Biography

Born in Sutherland, Fraya is considered to be one of the best clàrsach players of her generation. Now living in beautiful Arisaig, Fraya studied Scottish traditional music at RSAMD, Glasgow, where she graduated with an exceptional first class honours degree.

Since then, Fraya has built up a reputation as a professional musician of note, with her band, The Duplets, and also touring with Abigail Grey, a seven piece original song band.

Fraya’s 10-year-old clàrsach, which has travelled all over the country with her as well as to other continents, is giving up the ghost. As Fraya says, it ‘makes unusual and unwanted noises’ when playing. This might sound familiar to those starting to learn a new musical instrument, but disconcerting for the professional musician.

How the Award Helped

Biography

In her sixth year at Peebles High when she won the award, Katie started playing the harp in 2002. She performs regularly with the Peebles Youth Orchestra, where she played solo harp in Vaughan Williams’ Greensleeves at their 2005 Spring Concert.

Katie is currently a pupil of renowned harpist, Savourna Stevenson, who recognised her innate musical talent from the outset. In 2006 Katie won second place in the Advanced clàrsach section of the Edinburgh Competition Festival. She also plays the flute, piano and violin, as well as singing in the school choir.

Katie is an accomplished performer with an impressive and varied repertoire. She is regularly invited to play at local festivals, including the “Strings & Stories” event in East Lothian in 2005 where she performed alongside Donald Smith from the Scottish Storytelling Centre. It was such a success that it will be repeated in 2006.

Katie’s own creative compositions for the clàrsach have caught the attention in particular as being of exceptional quality for someone of her age, pointing to great potential in the future.

How the Award Helped

The Dewar Arts Award will help Katie to buy a new harp.

Since the Award

Biography

From Stornoway in the Western Isles, Lynsey has been involved in music making in her local community for years. She was a founder and key member of the local folk group Teine, which has performed throughout Scotland and Ireland. Recently they recorded an impressive debut CD, on which Lynsey sings, plays fiddle, piano and clàrsach and arranged some of the tracks.

Multi-talented Lynsey has won classes on keyboard, piano, clàrsach and fiddle at local and national Mod competitions. Teine have also won prizes at National Mod competitions. In 2005 she won the Western Isles Young Musician of the Year competition and in 2007 she was invited to play clàrsach for the First Minister in Ann Tanntair and in Orkney.

Lynsey is currently continuing her music studies at Glasgow’s RSAMD and her long-term ambition is to pursue a career in music performance, specialising in Scottish traditional music.

How the Award Helped

The Dewar Arts Award enabled Lynsey to buy a clarsach.

Since the Award

Biography

Kirsty MacKinnon has lived all her life on the beautiful Isle of Mull. Her family has a long tradition in Gaelic music, especially singing. She has been involved in many arts projects run by An Tobar in Tobermory over the years.

Now eighteen year old, Kirsty is about to leave Mull and embark on a degree in traditional music at RSAMD, specialising in the clàrsach and Gaelic singing.

Kirsty is already an experienced performer, having appeared in concerts and ceilidhs as a soloist and as part of ensembles and choirs. She also performed as lead singer with the Tobermory rock band Speechless, writing some of the lyrics and melodies for their singles. Kirsty is also a talented multi-instrumentalist, playing piano and guitar as well as clàrsach.

Kirsty is a skilled performer in many different musical genres, as well as being a talented songwriter with experience in producing. A successful career in music is a given; Kirsty is spoilt for choice as to which direction she will go in.

How the Award Helped

Biography

Murdo is currently a pupil at the City of Edinburgh Music School, where he plays clàrsach, piano and pedal harp. He is from the small West Highland village of Nostie in Lochalsh and took up the clàrsach while in primary school in Plockton.  He is a former student of renowned harpist, Savourna Stevenson, and a current pupil of Charlotte Petersen.

Not having a harp of his own made it increasingly difficult for Murdo to practise regularly and make good progress. Despite this, he made an effortless transition from the clàrsach to its larger relative, and in a short space of time Murdo progressed very quickly to achieve outstanding results in his exams. An illustration of his potential and dedication to succeed in a musical career.

Murdo has a passion for his native Scottish culture. He has an outstanding vocal talent, which together with his clàrsach playing have won him 26 gold medals at local and national Mods.

He played at the Skye Festival and the book launch of ‘One City’ and at the Edinburgh International Harp Festival 2006 took part in a public master class with Edward Witsenburg.

Murdo’s ambition is to study pedal harp at music college and develop his interest in composition and orchestration.

How the Award Helped

The Dewar Arts Awards helped Murdo buy a Salvi Aurora pedal harp.

Since the Award

Biography

Roberta comes from a family of dedicated young musicians who between them play harp, piano, euphonium, Northumbrian smallpipes, piano accordion, trumpet and clarinet. Roberta, the youngest, aspires to become a concert harpist.

Currently, she is a pupil at St Mary’s Music School in Edinburgh which has overseen the early musical education of many of Scotland’s finest musicians. When she auditioned for St Mary’s she impressed the adjudicators with her sense of poetry and magic, as well as technical ability. Roberta stood out as being one of the most talented harpists of her age.

From Berwick on Tweed, Roberta lives and breathes the harp. Her current teacher has seen her make enormous progress in her musicality and technique, the result of a great deal of time and effort spent in improving her technique.

How the Award Helped

The Dewar Arts Awards helped to buy Roberta a performance standard harp.

Since the Award

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

Biography

Julia Somerville’s CV would be impressive for someone twice her age.

In 2002 she was invited to perform in the public masterclass taken by Edward Witzenburg at the Edinburgh Harp Festival. In 2004 she won a chance to study with Charlotte Seale, internationally-renowned harpist and teacher, at Junior Guildhall. This required Julia to make weekly trips to London, demonstrating her dedication and commitment to her music.

In 2005 she was thrilled to be invited by the National Youth Orchestra of Scotland to perform with Camerata Scotland in their summer tour. Given the exceptionally high standard of this pre-professional orchestra, it was a particular honour to be invited, especially since Julia was not yet studying at a music conservatory.

From Edinburgh, Julia is already an experienced performer and has won many major competitions in harp. Demonstrating such a talent already, it is evident that a very successful career as a professional harpist beckons.

How the Award Helped

Julia received a Daughter of Dewar Award towards a new harp.

Since the Award

Julia writes that “the [new] harp has allowed me to build on my record of achievement”. In 2006 she gained ABRSM Grade 8 Pedal Harp on the basis of a ‘superb recital of the highest standard’. Julia is continuing her musical studies at the University of Edinburgh.

Biography

From an early age Katie wanted to be a traditional musician.

She has supported well-known Scottish band Capercaillie and performed at the Festival de Cornouaille in Brittany, Falun Folk Festival in Sweden and the Edinburgh Fiddle Festival. In 2005 she performed at Celtfest in Cork as part of the European City of Culture Celebrations.

Katie is studying Scottish music at the RSAMD, Glasgow.

How the Award Helped

The Dewar Arts Award enabled Katie to buy her a professional-standard clàrsach.

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.