Westhill's Calum McIlroy takes the Young Traditional Musician 2024 title
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Singer and mandolin and guitar player Calum McIlroy, from Westhill, is the winner of the coveted title of BBC Radio Scotland Young Traditional Musician 2024.
A packed audience in Glasgow’s City Halls watched six finalists vie for the title, in an event which was also broadcast live on BBC Radio Scotland and BBC ALBA on Sunday, February 4.
The BBC Radio Scotland contest is renowned as one of the biggest platforms for emerging talent in traditional music, encouraging and validating some of the biggest names in the scene, across singing, piping, accordion, fiddle, and piano playing and many other performers within the genre.
And it has been a springboard for numerous Scottish traditional music exponents to international acclaim.
Presenter Joy Dunlop said: “Calum is a truly worthy winner of this year’s BBC Radio Scotland Young Traditional Musician award – and we hope this is recognition which will lead to more success for him. All our finalists performed incredibly this year and they all deserve praise for their contribution to the traditional music scene in Scotland.”
This year’s winner joins a list which includes the 2023 winner pianist Amy Laurenson, as well as other past winners including fiddler Eryn Rae, pianist Michael Biggins, piper Ali Levack, fiddler Benedict Morris and singer Hannah Rarity.
Said Calum: “Winning this prestigious award is incredible. It means a lot to me.
"This competition has done so much to help foster and develop young talent within the Scottish traditional music sector and I’m proud to be in the company of all the amazing previous winners.”
From Westhill in Aberdeenshire, Calum first learned about traditional music in his school ceilidh band.
After leaving school he went on to play with the North East Folk Collective and took part in the Fèis Rois Ceilidh Trail in 2016/2017.
After finishing his diploma in music in Aberdeen, he moved to Glasgow to study on the BMus Traditional Music Course at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland.
As well as tutoring through various organisations Calum plays in his own trio as well as alongside many major names in the genre.
Among the other finalists this year were deaf/hard of hearing singer and step dancer Evie Waddell, who - in a first for the event – used British Sign Language in her performance, bagpipe player John Dew, fiddle player Matt Tighe, and singers Ruairidh Gray and Ella Munro.
As winner of the BBC Radio Scotland Young Traditional Musician 2024 award, Calum 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 to the Musicians Union.
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.
