Shetland pianist becomes Young Traditional Musician 2023

A pianist who started playing traditional music as a way to feel connected to her home, has won one of the biggest prizes in the music genre.

Amy Laurenson was named BBC Radio Scotland Young Traditional Musician 2023 after a hard-fought final.

The 23-year-old's skills saw off five other finalists at the City Halls in Glasgow.

She won a recording session and performance opportunity which will boost her music career.

Amy, who is originally from Shetland, moved to Glasgow in 2017 to study classical piano at The Royal Conservatoire of Scotland.

Two years into her studies, she became hooked on traditional music, switching departments and working to earn a first-class honours degree in traditional music.

She told the BBC's Good Morning Scotland programme the win was beginning to sink in.

"Being part of the competition was such a great experience, just spending time with such amazing musicians and folk I met along the way - it was really special."

The competition journey started last year when Amy submitted a 10-minute performance. She was selected for the semi-finals in November and has been preparing for the final ever since.

Six finalists performed for the live broadcast on BBC Radio Scotland and BBC Alba as part of Celtic Connections.

Amy paid tribute to the outstanding talent of her fellow finalists.

"Such outstanding playing from everybody," she said. "There are some really amazing people that were part of the competition. I think we are faced with a really good situation at the moment. there is so much innovation going in within the scene, and that's really great to see."

Amy started playing the piano when she was seven. It was moving to Glasgow from Shetland that inspired her love for traditional music.

"It was the connection it gave to me with my home" she said. "Shetland is something I admire and I am so drawn to, so being able to explore that connection through music is what got me to traditional music in the first place."

Amy has played for a number of Shetland festivals as well as occasional ceilidhs and sessions in and around Glasgow.

As part of the 2023 award, Amy wins a recording session with BBC Scotland, an opportunity to perform at the Scots Trad Music Awards later in the year, plus a one-year membership of the Musicians Union.

She said: "It feels like the next chapter is opening up. I am hoping to record some solo music this year and continue gigging with my band."

Only last week, Amy gave up her part-time job to pursue music full-time.

The other five finalists were guitarist Aidan Moodie from Orkney, piper Ailis Sutherland from Kirriemuir, Angus, Islay singer Mairi McGillivray, Glasgow-based accordion player Sam Mabbett and American fiddler Madeleine Stewart who lives in Glasgow.

All finalists get a one-year membership to the Traditional Music and Song Association of Scotland (TMSA) plus the opportunity to take part in the TMSA's annual Young Trad Tour.

Organised by BBC Radio Scotland, the Young Traditional Musician competition has been increasing the profile of Scottish traditional music and recognising rising talent in the genre since 2001.

The contest is renowned as one of the biggest platforms for emerging talent in traditional music and has been a springboard for numerous Scottish traditional music exponents to international acclaim.

Amy Laurenson joins a list which recently has included amongst others the 2022 winner fiddler Eryn Rae, pianist Michael Biggins, piper Ali Levack, fiddler Benedict Morris and singer Hannah Rarity.