2024 Awardee: Brendan Norris

Dewar Award has helped me to purchase a professional quality double bass. Having an instrument which allows me to fulfil my potential as a bass player and orchestral musician is a life long and life altering investment.

YEAR OF AWARD: 2024
AGE AT AWARD: 22
ARTFORMS: ,
 
 
 

Biography

Brendan Norris is a double bass player who is passionate about pursuing an orchestral career while writing and arranging music for the double bass. He is a graduate of the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland and is now doing his Masters at the ‘Hochschule für Musik Hanns Eisler’ Berlin with Matthew McDonald – Principal Double Bass of the Berlin Philharmonic.

Brendan grew up in a musical family near Biggar. With a gifted composer for a mother, Brendan was inspired to take up the piano and write his own music from an early age. He didn’t discover the double bass however until the age of fourteen while playing mandolin in a blue grass group and getting to have a shot of their double bass. It was love at first plonk, and Brendan quickly took up lessons with May Haliburton. Within three years he had already received a distinction at Grade 8 and entry into the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland. Since then he has: played principal bass on Medici TV in the prestigious Verbier Festival Junior Orchestra; been part of a variety side by side schemes and young artist programmes; and become an extra player for the Royal Scottish National Orchestra and BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra.

During the final year of his undergraduate degree, Brendan won a number of prizes and competitions including: 1st prize in the Classical Concerto Competition; 1st prize in the Governors Recital Prize for Strings; Highly commended (2nd place) in the Concerto Competition; and the Eugene Cruft Prize for Double Bass.

In the latter years of his studies at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, Brendan realised he wanted to get back in touch with the creative aspects of music which started his musical journey. Brendan has started writing and arranging music for double bass, often merging the influences of classical, jazz and traditional Scottish folk music which he experienced during his undergraduate in Glasgow. Having a Masters of Music with the Principal of the Berlin Philharmonic ahead of him, Brendan is excited to take his playing to the next level and keep expanding the repertoire for his beloved double bass.

How the Award Helped

Brendan received a Dewar Award to support the purchase of a professional standard double bass.

Back

Dewar Award has helped me to purchase a professional quality double bass. Having an instrument which allows me to fulfil my potential as a bass player and orchestral musician is a life long and life altering investment.

Back

2021 Awardee: Alasdair Campbell

The financial help that Dewar have provided me with has been of massive help. As a student the costs of being a musician had become more pressuring, but the financial help that The Dewar Arts Award have given me has massively helped, and allowed my focus to be fully re-shifted back to my passion for music and the enjoyment I get out of it. It has allowed me to be able to fund the continuation of music lessons, and thus ensuring my continued development.

YEAR OF AWARD: 2021
AGE AT AWARD: 18
ARTFORMS: ,
 
 
 

Biography

Alasdair Campbell is a Scottish violinist and fiddle player, who has been playing since early primary school. He says that “Music has been a prominent part of my life since and would be the first thing that many people associate me with”. During his school years, Alasdair was involved with various music groups, including the National Youth Orchestra of Scotland and The Glasgow Schools’ String Orchestra.

Music has also been a very large part of Alasdair’s social life, he says: “Playing with friends at what are typically very social events such as Ceilidhs and weddings gives me immense enjoyment in a somewhat different way to a classical orchestral concert, which would have different demands yet be immensely enjoyable in different ways”.

Alasdair achieved a distinction in his Trinity Grade 8 violin exam with a mark of 93/100 overall. Alasdair performed with musicians from India in George Square at the Mela ‘Eadarainn’ project for the European Athletics Championships in 2018. He also had a solo performancein on fiddle at the ‘Ar Cànan ’s Ar Ceòl’ concert, held in Glasgow’s City Halls in 2019.

Back

The financial help that Dewar have provided me with has been of massive help. As a student the costs of being a musician had become more pressuring, but the financial help that The Dewar Arts Award have given me has massively helped, and allowed my focus to be fully re-shifted back to my passion for music and the enjoyment I get out of it. It has allowed me to be able to fund the continuation of music lessons, and thus ensuring my continued development.

Back

2024 Awardee: Ciorstaidh Chaimbeul

I am extremely grateful for the support of the Dewar Award in giving me the opportunity to pursue my Masters Studies at the Royal Danish Academy of Music in Copenhagen, Denmark. 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. The funding opened doors to being able to move to Denmark to study, where I’ve had the opportunity to meet musicians from all over the world. I’ve had the privilege of learning from world-class teachers, whose expertise I’m learning so much from. The funding has also allowed me to immerse myself in the life and culture of a new country, where I’ve been able to connect with people and share the joy of music. It's marvellous to share different musical and cultural traditions which enriches us all together. The Dewar Award has made all of this possible, and I’d like to express my gratitude for the time, resources and support you have provided as I take these next steps in my musical career. Thank you for the support.

