Category Archives: Music

Scottish pianist Fergus McCreadie’s second album, Cairn is showing early signs of emulating the success of his award-winning debut album, Turas. Released on January 29, Cairn has already been tipped as one of the top UK jazz albums of 2021 by respected radio presenters and the first video single from the album, featuring the titleContinue reading “McCreadie reaches for the top with Cairn”

Acclaimed Ayrshire born composer and conductor, Sir James MacMillan, has launched a major initiative that aims to put Scotland centre stage in the world of composition. Delivered through his festival The Cumnock Tryst, and in partnership with Trinity College London, who already enjoy a close working relationship, it is anticipated that over the next tenContinue reading “Sir James Macmillan Launches Cumnock as New Centre of Excellence in Composition”

Venezuelan pianist Leo Blanco releases a new album, Stories Without Words on January 29th. Featuring Blanco’s duo with fellow countryman, violin virtuoso Alexis Cardenas, it’s the first recording from the Boston Massachusetts-based musician and Herald Angel award-winner since Pianoforte, the solo piano album he promoted with a warmly received UK tour in 2013. Blanco andContinue reading “Leo Blanco returns with violin partner and a tale-spinning album”

When the recent stooshie over the airplay of well-loved festive song Fairytale of New York byThe Pogues and Kirsty MacColl seemed to take up more air space than the playing of the actual song, it sparked an idea between two performers from different corners of the art world. These artists are actor Blythe Duff, knownContinue reading “Two Scottish Artists Re-Imagine Fairytale of New York for Arts Charities”

Love Music, producers of Scotland’s largest community choir based at Edinburgh’s Usher Hall, is offering an opportunity for singing groups, community choirs and songwriters across Scotland to join together on a journey of song creation through its new project Love Singing. Love Singing focuses on collaborative practice by connecting choirs across the country, addressing digitalContinue reading “Search Launched for Ten Collaborators in Love Singing Project”

In response to the world wide lockdown, Glasgow based Scottish Ensemble, the UK’s leading string orchestra, announces the second in their series of Solo Collaborations.   Each Solo Collaboration aims to capture the ensemble’s approach to imaginative cross-artform collaborations, bringing together creatives to remotely produce a new work together. This latest in the series, Pardes, isContinue reading “Scottish Ensemble and Fruitmarket Gallery Join Forces for Solo Collaborations #2”

Scottish Jazz Award winners Anoushka Nanguy and Liam Shortall will be in the trombone section as the Scottish National Jazz Orchestra plays a 25th anniversary concert online on Saturday 5th December. The two young, Glasgow-based musicians won three titles between them at the awards ceremony in October, with Anoushka, 21, taking the Rising Star award and Liam,Continue reading “Young Award-winners Join Orchestra for Landmark Concert”

Leading singer Tina May releases 52nd Street (and other tales) on 33 Records on Friday, December 4th. Featuring a collection of songs written by Scottish musician and composer Duncan Lamont, the album is full of the character and wit that Lamont, who died in July 2019, brought to his work as an astute observer ofContinue reading “Top Singer Sings the Duncan Lamont Songbook”

Dutch drummer-percussionist Joost Lijbaart realises a life-long ambition with the release of his first solo album, Free, on November 30th.  Known internationally for his work with saxophonist Yuri Honing’s trio and quartet over the past twenty-five years, and more recently for leading the ambient improvising voice-guitar-percussion trio Under the Surface, Lijbaart devoted six months duringContinue reading “Drummer’s Dreams Come True on Solo Album”

Scotland’s national opera company, Scottish Opera, has unveiled a programme of digital and live performance as part of its 2020/21 Winter activity that includes filmed productions of Mozart’s Così fan tutte and Humperdinck’s Hansel and Gretel. To mark the milestone of the 50th Anniversary of the Company’s Outreach and Education, Scottish Opera Young Company (SOYC)Continue reading “Programme of Winter Activity Unveiled by Scottish Opera”