2006 Awardee: Rowan Bell

I am absolutely delighted with your offer... this is more generous than I could ever have hoped for and puts a suitable instrument well within my reach

YEAR OF AWARD: 2006
AGE AT AWARD: 20
ARTFORMS: ,
 
 
 

Biography

Rowan is a natural musician who can communicate with his audience and convey his passion for the music he’s playing, says his violin tutor at the Royal College of Music, London, where he’s an undergraduate.

Rowan, from Peebles, is currently leader of the National Youth Orchestra of Scotland and also plays with Camerata Scotland.

In 2005 Rowan won the Kingston-upon-Thames Young Musician of the Year competition as a solo in the concerto class and also as the overall instrumental winner.

He is regularly invited to play solo recitals and to perform with his quartet.

His goal is to become a professional solo performer and for that he needs a good quality violin to match his immense talent and musicality.

How the Award Helped

The Dewar Arts Awards will go towards a performance quality violin for Rowan.

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I am absolutely delighted with your offer... this is more generous than I could ever have hoped for and puts a suitable instrument well within my reach

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2006 Awardee: Ruairidh Stewart

Thank you very much for awarding me the money … I will certainly keep in contact with you on how my creative work is progressing

YEAR OF AWARD: 2006
AGE AT AWARD: 17
ARTFORMS: ,
 
 
 

Biography

Ruairidh, a former pupil of Aberdeen City Music School, started playing drums when he was 12.

His passion and talent for the instrument have helped him excel. In 2006 he achieved Grade 8 drum kit with distinction and gained a place on the degree course at the Academy of Contemporary Music in Guildford.

Ruairidh’s musicianship, great potential and his positive attitude will help him to flourish in such an environment.

Ruairidh, from Newmachar, is also a very thoughtful young man. He needs a drum kit so that he can practise at home, but he recognises that he won’t endear himself to the neighbours if he uses his old acoustic kit. Having a portable, electronic drum kit will be easy to transport and quiet.

But more importantly, he explains, “it will make the task of creating fresh new sounds and music a lot easier as the amount of sounds and effects you can achieve is amazing.”

How the Award Helped

The Dewar Arts Awards enabled Ruairidh to buy a compact, electronic drum kit (which is also quiet).

Since the Award

Ross writes that being able to buy a Roland TD-12 has had a huge impact on his career. Apart from being able to practice whenever he wants, and without disturbing the neighbours, which has helped him to gain top grades, it has helped in other ways. He has improved his drumming technique and is able to produce drum and bass tracks which he can record onto the drumkit and later edit. All this is helping Ruairidh to achieve his career ambitions in the music industry.

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Thank you very much for awarding me the money … I will certainly keep in contact with you on how my creative work is progressing

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2006 Awardee: Sarah Naylor

This financial award is a huge help, I cannot thank you enough

YEAR OF AWARD: 2006
AGE AT AWARD: 22
ARTFORMS: ,
 
 
 

Biography

Scottish fiddling is in Sarah’s blood. Her grandmother was taught by renowned Highland fiddler, Donald Riddel, and encouraged Sarah to continue the family tradition. When she was nine, her mother made Sarah her first fiddle out of a man-size Kleenex tissue box.

Born and brought up in Uig on the Isle of Skye, Sarah’s ambition is to preserve the style of tune developed in the 17th Century, typified by the Slow Strathspey, and the West Coast style of fiddling and to bring it to an international audience. In 2005 she performed at the opening of the Chicago Celtic Festival, where she also taught and promoted Scottish music and culture.

Sarah won the 2004 Oban Fiddlers Masters, was runner up in both the 2004 Glenfiddich Fiddle Championship and the 2005 Young Scottish Traditional Musician of the Year and won the Celtic Connections Danny Award.

She graduated from Strathclyde with a first in Applied Music. Her final solo performance at Strathclyde won her the David Stow Award for excellence in performance and ranks as one of the best in the last 14 years.

Sarah intends to continue developing her career as a soloist.

