Fiddle and accordion champions to give workshops to Inverness students
Fife based couple Claire Telford and Wayne Robertson will be visiting Inverness on Thursday 7 April at the invitation of The Highland Council Traditional Music Classes Co-ordinator, Margo MacLennan, to give a short evening series of mentoring workshops in both fiddle and accordion for Highland students of these traditional music instruments.
Aberdonian Claire Telford was a Mod Gold Medal winner in 1994 and a Glenfiddich Fiddle Championship medal winner in 1997, as well as achieving great success in many traditional fiddle festivals across the North-East. She performs regularly in the great houses of the National Trust for Scotland and on luxury cruises around the north, often in collaboration with the much-revered Scots pianist, George Donald.
In addition to being a champion fiddler, Claire Telford is a distinguished teacher of both violin and viola, being on the music staff of the two major music schools in the United Kingdom, the Yehudi Menuhin School in Surrey and the St Mary’s School of Music in Edinburgh. She has given concerto and solo performances throughout the United Kingdom, notably in Windsor Castle and in the British Embassy in Paris. Claire is a former member of both the National Youth Orchestra of Scotland and the National Youth Orchestra of Great Britain. Currently she is a member of the Orchestra of the Royal Opera House Covent Garden, as well as playing with the English Sinfonia and the London Chamber Orchestra.
Accordionist Wayne Robertson has thirty years experience of his instrument, during which he was Scottish Junior Champion for four years in a row and he became a regular on the popular BBC Radio Scotland programme “Take the Floor”. His playing has taken him to theatres and concert halls throughout the United Kingdom and beyond, including on the cruises of the National Trust for Scotland and three trips to North Carolina, USA. Between performances, Wayne Robertson is in great demand as a teacher of accordion and takes special pride in seeing the improvement of his students.
The workshops will take place in Millburn Academy during the late afternoon and early evening of Thursday 7th April. Claire Telford will mentor three fiddle workshops, one to Young Improvers, one to Young Intermediate and Advanced and one to Adult Intermediate players.
Wayne Robertson will mentor two accordion workshops, one for young players and one for adults. For more information or to register for these workshops please contact Margo MacLennan, The Highland Council TMC Co-ordinator, ECS Area Office, 13 Ardross Street, Inverness IV3 5NS. Tel 01463 663817 or email margo.maclennan2@highland.gov.uk
Claire Telford and Wayne Robertson will be starting their visit to Inverness with a lunchtime concert in Inverness Town House at 1.00pm as part of the At 1 With Music Series. Tickets will be available on the door from 12.30pm on the day.
The Highland Council TMC Project would like to acknowledge the support of Enterprise Music Scotland, Creative Scotland and At 1 With Music in bringing these two excellent musicians to Inverness.