Biography

Hailing from Inverclyde, Kayleigh Sharp has huge potential as a flautist. Her ambition is to study for a music degree; until recently she attended RSAMD’s Junior School, where she was considered to be a wonderfully gifted musician of drive and commitment.

During her time at Junior School, Kayleigh played in their orchestras and various chamber ensembles. She was commended for her playing in the School’s woodwind competition and performed in a master-class with international flautist, Wissam Boustany.   Kayleigh has won prizes in local music festivals and is current holder of the Inverclyde Music Festival’s Musician’s Union Shield and Trophy as well as being 2007 winner of the Greenock Rotary Club’s ‘Young Musician of the Year’.   Kayleigh is particularly interested in contemporary music and has played several of Ian Clark’s works in concert, with whom she has had private lessons.

How the Award Helped

The Dewar Arts Award enabled Kayleigh to buy a flute.

Since the Award

Biography

Born and brought up in Scotland, Mairéad is a winner of many All-Britain and All-Ireland traditional music titles.

Mairéad began traditional music classes by learning the penny whistle. She soon moved onto the concert flute to become both a fine soloist as well as an integral part of ceili bands. She is now an accomplished musician, both in whistle and flute, winning gold at the All-Ireland championships.

Mairéad is considered to be one of the most outstanding players of Irish traditional music of her generation. In 2004 she was invited by Capercaillie’s Donald Shaw to perform in his Harvest musical which opened Celtic Connections that year.

Studying for a Masters at the prestigious University of Limerick will be the ideal preparation for Mairéad’s future as a professional musician.

How the Award Helped

The Dewar Arts Award is helping to fund Mairéad to study Irish Traditional Music Performance at the University of Limerick.

Since the Award

Biography

Irish-born Nuala Kennedy has been based in the Highlands of Scotland for over 11 years. She is an accomplished and versatile musician. Her flute playing is beautifully lyrical and steeped in the tradition of both Irish and Scottish traditional music

Nuala is a founding member of the two respected Scottish bands Fine Friday and Harem Scarem. A major figure on the Scottish traditional music scene says that “she is at the forefront of a whole crop of dynamic female artists bringing an infectious humour and positivity in their approach to composition, arranging, promotion and performance.”

Nuala has developed strong links with Cape Breton and the music and people there and in 2006 she was awarded a Thyne Scholarship to investigate living composers in Cape Breton. At the 2007 Celtic Connections Festival she received rave reviews for her New Voices commission entitled ‘Astar:Journey’.

Also in 2007 Nuala will be a musician-in-residence at Artomi in New York where she will collaborate with 15 other musicians from around the world to produce work which will be premiered in August 2007. For more information about Nuala see www.nualakennedy.com

Nuala is working on the production of her first solo CD, featuring songs in English and Gaelic.

How the Award Helped

The Dewar Arts Awards is contributing towards the production of Nuala’s solo CD.

Since the Award

Biography

Multi-talented Struan is about to leave the National Centre of Excellence in Traditional Music in Plockton to study for a degree in Scottish traditional music at the RSAMD, Glasgow.

Struan, from Argyll, has been passionate about music for as long as he can remember. His main musical instrument is the Highland bagpipes, but he also plays the traditional wooden flute, saxophone, the tin whistle and the djembe (African drum). On the bagpipes, Struan has had solo successes, winning competitions at the Inverary & District Junior Piping events, the Cowal Highland Games, the Argyllshire Gathering and the National Piping Centre’s Junior Piping Competition.

As a founding member of the National Youth Pipe Band of Scotland, Struan toured throughout Europe, performing live with Carlos Nunez and the Chieftains. This performance was recorded and ultimately became the biggest selling CD and DVD in Spain. He has also performed at Celtic Connections, including Donald Shaw’s ‘Harvest’. Whilst at Plockton, Struan recorded an album with fellow students, due for commercial release in 2007.

Struan’s aim is to become a professional musician after he graduates.

How the Award Helped

The Dewar Arts Award will enable him to buy a traditional wooden flute for his studies and future career.

Since the Award

Struan writes, “I have been accepted to study at the RSAMD on the BA Scottish music course. This has given me many opportunities to play my flute in various solo and group public performances. The most notable performance that I have played my new flute at was [in 2009] at the Celtic Connections festival in Glasgow where I was fortunate enough to share the stage with top traditional musicians such as Phil Cunningham, Finlay Napier, Gillian Napier, Iain MacFarlane and [former Dewar Arts Awardee] James Ross.”

Biography

Hailing from Paisley, Yvonne took up playing the flute at school at the age of 9. She auditioned for and was accepted into the Music School of Douglas Academy where she continued her musical studies. She then went on to study music at the Royal College of Music in London, graduating in 2006 with a first class degree.