How the Award Helped

The Dewar Arts Awards will go towards a performance quality fiddle for Sarah.

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This financial award is a huge help, I cannot thank you enough

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2006 Awardee: Shona Brown

I accept the Award with gratitude. It will help me greatly in the pursuit of my career

YEAR OF AWARD: 2006
AGE AT AWARD:
ARTFORMS: ,
 
 
 

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.

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I accept the Award with gratitude. It will help me greatly in the pursuit of my career

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2006 Awardee: Stephanie Tinney

I am grateful to the Dewar Arts Awards for granting me this wonderful opportunity to progress in my clarsach playing.

YEAR OF AWARD: 2006
AGE AT AWARD: 13
ARTFORMS: ,
 
 
 

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

Since buying a new clàrsach, Stephanie has not looked back musically speaking. She has won umpteen prestigious prizes in performance and arrangement and achieved an ‘A’ in SQA High Music a year ahead of her peers.

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I am grateful to the Dewar Arts Awards for granting me this wonderful opportunity to progress in my clarsach playing.

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2006 Awardee: Steven Nelson

YEAR OF AWARD: 2006
AGE AT AWARD: 21
ARTFORMS: ,
 
 
 

Biography

Steven started playing pipe band snare drum at the age of eight. Currently a student of the renowned Jim Kilpatrick at the RSAMD, Glasgow, Steven played snare drum at the world championships in the Shotts and Dykehead pipe band drum corps, led by Kilpatrick.

A Pipe Major of the world champions considers Steven to have achieved a standard of performance equal to the best in the piping and drumming world. In particular, he commented that Steven’s “flair for technical and musical performance is rarely seen in young percussionists of his generation.”

Steven intends to go on to a professional career in music.

How the Award Helped

The Dewar Arts Awards will enable Steven to buy a new snare drum.

Since the Award

Having his own snare drum enabled Steven to practise whenever he wanted to, consequently he graduated with a first in Scottish Traditional Music from RSAMD, one of only three students to achieve this. His own drum also opened up other performance and competition opportunities. Most notably he performed with the SOS Allstars Ensemble at the Live Earth concert in 2007. This ensemble included some of the best percussionists in the world. With the Shotts and Dykehead Pipe Band he won second prize in the Scottish Pipe Bank championships.

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2006 Awardee: Stuart Peters

I am absolutely delighted that I have been awarded funding by the Trustees of the Dewar Arts Awards and I am proud to accept the award

YEAR OF AWARD: 2006
AGE AT AWARD:
ARTFORMS: ,
 
 
 

Biography

Stuart’s first set of bagpipes were bought for him by his grandparents. Two years later he joined the Arbroath Royal British Legion Pipe Band, and then progressed to become piper with the Grade 1 David Urquhart Pipes and Drums.

In 2002 he was selected to play for the National Youth Pipe Band of Scotland and in 2003 became Champion Piper at the Pitlochry Solo Competition. As well as being a piper of great potential, Stuart plays acoustic and electric guitar and writes and arranges his own music.

Currently studying at RSAMD, Glasgow, Stuart, who hails from Dundee, plans to pursue a career in Scottish traditional music. He is particularly interested in experimenting with the fusion of Scottish music with rock, pop and jazz.

How the Award Helped

The Dewar Arts Award will enable Stuart to buy a new set of border pipes.

Since the Award

Stuart graduated successfully with a BA in Scottish Music. Since then he has branched out into music producing as well as continuing to perform solo and with his band ‘Slaps & Styles’.

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I am absolutely delighted that I have been awarded funding by the Trustees of the Dewar Arts Awards and I am proud to accept the award

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2006 Awardee: Tom Butler

[This opportunity to study] at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama is a huge step forward towards my ambition to make a significant contribution to our cultural life.

