Preview: Emerging Artists’ Concerts
Preview: Emerging Artists’ Concerts, 20/11/2024
Live Music Now Scotland’s new series of Emerging Artists’ Concerts will take place in the Usher Hall over December and January, starting on December 2nd. These concerts give a public stage to some of the young professional musicians who also work with LMNS in care, residential and community groups.
Harpist, Mary Reid, is a Scot who learned clarsach in Edinburgh before studying harp at the Royal Academy of Music in London, later working there with Live Music Now. Since her return to Scotland she’s part of LMNS as well as freelancing, including performances with the RSNO, Scottish Opera and the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. She loves to share music that showcases the harp’s full potential, everything from pieces written in the 1600s arranged for the modern pedal harp (which wasn't fully invented until 1811!) all the way to music commissioned by Mary herself in recent years, plus a taste of most things in between. French music from the early 20th century like Debussy and Ravel and forgotten or unpublished gems from the Romantic era are particularly favourite genres. You can hear her on Monday 2nd December at 11am in the Usher Hall.
Violinist, Roo Geddes, and accordionist, Neil Sutcliffe, are a versatile duo who first met as students at the Conservatoire’s Juniors’ School aged 13. They joined LMNS in 2022 and work together and separately in folk, jazz and classical. This summer they took part in the St Magnus Festival and in Music at Paxton where Roo also collaborated with his friends and colleagues from Mexico in a terrific sold-out concert. At the recent LMNS 40th Anniversary Reception, it was fascinating to hear them improvise together long after their official gig was over. Their compositions are inspired by landscape and people and by how music can evoke a sense of place and communities. Roo and Neil’s concert is on Monday 13th January at 11am in the Usher Hall.
James McIntyre and Ross Morris formed their duo while at the Royal Conservatoire. James is an award-winning Scottish tenor who’s recently appeared in ‘Carmen’ at the Waterperry Opera Festival, and particularly enjoys singing the Scottish art song repertoire, and promoting the work of Ronald Stevenson, Francis George Scott and Ronald Center. Ross Morris, described as “playing with outstanding technique and subtle nuance”, has visited North America and Australia as a solo guitarist and he is also a member of Quartet Malmatina. Their programmes together focus on Romantic and folk-inspired music, ranging from Schubert to English folk songs. James and Ross are playing at 11am on Monday 20th January in the Usher Hall.
Magnus Turpie is part of LMNS Pathways Programme which provides disabled musicians with individual, personalised support. Magnus plays the accordion on a diatonic 3-row b/c/c# 'button' accordion. He’s been performing since 2017, and in January 2024, appeared with his band ‘Magnus Turpie Combo’ in the final of Celtic Connections ‘Battle of the Folk Bands.’ In 2023, Magnus piloted ‘Pathways’ programmes for both Live Music Now Scotland and Fèis Rois 'Ceilidh Trail'. He is delighted to continue to work with both of these organisations to build their reputations as 'Inclusive' agencies and address the under-representation of people with additional support needs in their programmes. His duo partner is clarsach-player, Siannie Moodie, who has played solo in prestigious music festivals, including the Belladrum Festival as well showcasing Scottish music abroad. She enjoys sharing with audiences her passion for Gaelic, folk and traditional music from Scotland and other Celtic nations. Siannie and Magnus’s concert is at 11am in the Usher Hall on Monday 27th January.
Tickets for all concerts are £3. Each concert lasts around 45 minutes, and there’s an opportunity to meet the artists afterwards.
For further information see: Emerging Artists | Usher Hall
