TWO pupils from St Mary’s Music School in Edinburgh have been awarded the Directors’ Recital Prize jointly for the first time in the award’s 20-year history.
The judges said that flautist Cliodhna Scott (16) and accordionist Sophia Ros (17) had “achieved an exceptional quality of musicianship, communicating the character of the performance and capturing the imagination of the listener”.
The competition for senior pupils was held online this year, with the four finalists recording their performances, which were then assessed by judges who met via Zoom.
It was not possible for the musicians to be accompanied and so one award was made for players of instruments that require accompaniment and another for those that don’t, resulting in two winners for this year’s prize.
The final online broadcast was supported by the Royal Scottish National Orchestra (RSNO), and has now been watched by more than 1,500 people on Youtube.
Ken Taylor, headteacher at St Mary’s Music School, Scotland’s national music school, said: “This was our first ‘live’ online concert broadcast and I would like to congratulate all the finalists for the way in which they approached the unusual circumstances of this year’s competition.
“It was a very fitting finale to a challenging term with four wonderful performances.
“Like all schools, we have had to adapt and find new ways to deliver music teaching to our pupils, alongside a full, remote academic timetable.
“This has been both a challenge and an opportunity to expand our thinking.”
Read more stories from Scotland’s schools on Scottish Field’s education pages.
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