Whistle and piping star crowned Scotland’s best young musician
A dazzling new whistle and piping star whose band had help from Scottish pop legend Edwyn Collins to record an album has been crowned Scotland’s young musician of the year at the Celtic Connections festival in Glasgow.
Ali Levack, 26, from Maryburgh, near Dingwall, in Ross and Cromarty, has become the 20th winner of the award, which is widely regarded as one of the most prestigious in the Scottish music industry.
Levack said: “I got to the final two years ago but I was a bag of nerves and I’d been out the night before. I was like Cinderella this time.
“I’ve invested a lot of years into this competition. I first entered it in 2012 and didn’t even get through to the semifinals. It’s been like a ladder. I’ve put everything into winning it.
“The award means so much in terms of the recognition that comes with it and helping to carve out a career. I’m hopefully going to launch a solo project alongside Project Smok”, his band.
Levack is a “distant relation” of former Orange Juice frontman Collins through the singer-songwriter’s family in Helmsdale, in Sutherland.
The band got free use of Collins’ purpose-built studio in Helmsdale and the singer even agreed to re-record his classic hit A Girl Like You for the album.
Collins and his wife Grace were in the audience to see Levack claim the title on the final night of Celtic Connections.
Levack said: “We decided to name the album Bayview after Grace and Edwyn’s house in Elmsdale as they gave us the studio time for free.
“The opportunities they have given us have really helped shape the band over the last couple of years.”
Levack has been winning huge acclaim in the Scottish traditional music scene for Project Smok, the trio he formed just over two years ago with guitarist Pablo Lafuente and bodhrán player Ewan Baird.
Levack, who began piping lessons at the age of nine after being encouraged to take up the instrument by his grandfather, moved to Plockton in Ross and Cromarty when he was 15 to take up a place at the National Centre for Excellence in Traditional Music.
He has been based in Glasgow since moving there to study piping at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland.
Organised by BBC Radio Scotland and music promoters Hands Up For Trad, the awards were shown live on Gaelic broadcaster BBC Alba for the first time.
The prize includes a recording session with BBC Scotland, a coveted slot to appear at the annual Scots Trad Music Awards and invitations to perform at other major events such as the BBC Proms in the Park.
“The award means so much in terms of the recognition that comes with it and helping to carve out a career. I’m hopefully going to launch a solo project.”
ALI LEVACK