While at the RCM, Yvonne was principal flute in the College’s Sinfonietta and Symphony Orchestras and with them had the opportunity to perform at the BCC Proms, the Concertgebouw, Amsterdam, the Concerthaus Berlin and the Birmingham City Hall. Yvonne regularly performs in a trio of guitar, piano and flute.

Yvonne played solo flute with pop group ‘McFly’ on their 2005 UK Arena tour and on their 2005 Comic Relief single. In 2006 she was invited to perform at the renowned BASBWE Festival as a soloist in the Marco Putz Concerto.

Currently, Yvonne is on a scholarship-funded place on the Masters Course at the RSAMD, Glasgow.

How the Award Helped

The Dewar Arts Award will enable Yvonne to purchase a professional piccolo (small flute).

Since the Award

Subsequently, Yvonne auditioned for, and won apprenticeships with, Scottish Opera and BBC SSO, which led to her first professional engagement as principal piccolo for the BBC SSO. Competition and scholarship successes include being finalist in the 2009 Royal Overseas League Music Competition (Wind Section), 2nd prize overall in the 2008 “Performing Australian Music Competition”, the RSAMD Governors’ Chamber Music Prize and John McGregor Flute Prize for outstanding achievement.

Yvonne writes, “I owe Dewar Arts Awards huge thanks because my dream of playing in a professional orchestra wouldn’t have come true without the help you gave.”

Biography

Hamish is a Scottish traditional musician based in Glasgow. He performs with multi-award-winning band Back of the Moon (voted ‘Best Folk Band’ at the 2005 Scots Trad Awards) and with the Hamish Napier Duos.

Also at the 2005 Scots Trad Awards he was nominated for the ‘Best Up and Coming Act’ in the solo category and a year later was a finalist in the Young Scottish Traditional Musician of the Year Award at Celtic Connections.

Hamish, from Grantown on Spey, started studying piano and flute at the age of 10. He grew up in a family steeped in the traditions of Scottish music and plays whistle, wooden flute and Scottish piano, sings and stepdances (traditional Scottish tapdancing). Several of his family members are also accomplished Scottish Traditional Musicians.

Hamish is increasingly recognized for his whistle and flute playing. He has received tuition from Marc Duff, Iain MacDonald and Niall Keegan and performed with virtuoso flautist Brian Finnegan in the Celtic Connections ‘Master and Apprentice’ concert series.

He also regularly teaches workshops and at festivals to nurture Scottish Traditional musicianship.

How the Award Helped

As a musician at the top of his game, Hamish has to have instruments that match his abilities and talents. The Dewar Arts Awards enabled Hamish to buy a Bb wooden flute.

Since the Award

Biography

Shona was born and brought up in Motherwell. She graduated from the Royal Northern College of Music with a first and, in the words of the head of school, as “one of the finest young musicians we have had the pleasure to teach in many years.” Her final recital mark was one of the highest ever achieved at the RNCM.

Shona has gone on to study for a MMus in Music Leadership at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, London.

At 15, Shona won the North Lanarkshire Musician of the Year competition, and at 18 she won the Regional Finals of the BBC Young Musician of the Year Competition.

Shona is considered to be unique in that she puts on recitals that not only cover a wide span of repertoire but also include jazz, also at a high level.

In 2004 she won the Stan Barker Memorial Prize for Jazz Improvisation, in 2006 she won the RNCM Concerto Competition and in the same year collaborated with Barbara Thompson on her new work “Quantum Leaps” for flute and string orchestra.

Shona is clearly a flautist of huge potential, who also enjoys promoting Scottish composers whenever she has the opportunity.

How the Award Helped

The Dewar Arts Awards will contribute towards Shona’s tuition fees at the Guildhall.

Since the Award

Subsequently, Shona switched to pursue a Master of Performance degree. She was particularly inspired by one teacher, Jan Hendrickse, who opened her up to world music and ‘ethnic’ flutes, and also she has been working with renowned composer Barbara Thompson who is writing a flute concerto.

Shona’s ambition now is to write, record and produce her first CD which will be a fusion of all her musical influences and interests. She teaches flute at RSAMD, has set up a community singing groups through her innovative project SoundRoutes and holds the flute chair in the National Youth Jazz Orchestra.

Biography

From Clydebank, Richard is regarded as one of the most versatile and talented young flautists in the UK. Studying first at the RSAMD, he went on to win one of only three coveted places at the Conservatoire in Strasbourg.

His tutor at the Conservatoire writes that he is one of the most interesting musicians of his generation. His musical sensitivity and talents allow him to play both mainstream repertoire and the most demanding contemporary repertoire with an absolute mastery.

This high praise is borne out by the number of musical prizes that Richard has garnered in the last few years.

How the Award Helped

The Dewar Arts Award helped fund Richard for two years through his studies at the Conservatoire in Strasbourg.

Since the Award

The Dewar Arts Award helped fund Richard for two years through his studies at the Conservatoire in Strasbourg.