2013 Awardee: Sylvia Law

I am extremely grateful for receiving the Dewar Arts Awards’ support as it has enabled me to develop and pursue my artistic practice and fulfil all of my creative ambitions as a sound artist.

YEAR OF AWARD: 2013
AGE AT AWARD: 22
ARTFORMS: , ,
WEBSITE:https://www.sylvia-law.com/
EMAIL:sylviasounds@gmail.com
TWITTER: https://www.twitter.com/sylvy09

Biography

Born in Edinburgh to a Scottish father and Spanish mother, Sylvia describes herself as bilingual, with a rich cultural upbringing and strong sense of identity.

Whilst studying at the Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art, Sylvia was recognised as an artist of outstanding ambition, determination and ability, whose work demonstrated an unusual level of originality.  In 2012, she graduated with a BA(Hons) in Time Based Art & Digital Film and went on to gain the RSA John Kinross Scholarship to embark on a two-month residency in Florence. She spent this time exploring the relationship between sound and space in different architectural locations.  The resulting work was presented at the RSA New Contemporaries 2013 exhibition, which showcases the finest emerging artistic talent in Scotland.

To develop her practice further, Sylvia gained a place on the MA in Sound Arts at the London College of Communication.  Her work encompasses the mediums of sound, spatial installation and site-specific performance, working closely with the human voice to capture and interact with space.

Through her work overseas, Sylvia has proved herself to be a strong ambassador for Scottish arts who is confident and receptive to other cultures.

How the Award Helped

Sylvia received support to help her create ambitious new works for the RSA New Contemporaries exhibition, and for her masters studies.

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I am extremely grateful for receiving the Dewar Arts Awards’ support as it has enabled me to develop and pursue my artistic practice and fulfil all of my creative ambitions as a sound artist.

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2013 Awardee: Steaphanaidh Chaimbeul

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.

YEAR OF AWARD: 2013
AGE AT AWARD: 18
ARTFORMS: ,
 
 
 

Biography

Born and raised on the Isle of Skye, Steaphanaidh grew up in a large family immersed in Gaelic music and culture. Her parents are both freelance artists, her father being a Gaelic writer and her mother a sculptor.

In 2006, Steaphanaidh became an instrumental pupil at St Mary’s Music School in Edinburgh, studying the clarsach, clarinet, saxophone and Gaelic singing.  Her tutors included Helen Macleod, Catriona McKay and Patsy Seddon. In 2010 she was encouraged to start exploring the pedal harp and was immediately struck by the musical and tonal possibilities she found the instrument could deliver.

Steaphanaidh has played at Celtic Connections with the band Kilairum, at festivals at home and abroad, and on tour with youth orchestras and on the Feis Rois Trad Trail.  In 2010 and 2011 she was a finalist in the BBC Radio 2 Young Folk Awards and a semi-finalist at the 2011 BBC Radio Scotland Young Traditional Musician of the Year.

Steaphanidh is extremely passionate about music and enjoys exploring different genres and instruments, which she feels feeds creativity and spontaneity back into her harp playing.  She writes:

“What I have discovered is that music is always contemporary, no matter how ancient the instrument: the desire of all musicians at all times was (and remains) to articulate the world in which they live.  The harp and clarsach do that for me.”

How the Award Helped

Steaphanidh gained a place at the prestigious Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester, studying harp under the tutorship of Eira Lynn-Jones.  She was granted an award to support her studies.

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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.

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2013 Awardee: Cara Garton

This award will allow me to focus on developing my flute playing and my studies, and will cultivate my teaching skills for the future.

YEAR OF AWARD: 2013
AGE AT AWARD: 19
ARTFORMS: ,
 
 
 

Biography

Hailing from Inverness, Cara is a tenacious and committed individual who excels as a flautist.  A natural player with beautiful tone and well-developed technique, Cara’s talent and dedication have ensured she stands out from the crowd.