YEAR OF AWARD: 2024
AGE AT AWARD: 23
ARTFORMS: ,
WEBSITE:https://www.cchaimbeul.com/
 
TWITTER: https://x.com/cchaimbeul

Biography

Ciorstaidh Chaimbeul is a musician who is influenced by traditional Gaelic music as well as a passion for classical music. She is a graduate of the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland where she studied with distinguished Serbian Accordionist, Djordje Gajic.

She is currently pursuing her Masters in Classical Accordion Performance at the Royal Danish Academy of Music in Copenhagen, Denmark. There, she studies with Professor Geir Draugsvoll and Professor Bjarke Mogenson, and is kindly supported by the Dewar Arts Awards, the Anglo/Danish Society and the Cross Trust.

Ciorstaidh grew up on the Isle of Skye, where she was surrounded by Gaelic music and culture from a very young age. She regularly performs at festivals and venues throughout the UK, including Celtic Connections, where she was awarded a Danny
Kyle Award in 2024. She was a semi-finalist in the BBC Young Traditional Musician of the Year 2019. She is a keen collaborator, and premiered new works for accordion at the RCS Plug Festival. She appeared alongside the RCS Accordion Quartet at the BBC Radio 4 Front Row Programme, ahead of their performance at the St Magnus Festival in Orkney.

Internationally, she has performed at the Malmo Folk Festival in Sweden. Alongside performing, Ciorstaidh is an experienced music teacher, teaching both privately, and at the Glasgow Folk Music Workshop.

How the Award Helped

Ciorstaidh received an award to support her Masters studies at the Royal Danish Academy of Music in Copenhagen, Denmark, where she studied with Professor Geir Draugsvoll and Professor Bjarke Mogenson.

Back

I am extremely grateful for the support of the Dewar Award in giving me the opportunity to pursue my Masters Studies at the Royal Danish Academy of Music in Copenhagen, Denmark. 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. The funding opened doors to being able to move to Denmark to study, where I’ve had the opportunity to meet musicians from all over the world. I’ve had the privilege of learning from world-class teachers, whose expertise I’m learning so much from. The funding has also allowed me to immerse myself in the life and culture of a new country, where I’ve been able to connect with people and share the joy of music. It's marvellous to share different musical and cultural traditions which enriches us all together. The Dewar Award has made all of this possible, and I’d like to express my gratitude for the time, resources and support you have provided as I take these next steps in my musical career. Thank you for the support.

Back

2024 Awardee: Laura Penman

Thank you again for your support! I love my new electro harp, and I’m so excited to use it in new projects.

YEAR OF AWARD: 2024
AGE AT AWARD: 21
ARTFORMS:
WEBSITE:https://www.instagram.com/laurapenmanmusic/
 
 

Biography

Laura Penman is a clarsach player, pianist and composer, who has enjoyed playing traditional music from a young age. She has a passion for creating contemporary arrangements and compositions, highlighting the clarsach within the wider traditional music scene. She began playing the Clarsach at primary school whilst attending Gaelic Medium Education in Edinburgh. She later attended the RCS Juniors, which showed her that being a successful traditional musician was a viable option. She went on to study on the BMus Traditional Music course at the Royal Conservatoire and graduated in 2024. During her time there, Laura was immersed in tradition and inspired by musicians from around the world, working with traditional musicians as well as classical and jazz musicians.

Laura has performed at festivals including Celtic Connections and The Scots Fiddle Festival and played in venues such as the Usher Hall in Edinburgh and the Royal Concert Hall in Glasgow. Her recent projects involved performing and recording with singer Beth Malcolm, as well as forming a Gaelic song band called Duan. She also formed an all-female band with fellow students at the RCS, called Dàna. The band have performed at many events and festivals, including Piping Live and Under Canvas. In February 2025, Laura was selected as a finalist for the Young Traditional Musician of the Year Award.

How the Award Helped

Laura’s award allowed her to purchase an electro harp, which opens up entirely new possibilities. She hopes to explore electronic sounds and pedal effects, incorporating these ideas into both the traditional idiom, as well as challenging and improving her composition skills. She hopes to record and release a new composition suite that she has written, inspired by the Seven Summits of Edinburgh.