YEAR OF AWARD: 2006
AGE AT AWARD: 23
ARTFORMS: ,
 
 
 

Biography

After a highly competitive audition, Tom was awarded the only place for postgraduate conducting at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama in Cardiff. The position offers him the opportunity to study full-time with David Jones, newly-appointed Conductor in Residence, whilst also acting as his assistant and preparing the college orchestras. This unique position will enable Tom to improve his conducting and musical skills at the highest level.

Tom graduated from the University of Edinburgh with a first-class degree in Music. There he is described as a ‘brilliant student’ where his accomplishment as a composer is already considerable. While still an undergraduate Tom was commissioned to write a piece for the Edinburgh Contemporary Arts Trust 2005-06 season which was performed to acclaim by the international duo of Rohan de Saram and Ananda Sukarlan.

After graduating, he studied with James Lowe, associate conductor of the RNSO, and conducted both the Edinburgh University Chamber Orchestra on tour to Belgium and the Edinburgh Studio Opera’s production of Smetana’s The Bartered Bride.

Tom has a keen commitment to new music which inspired him to establish his own Ensemble specializing in work by young composers of all nationalities who are working or studying in Scotland.

Tom excels equally at composition, performing on the cello and conducting. He has enormous potential to make a huge contribution to the artistic life of Scotland and internationally.

How the Award Helped

The Dewar Arts Awards is contributing towards the costs of Tom’s postgraduate studies at the RWCMD.

Since the Award

Tom successfully gained a Postgraduate Diploma (Conducting) from RWCMD.  More importantly, the experience proved invaluable to him in his development as a conductor, in particular helping him to communicate his musical ideas and thoughts through his gestures as conductor.  Whilst not abandoning conducting, Tom is currently pursuing his other passion, composition, at the RSAMD.

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[This opportunity to study] at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama is a huge step forward towards my ambition to make a significant contribution to our cultural life.

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2005 Awardee: Steven Graham

Steven has the best potential of any young percussionist/drummer I have ever seen or heard.

YEAR OF AWARD: 2005
AGE AT AWARD: 22
ARTFORMS: ,
 
 
 

Biography

Steven Graham ranks winning the World Pipe Championships as a member of the Shotts and Dykehead Pipe Band as one of his greatest achievements to date.

Steven started drumming at six, by the age of 14 he became one of the youngest drummers to play in Grade 1 when he competed with the Dysart and Dundonald Pipe Band.

On the solo scene, Steven’s achievements have been equally impressive, winning every solo contest available at Junior grade at least twice. In 2004 he played Djembe and snare drums with the Red Hot Chilli Pipers when they supported ‘Darkness’ on stage at T in the Park. He achieved all this without a drum of his own.

From Inverkeithing in Fife, Steven is coming to the end of his studies in piping at RSAMD, under the tutelage of world-class percussionist, Jim Kilpatrick, where Steven’s tutors predict a stellar career.

Snare drumming is Steven’s passion, although he is equally talented on Djembe, Bohdran and other percussion instruments.

How the Award Helped

A Dewar Arts Award helped Steven to buy a performance-standard snare drum to match his prodigious talent.

Since the Award

Steven graduated with a music degree in 2005 and was set to teach snare drumming. His band, Red Hot Chilli Pipers, won the “When will I be Famous?” competition hosted by Graham Norton and since then have begun to carve out a performing career.

They released the highly successful ‘Bagrock to the Masses’ CD in 2007, performed at New York’s Tartan Week in 2008 and at Ewan MacGregor’s annual Burns Supper in London two years running.

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Steven has the best potential of any young percussionist/drummer I have ever seen or heard.

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2005 Awardee: Richard Craig

The award has re-affirmed the self-belief needed to exist as a member of the arts community. I now feel that I have 'arrived' in Europe and I hope to build on this in the future

YEAR OF AWARD: 2005
AGE AT AWARD: 25
ARTFORMS: ,
WEBSITE:https://www.richardcraig.net
 
 

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.

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The award has re-affirmed the self-belief needed to exist as a member of the arts community. I now feel that I have 'arrived' in Europe and I hope to build on this in the future

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