Scottish Young Musicians Solo Performer of the Year, the Scotland-wide competition run by The Music Education Partnership Group, has announced its 2024 winners. Compered by singer and broadcaster Jamie MacDougall, the third ever Solo Performer of the Year competition was held at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland before a large appreciative audience on 26th May.
17-year-old Saxophonist Euan Kemp,an S6 pupil from The Music School of Douglas Academy who has been playing saxophone since he was 11 years old, was the overall winner out of 31 entrants. He impressed the judges with his rendition of Improvisation No.1 by Ryo Noda and Fantaisie-Impromptu by André Jolivet, leading to him being crowned the third ever winner of the prestigious competition, which this year involved local authorities covering 99% of Scotland’s population.
Euan receives £1,000 to help further his musical career along with the Maid of Morven trophy and a package of opportunities provided by the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland including a coaching session, participation in a masterclass and a studio recording session.
Runners up were 15 year old Jake Johnstone from South Lanarkshire, who played his accordion pieces accompanied by his younger sister on the piano, and 16 year old Magnus Shanks from Aberdeenshire with his piano performance, both receive £250 to spend on musical activities and a coaching session and masterclass slot at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland.
For the first time this year the winner of each of the other categories was announced live at the end of the final. Hannah Pringle from Stirling won the strings category, Thomas Lamb from Clackmannanshire won in brass, Amelia Leishman representing Edinburgh won for percussion and East Ayrshire’s Aimee Sharp was announced as the winner of the vocal category. They will each be awarded career-enhancing experiences thanks to the generosity of some of the UK’s top music organisations.
The panel of judges was led by trumpeter John Wallace CBE, former Principal of the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland who was joined by soprano Jane Irwin, violinist Greg Lawon, clarinettist Adam Lee and pianist Sinae Lee. They had the difficult job of selecting the winner and two runners up from performances on a range of instruments including saxophone, clarsach, accordion, guitar, pipes, trumpet and more.
The day culminated in performances by the winning Scottish Young Musicians Brass Ensemble of the Year Campbeltown Brass Ensemble and Ensemble of the Year, Belmont Academy Woodwind Ensemble from South Ayrshire.
.Head Adjudicator of the competition, John Wallace said “You could put today’s winner and runners up on any stage anywhere in the world and they would do the whole of Scotland proud. We have been completely blown away by the how standards continue to rise year on year and how these young people are keeping certain genres alive. It’s been absolutely staggering to behold and we hope to broaden the competition to include even more genres and categories next year.”
The way the different Local Authorities have embraced this competition and recognised it across the country has helped to give it the status and importance it deserves. For young musicians to have an opportunity to perform and be heard we must provide appropriate resources to schools and those who work with young people in music – without that there is no future of music in Scotland.”
Irene Brown
Radio Summerhall Arts 