Back

Thank you again for your support! I love my new electro harp, and I’m so excited to use it in new projects.

Back

2024 Awardee: Victor Dutor Davidson

The Dewar Arts Award has been an essential support in my musical education, helping me overcome financial barriers and pursue a career that I believe in. Thank you.

YEAR OF AWARD: 2024
AGE AT AWARD: 18
ARTFORMS: ,
 
 
 

Biography

Victor’s musical journey began at the age of 12, when he first took up the Trumpet through school lessons. His early promise was soon recognised, and by the age of 14, he was offered a place at St Mary’s Music School, and continued his studies with Peter Franks.

During his early years, Victor was an active participant in local music-making, particularly with the organisation Oi Musica. He also became a member of Shunpike, a band with whom he has performed extensively, both locally and nationally, including at the famous Jazz Bar in Edinburgh.

At St Mary’s, Victor’s development was further nurtured through his involvement with Scotland’s youth orchestras. He performed across the country’s most esteemed concert halls as part of the National Youth Orchestra of Scotland and the Edinburgh Youth Orchestra. His performance experience extends to several solo performances in competitions and recital prizes, one of which resulted in a performance of the Neruda Trumpet Concerto with the Edinburgh Chamber Orchestra in December 2023. Before leaving St Mary’s Music School, Victor was awarded the Muirhead Prize for a Brass Player and the Dunlop Composition Prize.

In the summer of 2024, Victor expanded his artistic horizons when he was invited to participate in the San Marino New Music Project, where he performed contemporary works in San Marino and Rimini. By working with musicians such as Trombonist John Kenny and Italian composer Giacomo Manzoni, he has gained further interest in contemporary styles.

How the Award Helped

Victor’s Award supports his studies at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, where he is enrolled on the BMus Classical Trumpet course with Paul Beniston.

Back

The Dewar Arts Award has been an essential support in my musical education, helping me overcome financial barriers and pursue a career that I believe in. Thank you.

Back

2024 Awardee: Tammy Dyson

Receiving the Dewar Award has been transformative for me. As a working-class artist, having access to quality drum equipment and studio space is something I couldn’t have achieved on my own. This support has allowed me the freedom to truly express myself, experiment, and refine my techniques, pushing my music further than I ever thought possible.

YEAR OF AWARD: 2024
AGE AT AWARD:
ARTFORMS:
WEBSITE:https://www.instagram.com/saintsappho_
 
 

Biography

Tammy is a multimedia artist and musician, and recent graduate of the Glasgow School of Art. Since completing her studies, she’s been immersed in a diverse creative practice, spanning visual art, music production, and film.

Tammy’s work flows between mediums, aiming to connect sound, image, and rhythm into expressive, impactful pieces. Music, especially drumming, has become a central part of her practice. Performing live with her band, Saint Sappho, and working on music videos has allowed Tammy to blend visual storytelling with soundscapes, creating experiences that resonate on multiple levels.

With each new project, Tammy looks forward to expanding her creative reach, performing more live shows, and evolving as an artist. Her journey is ongoing, and she’s committed to following it wherever it leads, always pushing boundaries and exploring the intersections of art, sound, and movement.

How the Award Helped

Tammy’s Award helped her secure a suitable studio space, enabling her to develop her artistic practice, nurture her musical talents, and hone her skills.

Back

Receiving the Dewar Award has been transformative for me. As a working-class artist, having access to quality drum equipment and studio space is something I couldn’t have achieved on my own. This support has allowed me the freedom to truly express myself, experiment, and refine my techniques, pushing my music further than I ever thought possible.

Back

4 March 2024

Awardee News: Embedded Musicians

Dewar Awardees Calum Huggan and Rylan Gleave feature in new short film from Chamber Music Scotland.

Dewar Awardees Calum Huggan (2011) and Rylan Gleave (2021) are featured in a new short film ‘Embedded Musicians’ from Chamber Music Scotland.

Embedded Musicians was an artist-led project that set out to explore and transform chamber music performance. Taking chamber music out of the concert hall, Chamber Music Scotland supported five musicians to form long-term partnerships with performing arts venues across Scotland. The musicians collaborated with regional communities to develop inclusive events that responded to the needs of local groups with a diverse range of chamber music activity.

? Watch the film below or on YouTube:

Back
Back

2022 Awardee: Shubbe Kabanda

The opportunity to study what I am passionate about with support from the Dewar Arts Award is something I am incredibly thankful for and appreciate greatly.

