Islay singer vies for coveted young musician of the year
The winner of the coveted title of BBC Radio Scotland Young Traditional Musician 2023 will be announced on February 5, with a Gaelic singer from Islay vying for the top spot.
This year’s winner will join a list which includes, amongst others, 2022 winner fiddler Eryn Rae, past winner pianist Michael Biggins, piper Ali Levack, fiddler Benedict Morris and singer Hannah Rarity.
BBC Radio Scotland will host and broadcast the live event from Glasgow’s City Halls, from 5pm to 8pm, with the performances and winner announcement on BBC ALBA from 5.05pm-7pm and 7.30pm-8pm.
Joy Dunlop from Connel will host the event and the broadcast being held on the closing night of the Celtic Connections festival.
This year’s finalists represent the best trad talent including a pianist, piper, specialist accordion player, singer, fiddler and guitarist.
Accompanists this year are renowned acoustic guitarist Jenn Butterworth, pianist Jennifer Austin and Scottish-Icelandic percussionist Signy Jakobsdottir.
One of the six finalists competing to win the prestigious title is Mairi McGillivray.
Mairi was born on Islay, so it is only natural Gaelic song and culture had a large impact on her life. She began performing Gaelic song in local and national mods, with great success.
Since then she has attended The Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, graduating with a First Class Honours Degree in Traditional Music in 2020.
She also attended Sabhal Mòr Ostaig for a year studying Gaelic language and song under the tuition of Christine Primrose.
A year after graduating, Mairi released her debut EP titled, In My Mind, and has performed at Celtic Connections Festival 2022 and Fèis Ìle.
Another is Madeleine Stewart, originally from New England, America.
Her music is rooted in the traditions of her homeland. 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.
Madeleine has created a unique sound blending the contra dance music of New England with her influences from a range of traditional musicians in Glasgow.
A third is Sam Mabbett, who was brought up surrounded by the English traditional music and dance scene in Oxfordshire.
He taught himself to play the diatonic button accordion.
He first attended Folkworks in Durham aged 10 years old, then joined the National Youth Folk Troupe of England.
He has performed at English folk festivals since, both as part of NYFTE and in a duo with the Welsh fiddler Dylan CairnsHowarth, with whom he shares a passion for more fast paced, complex Irish tunes.
The winner of the BBC Radio Scotland Young Traditional Musician 2023 wins a recording session with BBC Scotland, an opportunity to perform at the Scots Trad Music Awards later in the year, plus a oneyear membership to the Musicians Union.