11 May 2026
Eòlas-Charm: New Album from Ciorstaidh and Steaph Chaimbeul
The Dewar Award-winning sisters have formed innovative contemporary chamber duo Sgo.
Sgo (Steaph and Ciorstaidh Chaimbeul). Image credit: Jonny Ashworth / Chamber Music Scotland.
We are delighted to celebrate the recent achievements of the innovative musical duo Sgo, formed by sisters Steaph and Ciorstaidh Chaimbeul. The Skye-born duo have recently been named the Chamber Music Scotland Ensemble in Residence for 2025–26.
What makes this residency especially meaningful for the Trust is that both sisters are part of our alumni community, each having received support from the Dewar Arts Awards at different stages of their musical development.
Steaph received a Dewar Award in 2013 to support her harp studies at the prestigious Royal Northern College of Music (RNCM) in Manchester, studying under the tutorship of Eira Lynn-Jones. Reflecting on her award at the time, Steaph shared:
“I feel honoured to receive your invaluable support… and I am determined to make the most of my time at the RNCM with all the opportunities that this award has opened up for me.”
In 2024, Ciorstaidh received her own Dewar Award to support advanced accordion studies in Copenhagen under the guidance of renowned professors Geir Draugsvoll and Bjarke Mogensen. Reflecting on that pivotal period, Ciorstaidh said:
“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.”
These two separate paths of world-class training have now converged into Sgo. Their combined experiences have culminated in ‘Eòlas-Charm’, the duo’s spellbinding debut album released on 13 May 2026. Recorded in Copenhagen, the album blends the sisters’ Gaelic upbringing with contemporary chamber music and experimental sound design. Each of the ten compositions is named after a tree native to the Gaelic world, exploring the expressive limits of the harp, accordion, and voice.
To mark the release of Eòlas-Charm, Sgo are embarking on a five-date headline tour across Scotland this month. The tour marks a homecoming for the Skye-born sisters, bringing their Copenhagen-honed sound to audiences across the country.
As Sgo continue their residency through 2026, we look forward to following the next stage of their musical journey and seeing how their work continues to evolve.
To find out more about applying to the Dewar Arts Awards, visit: dewarawards.org/apply