make a significant contribution to our cultural life.

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