YEAR OF AWARD: 2022
AGE AT AWARD: 16
ARTFORMS: ,
WEBSITE:https://www.instagram.com/shubbeguitar
 
 

Biography

Born in Glasgow, classical guitarist Shubbe Kabanda has been involved in music from an early age. Initially playing percussion and participating in school and community choirs, she later took up the guitar. During her senior years of secondary education, she was chosen to receive cello lessons, which inspired her to progress down the path of becoming a classical musician. Her season at the Junior Conservatoire reinforced her desire for music and kickstarted her journey into higher education. She is now an undergraduate at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland under the tutelage of Sasha Savaloni.

In 2023, Shubbe achieved runner-up in Glasgow’s Scottish Young Musician Competition at the City Halls. She was part of the 2022 and 2023 Big Guitar Weekend events at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland. She was also a part of the Glasgow CREATE guitar ensemble, choirs, and percussion ensemble, performing in their Christmas and spring concerts. For the Gold Music Leadership Award in secondary school, she was given the opportunity to work with the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, volunteering in the community.

How the Award Helped

Shubbe’s award helped her to purchase a classical guitar and supports her BMus studies at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland.

Back

The opportunity to study what I am passionate about with support from the Dewar Arts Award is something I am incredibly thankful for and appreciate greatly.

Back

29 August 2023

Awardee News: Rylan Gleave

In Chemical Transit, the debut album from All Men Unto Me, explores Rylan Gleave’s vocal journey from Mezzo-Soprano to Bass-Baritone.

The debut album from All Men Unto Me, a project led by 2021 Dewar Awardee Rylan Gleave, has been released to critical acclaim.

In Chemical Transit explores Rylan’s vocal journey from Mezzo-Soprano to Bass-Baritone and serves as a window into three moments in his transition: pre-transition, 8 weeks on Testosterone, and 2.5 years on Testosterone. Using historic recordings of Rylan’s voice, In Chemical Transit is a time capsule of voices that will never sound again. The album is underpinned by Cherubino’s aria Voi che sapete from Mozart’s Le Nozze di Figaro. The aria’s themes permeate the entirety of the record, with a repeated appeal to know “s’io l’ho nel cor”—“if it is in my heart”—returning multiple times in both Italian and English.

Gleave’s exploration of the operatic material is influenced not only by his classical training, but also his avant-garde metal vocals for band Ashenspire. There are also additional themes drawn from minimalism, church music, post-punk, and drone. His broken voice alternates between strangled falsetto, guttural shrieks, and full-bodied classical baritone, and has been likened to ‘Tilt-era Scott Walker’ by C.M. Queen.

The critical response to the release has been positive, with Echoes and Dust calling the album “a provocative sound capsule for the more open minded music lover” and Noob Heavy calling In Chemical Transit “an utterly singular work, the sort of daring project that sits at the forefront of art in both the musical and sociological sense”.

Rylan’s 2021 Dewar Award supported him through an MMus Degree with Dr. Linda Buckley at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, where he won the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland Composition prize.

A digital edition of the album can be downloaded from Bandcamp. Congratulations Rylan – we can’t wait to see what you do next!

Back
Back

1 August 2023

Awardee News: Martin Lee Thomson

Congratulations to Dewar Awardee Martin Lee Thomson, whose duo Dopey Monkey have been appointed Chamber Music Scotland’s 2022-24 Ensemble in Residence.

Dopey Monkey have been appointed as Chamber Music Scotland’s 2022-24 Ensemble in Residence. The euphonium and tuba duo were formed in 2015 by Danielle Price and Martin Lee Thomson, a Dewar Awardee in 2017. The duo have since become known for their diverse and innovative new music, which blends jazz, folk, classical, and experimental music influences. They are passionate about showcasing the versatility of their instruments with original performances and cross-arts projects.

A Dewar Awardee in 2017, Martin’s award supported his studies at Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance, where he studied under tuba soloist Oren Marshall on the BMus Jazz course.

As a duo, Dopey Monkey have been invited guest artists at Gravissimo Festival 2018 and the prestigious International Tuba and Euphonium Conference in Iowa, 2019. They were Dandelion Scotland Musicians in Residence for Findhorn Bay Arts in 2022. They are excited to find ways of further sharing their work, both in Scotland and internationally as CMS’s Ensemble in Residence 2022-24.

Listen to the duo performing in the video below.

Read more about Chamber Music Scotland
Read Martin’s Awardee Profile

Back
Back