After studying at Aberdeen City Music School, Cara went on to enrol at The North East of Scotland Music School.  She was awarded a number of scholarships, which supported her ambitions to develop her skills to the highest level.

In 2013, Cara was offered a place to study at the illustrious Guildhall School of Music in London.  This was the natural next step for Cara, whose ambition is to build a career as a professional flautist and flute teacher.

How the Award Helped

Cara received an Award to support her in taking up the offer to study at the Guildhall School of Music.

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This award will allow me to focus on developing my flute playing and my studies, and will cultivate my teaching skills for the future.

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2012 Awardee: Alistair Hewitt

YEAR OF AWARD: 2012
AGE AT AWARD: 12
ARTFORMS: ,
 
 
 

Biography

Growing up in Barrhead, Glasgow, Alistair began his studies as an accordionist at the Paisley Academy of Music. He has shown great promise as a musician, winning numerous competitions at a regional and national level.

Alistair plays with an accordion showband at home and abroad. The group have toured Germany and have performed at Disneyland in Florida.

Although Alistair is partially sighted, he does not let this hold him back. He is hardworking and dedicated to developing his skills as a musician.

How the Award Helped

Alistair’s award will cover the cost of his accordion lessions for a year. He plans to enter additional competitions at an international level during this time.

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2012 Awardee: Peter Longworth

With the help of a Dewar Award, I will be able to attend an institution as prestigious as the Royal College of Music, which [will] increase my possibilities as a composer and enable me to work with some of the UK's most talented young musicians.

YEAR OF AWARD: 2012
AGE AT AWARD: 21
ARTFORMS: ,
WEBSITE:https://www.peterlongworthcomposer.com/
 
TWITTER: https://www.tritter.com/peterflongworth

Biography

A former principal trumpet of the National Youth Orchestra of Scotland, Peter gained a scholarship in 2008 to study at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama.  He has since become an outstanding young composer working at the very highest level, and has been offered a scholarship to study an MMus in Composition at the Royal College of Music (RCM).

Peter music has been performed in many venues across the UK, Europe and Canada.  He has received an impressive number of commissions from a wide range of organisations and groups, including NYOS Futures (the National Youth Orchestra of Scotland’s contemporary music ensemble), the Edinburgh Incidental Orchestra, the Orchestra of the Scottish Schools’ Orchestra Trust, Bella Tromba and Trio d’ART.

Peter’s ambition is to become an important figure in Scottish contemporary music.  He believes that through studying with the world-class professors working at the RCM, he can fully realise his potential as a composer.

Peter Longworth

How the Award Helped

Peter’s award will help to fund his masters in composition at the RCM.

Premier of Peter Longworth’s Colori di Roma at the Caledonian Club in 2009, performed by Bella Tromba. It has since been performed in Poland, Canada and Scotland.

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With the help of a Dewar Award, I will be able to attend an institution as prestigious as the Royal College of Music, which [will] increase my possibilities as a composer and enable me to work with some of the UK's most talented young musicians.

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2012 Awardee: Bethany Crockett

It is such an honor to be associated with the Dewar Arts Award, and I am so grateful to have been given this opportunity to develop and push myself to become a dynamic and successful musician.

YEAR OF AWARD: 2012
AGE AT AWARD: 19
ARTFORMS: ,
 
 
 

Biography

Bethany began playing piano at the age of seven, and through commitment and talent has since become a highly skilled musician.

Bethany excelled in her Grade 8 piano (ABRSM) at age fifteen.  She then went on to study at St Mary’s Music School in Edinburgh and achieved the school’s highest award, winning the Directors’ Recital Prize in June 2012. After just one year at St Mary’s, she gained a scholarship to attend the Royal Northern College of Music under the tutelage of renowned piano teacher Helen Krizos.

Bethany finds performing to be an exciting and rewarding experience.  The depth of feeling and sensitivity she lends to the music has gained her numerous awards, as well as the Alex Watters Bursary at the Aberdeen Music Festival. She is determined to carve out a career as a professional pianist.

