2018 Awardee: Laura Wilson

"I feel extremely grateful to be supported by the Dewar Arts Awards...it has given me a further boost of motivation and determination to develop as a musician and therapist."

YEAR OF AWARD: 2018
AGE AT AWARD: 26
ARTFORMS: , ,
 
 
 

Biography

Laura began her musical journey aged five, learning piano with her grandmother. She soon began immersing herself in the classical world further, studying the viola and flute. This led her to continue her education at St. Mary’s Music School.

Laura was awarded a scholarship to study at the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester (RNCM). Here, she performed and learned with some of the world’s leading musicians, including the resident orchestra for the Montepulciano Arts Festival in 2012 and 2013.

Afrer graduating, Laura worked as a freelance viola player across the UK and Europe, playing with a number of different ensembles. She became engaged in international charitable work, providing musical respite for vulnerable individuals.  This inspired her to share her music with a range of audiences, and so she travelled around the world busking with her viola.

Laura believes that music speaks to everybody. She continues to expand her musical boundaries by pushing herself out of her comfort zone as often as possible. She performs in a range of settings – from nursing homes, community centres, bars and cafes, exploring ways to engage audiences outside of the classical spectrum.  She also records samples for music producers and DJs.

Laura’s work volunteering for charities led her to become a music therapist. She has since seen the benefits of her work in Romania and Bulgaria. She is driven to help people through a therapeutic relationship with music, and aims to share her knowledge with people who are vulnerable in society.  She aims to work in settings such as prisons, with refugees, and in countries that have suffered as a result of war.

Having chosen to undertake formal qualifications in music therapy, Laura aims to use her skills in creative and imaginative ways. She feels confident that she has embarked on the right path, and that Music Therapy will continue to direct her passion, energy and focus.

How the Award Helped

Laura’s Award supported her in studing an MA in Music Therapy at the University of the West of England.

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"I feel extremely grateful to be supported by the Dewar Arts Awards...it has given me a further boost of motivation and determination to develop as a musician and therapist."

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2011 Awardee: Jennifer MacCallum

I am hugely grateful to the trust for this award in enabling me to progress with my studies in my chosen field.

YEAR OF AWARD: 2011
AGE AT AWARD: 22
ARTFORMS: ,
 
 
 

Biography

Born in Alexandra and brought up on the West Coast around Oban and Fort William, Jennifer was a keen musician from an early age. Her High School quartet won its category in the National Chamber Music Competition for 3 consecutive years. She went on to study music at the RWCMD in Cardiff where she was considered to be an extremely gifted musician who stood out from her peers.

During her undergraduate years, Jennifer held placements with the Welsh National Opera for a year and with the BBC National Orchestra of Wales for two years.

In both 2009 and 2010, she won the Steinitz Bach Prize and on graduation was awarded both the Peter Esswood Prize for Strings and the Gabb & Co Prize for Chamber Music.

Jennifer is passionate about orchestral playing and has won a place on the Master of Performance in Orchestral Performance programme at the Royal College of Music in London, where she will be a pupil of Simon Rowland-Jones, one of the highest-regarded viola teachers of this generation.

How the Award Helped

The Dewar Arts Award will support Jennifer in the first year of her postgraduate studies.

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I am hugely grateful to the trust for this award in enabling me to progress with my studies in my chosen field.

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2007 Awardee: Alexa Beattie

I am extremely excited about my successful nomination and would like to gratefully accept my Dewar Award.

YEAR OF AWARD: 2007
AGE AT AWARD: 28
ARTFORMS: ,
 
 
 

Biography

Edinburgh-born Alexa Beattie grew up in North Berwick and was a pupil at St Mary’s Music School. She graduated from the School with the Isobel Dunlop Prize for Service and the Leonard Friedman Chamber Music Prize, signalling a bright future for herself as a violist.

Throughout her further musical education, Alexa won a number of scholarships in recognition of her unique talent. In 2007 she won a place on the San Francisco Conservatory’s Artist’s Certification in Chamber Music programme, as one of only three successful applicants. The collaborative nature of the programme means that Alexa will perform regularly with members of the faculty, who already rate her very highly as an engaging and intelligent performer. Whilst in San Francisco, Alexa has championed contemporary Scottish music, for which she has been awarded a scholarship by the St Andrew’s Society of Scotland in Washington D.C. in recognition of her efforts.

Alexa’s ultimate ambition is to perform chamber music internationally at the highest professional level within ensemble contexts and as a solo performer. Her interests range from classical repertoire to contemporary works. One of her long-term projects is to record contemporary Scottish viola repertoire. Alexa is in the final stage of her studies and is set to make her mark on the international stage as a thoughtful, sensitive and dedicated musician.

How the Award Helped

The Dewar Arts Award is helping to finance Alexa’s studies at the San Francisco Conservatory.

Since the Award

Alexa writes, “The Dewar Award came at the perfect time. The unique Chamber Music Programme in San Francisco has been extremely powerful in my development as a performer. I believe myself to be a significantly different and infinitely stronger player than when I began the programme. The previous year has been a tremendous confidence boost. My ability to trust myself on stage is far greater. I also believe that the American approach to string playing technique has been a large part of this development.”

After successfully obtaining the Artist’s Certificate in Chamber Music at the San Francisco Conservatory, Alexa was offered the Chamber Music Assistantship at the Conservatory for 2009.

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I am extremely excited about my successful nomination and would like to gratefully accept my Dewar Award.

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