Pianist Amy Laurenson is the winner of the BBC Radio Scotland Young Traditional Musician 2023 award.
In front of a packed audience in Glasgow’s City Halls, the 23-year-old, who is originally from Shetland but currently lives in Glasgow, was announced the winner live on BBC Radio Scotland and on BBC ALBA.
Gareth Hydes, Commissioning Editor, BBC Scotland said:
“Amy is a truly worthy winner amid a stunning array of talent this year. My congratulations to Amy and I hope, as with other previous winners, this award is a stepping stone – and hopefully a major highlight – of a blossoming career in Scottish traditional music.”
Organised by BBC Radio Scotland, the Young Traditional Musician competition has been increasing the profile of Scottish traditional music and recognising rising talent in the genre since 2001.
The contest is renowned as one of the biggest platforms for emerging talent in traditional music, encouraging and validating some of the biggest names in the scene, across singing, piping, accordion, fiddle, and piano playing and other instruments.
Amy joins a list which recently has included amongst others the 2022 winner fiddler Eryn Rae, pianist Michael Biggins, piper Ali Levack, fiddler Benedict Morris and singer Hannah Rarity.
She noted of her victory:
“I am stunned and delighted to be the BBC Radio Scotland Young Traditional Musician for 2023 and to follow in the footsteps of past winners, who are such an inspiration.”
At the age of 16, Amy began her formal journey through Traditional Music when she began taking lessons from Violet Tulloch, whom she considers a major influence. She studied Classical Piano at The Royal Conservatoire of Scotland in 2017 before switching to the Traditional department in 2019, where she earned a First-Class Honours Degree in Traditional Music.
She has played for a number of Shetland festivals as well as occasional Ceilidhs and sessions in and around Glasgow.
As part of the award, Amy wins a recording session with BBC Scotland, an opportunity to perform at the Scots Trad Music Awards later in the year, plus a one-year membership to the Musicians Union.
All the finalists will receive a one-year membership to the Traditional Music and Song Association of Scotland (TMSA) plus the opportunity to take part in the TMSA’s annual Young Trad Tour.
The other five finalists were:
Aidan Moodie – A member of Mànran and Gnoss whose guitar work has made him something of a sought-after accompanist for many of Glasgow’s traditional singers.
Ailis Sutherland – She began learning the pipes from her father at the age of six. She was awarded a First-Class Honours Degree from UHI and went on to work at The National Piping Centre, Glasgow.
Mairi McGillivray – She began performing Gaelic song in mods on the local and national circuits, to great success. Since then she has attended The Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, graduating with a First Class Honours Degree in Traditional Music in 2020. Her performing experinece includes, Celtic Connections Festival 2022 and Fèis Ìle.
Sam Mabbett – He has performed at English folk festivals, both as part of NYFTE and in a duo with the Welsh fiddler Dylan Cairns-Howarth. He began studying at The Royal Conservatoire of Scotland in 2015.
Madeleine Stewart – Fiddler. Originally from New England, America. Making the move across the Atlantic in 2014, she began studying Traditional Music at The Royal Conservatoire of Scotland. She currently plays with the Routes Quartet, folk-fusion band Eriska, and Rory Matheson and Craig Baxter in the Madeleine Stewart Trio.