How the Award Helped

Bethany received a Dewar Arts Award to support her studies at the Royal Northern College of Music.

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It is such an honor to be associated with the Dewar Arts Award, and I am so grateful to have been given this opportunity to develop and push myself to become a dynamic and successful musician.

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2012 Awardee: James Hardie

The Award has made it financially possible to study at my chosen institution, and with this I have had the freedom to take full advantage of the vast range of possibilities open to a musician both in Oxford, and further afield; possibilities I believe would not exist elsewhere. For this I am hugely grateful.

YEAR OF AWARD: 2012
AGE AT AWARD: 17
ARTFORMS: ,
 
 
 

Biography

James was born into a creative family.  His father teaches violin and the family also run a small press, publishing Scottish and classical music.

From the age of nine, James knew that music was the path he wanted to pursue.  As a chorister in Edinburgh, he learned to play the organ and through this displayed a high level of musicality, intelligence and dedication.  His dream was to gain an organ scholarship to study at Oxford University.  In 2012 he realised this ambition and gained a prized scholarship to Keble College.

How the Award Helped

James received a Dewar Arts Award to support his studies, enabling him to accept his place at Oxford.

Since the Award

2013: Having passed the first year of his course with Distinction, James was awarded an academic scholarship by his college. He has proved himself to be an active member of the musical life of the college, directing choirs and chamber ensembles as well as planning and directing a five-day Early Music Festival.

James now intends to pursue a career that allows him to combine academic work with practical musicianship.  He hopes to undertake a masters in Musicology and a doctorate that would allow him to go into teaching and research at university level.

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The Award has made it financially possible to study at my chosen institution, and with this I have had the freedom to take full advantage of the vast range of possibilities open to a musician both in Oxford, and further afield; possibilities I believe would not exist elsewhere. For this I am hugely grateful.

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2012 Awardee: Martha Hayward

I would like to take this opportunity to thank the Dewar Arts Award for their continued support during my Master's degree. Without their help I would have been unable to carry on receiving the expert tuition that studying in a conservatoire offers.

YEAR OF AWARD: 2012
AGE AT AWARD: 23
ARTFORMS: , ,
WEBSITE:https://www.marthahayward.co.uk/
 
TWITTER: https://www.twitter.com/mafaboots

Biography

Martha is an enthusiastic and passionate soprano singer who has lived in Scotland since the age of 3.

Whilst studying music at the University of Aberdeen, Martha proved herself to be a strong and confident performer.  She has sung with a range of chamber choirs and choral groups, including the University of Aberdeen Gilbert & Sullivan Society and the Edinburgh Festival Chorus, where she sang a solo for Prince Charles.  She also held a scholarship with the University Chapel Choir, which included recording a solo piece for their Christmas album.

When Martha was 14 her father passed away, leaving her in a difficult situation both financially and personally. In spite of her circumstances, she continued learning to sing and with a positive and dedicated approach she developed in maturity, musicality and technique.  After her Bachelors Degree, she was accepted onto a Masters in Performance at the Leeds College of Music.

Martha decided her goal was to become an opera singer.  The specialist vocal coaching available on the masters course at Leeds offered an excellent opportunity to take her to the next stage in achieving her ambitions.

How the Award Helped

Martha received a Dewar Award to support her in studying on the Masters in Performance course.

Since the Award

June 2014 – Whilst attending the masters course in Leeds, Martha has continued to develop her singing skills through tuition and performances, both solo and ensemble across the UK.  She writes: ” I have been fortunate to meet many other fine musicians during my time in Yorkshire and work closely with them to create some fantastic and innovative concerts.”

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I would like to take this opportunity to thank the Dewar Arts Award for their continued support during my Master's degree. Without their help I would have been unable to carry on receiving the expert tuition that studying in a conservatoire offers.

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2012 Awardee: Philip Sharp

Whilst on the course I will be aiming to perform as much as possible, in order to build on experience and attempt to make a name for myself.

YEAR OF AWARD: 2012
AGE AT AWARD: 18
ARTFORMS: ,
WEBSITE:https://www.philipsharp.co.uk/
 
 

Biography

Growing up in Glasgow, Philip demonstrated an exceptional talent as a virtuoso pianist.  By the age of 18 he had already mastered an impressive repertoire, including the third concertos of Rachmaninov and Prokofiev, which he successfully performed in a number of concerts.

Philip went on to study at the Chetham’s College of music.  His talent and academic abilities earned him a place on the prestigious and demanding ‘joint course’ at Manchester University and the Royal Northern College of Music.  With his ambitions set on building a career as a solo performer, the course provided an excellent platform from which he could develop his true potential.

How the Award Helped

Philip’s Dewar Award supported him in accepting his place on the ‘joint course’ at Manchester University and the RNCM.

Since the Award

Update 2020: Philip graduated in 2018 and has gone on to become a Junior Fellow at the Royal Northern College of Music

Philip Sharp performing in 2018

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Whilst on the course I will be aiming to perform as much as possible, in order to build on experience and attempt to make a name for myself.

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2012 Awardee: Mark Taylor

"I am forever in debt to the Dewar Arts Awards. You do an incredible job for young people like me and I hope one day I can help you make the difference to other young people’s lives. Thank you."

YEAR OF AWARD: 2012
AGE AT AWARD: 19
ARTFORMS: ,
 
 
 

Biography

Mark is an especially talented flute player who is utterly devoted to music.  Demonstrating a flair for performance that is instinctive and natural. Mark has a very advanced level of technique for his age.  He plays expressively, with an intensity and sensitivity that captivates his audiences.

Having grown up in Lanarkshire, Mark studied at the Douglas Academy Music School and the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland.  During his time at the RCS he won the Gilbert Inness Woodwind Competition, performed as a soloist with the West of Scotland Concert Band, and was overall winner at the Glasgow Music Festival two years in a row.

Since then, Mark went on to gain a scholarship to study at the prestigious Guildhall School of Music in London.  He proved himself to be a student with exceptional potential, standing out as a leading talent in a highly competitive environment.

Mark is highly self-motivated and driven, showing a dedication to his studies and real commitment to his instrument.  He is an intelligent, creative and charismatic individual with a great future ahead of him.

How the Award Helped

Whilst at the Guildhall School of Music, a change in Mark’s financial circumstances threatened his ability to continue his studies.  Receiving a Dewar Award helped him to carry on with his course and fulfil his potential.

Since the Award

Mark successfully completed his studies at the Guildhall, receiving exceptional praise for his talent and dedication. In his final report, he told us:

“It is very difficult for me to put into words how thankful I am to have had the support behind me during these four years. When I think of all the times where I thought it was the end of the road I don’t know how I got through it. When I look at my degree it will not only be my great diploma, it will be a reminder for me to stay strong and keep going in times of real struggle. I will look at it in years to come and I will never forget the generous support from my donors and charities that helped me survive and gave me the equipment to make my dreams real.

I hope from what I have written you will see the impact your support has made on my studies and even more importantly my life. I am forever in debt to the Dewar Arts Awards. You do an incredible job for young people like me and I hope one day I can help you make the difference to other young people’s lives. Thank you.”

Additional Award (2015)

After studying in Cologne as an Erasmus student, Mark was offered the exceptional opportunity to undertake a postgraduate course at the Hochshule fur Musik und Tanz, under the tutelage of Robert Winn. Mark received a further award to enable him to continue his studies to masters level in one of Europe’s finest woodwind departments.

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"I am forever in debt to the Dewar Arts Awards. You do an incredible job for young people like me and I hope one day I can help you make the difference to other young people’s lives. Thank you."

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