Bessy Bass’ Musician – May Halyburton studied double bass at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama. On graduating in 1994 with a BA (musical studies), a Certificate of Post Graduate Studies and the Eugene Cruft Prize for double bass, she took up the post of sub principal bass with Orquestra Simfonica de Balears, Palma de Mallorca. She returned to Scotland in 1998 and has freelanced with all the Scottish Orchestras, as well as the RLPO, Northern Sinfonia and BRB Sinfonia. She has a very eclectic taste in music and gained an Advanced Diploma in jazz at St Andrews University music centre, along with the Linda Trahan memorial prize for best performance. She has performed and recorded with various singer/songwriters and folk musicians. May also has an interest in baroque music and has played violone/baroque double bass with several ensembles including the Irish Baroque Orchestra, Dunedin Consort, Ludus Baroque and Newcastle Baroque. She is a very keen chamber musician and founded the cello/bass duo, Opus Duo, with cellist Jane Colvin and has played with a variety of groups including the Hebrides Ensemble, the Assembly Project, the Fitzwilliam Quartet and the London based Clod Ensemble. May is a highly sought after teacher and youth orchestra coach. She enjoys working with students of all ages, with a special interest in mini bass tuition. which inspired her to create the Bessy Bass project! May is also a trustee of the Scottish Bass Trust and a member of the board of Edinburgh Youth Orchestra.
Petra Piano's musician - Lynda Cochrane was born in Edinburgh and graduated with first class honours from the prestigious joint course of Manchester University and the Royal Northern College of Music. Besides prizes for academic achievement, composition and performance, Lynda won the Franco-British Society’s Vlado Perlemuter Scholarship and a Rotary Foundation Ambassadorial Scholarship enabling further study with Menahem Pressler of the Beaux Arts Trio at Indiana University. Based in Glasgow, Lynda plays piano regularly as part of the Royal Scottish National Orchestra and BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra and at times works with other British orchestras, including the Philharmonia and Northern Sinfonia. As a soloist with the RSNO, highlights include the Ryder Cup Gala concert and John Williams concerts. Alongside solo work for Scottish Ballet, Lynda has performed much 2-piano recital repertoire at the St Magnus Festival, enjoys chamber music with her colleagues and for many years was a core member of the contemporary music group, Paragon Ensemble. Lynda’s love of film music has seen her working with composers Craig Armstrong and Rachel Portman and she features as soloist with the RSNO on various film music albums for the Varese Sarabande label and most recently in piano and orchestra works for American composer, Kevin Kaska. Lynda was delighted to write and arrange music for May’s series of books, “Around the World with Bessy”.
Principal Bass’ Musician – Pete Fry. Born in Hampshire, Peter studied the double bass with Barry Glynn, and then Michael Brittain at the Royal College of Music. Upon leaving, he started a job at Welsh National Opera, where he stayed for 19 years, before moving to Opera North. Three years later, Peter took up the position of Section Principal Double Bass in the Orchestra of Scottish Opera. Peter plays guest principal with many leading orchestras including the RPO, SCO and RSNO. In 2015 he was soloist with Scottish Opera playing the Koussevitsky Double Bass Concerto. A keen chamber music player, Peter runs his own orchestra, the Vale of Glamorgan Ensemble, made up of ex colleagues from WNO.
Charley Cello’s Musician – Jane Colvin graduated from The Royal Academy of Music, London in 1992 gaining GRSM (Hons) degree and LRAM teaching diploma whilst studying cello with Derek Simpson. In her final year at college, her interest in teaching the cello was sparked whilst observing Sheila Nelson’s group teaching to school age children. Later the same year, Jane went on to attend a “Colourstrings” summer course in Kindergarten & Primary Music at the West London Institute of Higher Education. After graduating, she enjoyed teaching for several years in London and the South East and performing in various chamber groups, including solo performances with “The Belmont Ensemble of London” in St.Martin-in-the-Fields. In 1996, Jane embarked on a music therapy training course and a year later gained a Post-Graduate Diploma in Music Therapy from Roehampton Institute. From 1998-2002, Jane worked both in England and Scotland as a music therapist with adults and children with emotional, behavioural and learning difficulties. During this time, she also taught cello and played freelance for many groups including Scottish Opera. She now works as a cello teacher and freelance musician throughout Scotland.
Verity Viola’s Musician – Alison Hastie hails from Inverurie in the North East of Scotland. She plays viola in the Orchestra of Scottish Opera, and is a member of Music Co-Operative Scotland. She teaches violin/viola and is deputy tutor for the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland Music Centre programme. She is Organist and Choirmaster at St Michael’s Church, Linlithgow, and also plays the organ at St.Michael’s RC, Linlithgow. In August 2016 she founded the Antonine Ensemble, a string orchestra made up of amateur string players and talented students, She has directed concerts in Linlithgow, Polmont and St Giles in Edinburgh. A loyal fan of Bessy Bass, Alison has assisted at Bessy’s Edinburgh Festival Fringe shows.
Violette Violin’s Musician – Seonaid Aitken is a versatile, award-winning violinist and vocalist, pianist and composer/orchestrator from Fife, Scotland. Classically trained at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama (London), Seonaid has played regularly for 17 years with the Orchestra of Scottish Opera. She was awarded ‘Best Vocalist’ at the 2017 & 2018 Scottish Jazz Awards and, specialising in Gypsy Jazz, she performs extensively with her Scottish Jazz Award-winning ‘Best Band’ 2018 Rose Room, and as a guest with the Tim Kliphuis Sextet, Tokyo Django Collective, Swing 2018 and top jazz fingerstyle virtuoso, and former guitarist of Stephane Grappelli, Martin Taylor MBE. She also plays in Country/Bluegrass and traditional Scottish/Irish Folk styles, featuring frequently with Country band Ashton Lane, touring for several years with Idlewild frontman and folk singer Roddy Woomble, and has recently appeared with Scottish artists Blue Rose Code, Hamish Stuart (Average White Band), GRIT Orchestra, Modern Studies, Lomond Campbell, Yvonne Lyon, John Goldie, James Grant and Eddi Reader. As an accomplished arranger and orchestrator, Seonaid’s work is featured in the BBC/Richard Curtis film adaptation of Roald Dahl’s ‘Esio Trot’ (starring Dame Judi Dench and Dustin Hoffman), the National Theatre of Scotland’s production ‘Dragon’, and has been commissioned by the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Scottish Chamber Orchestra, Capella String Quartet, Scottish Session Orchestra, Capella String Quartet, Blue Rose Code, John Goldie and the Red Hot Chilli Pipers. After touring the world with dancing fiddle show Barrage, performing for Disney in Japan and the U.S.A, and as a headliner on Princess, Celebrity and Crystal Cruises, Seonaid is now settled in Glasgow and is much in demand as a session recording artist, arranger and jazz musician. Currently the Honorary President of the Glenrothes Amateur Musical Association, she also enjoys sharing her knowledge of musical theatre and performance as a judge for, and Patron of, the Frisson Foundation’s Primary School Glee Show Choir Challenge held across Scotland. Seonaid is presenter of BBC Radio Scotland’s 2018 jazz programme ‘Jazz Nights’, having previously hosted ‘Jazz Nights at the Quay’ (2017) and guest-presented on ‘The Jazz House’ (2016).
Vivian Violin’s Musician – Roderick Long was born in Edinburgh and at the age of sixteen won an Associated Board Scholarship which enabled him to study the violin at the Royal College of Music in London with Jaroslav Vanecek. Following studies at the Aspen Music School in Colorado he was subsequently awarded a Lincoln Centre scholarship to study at the Juilliard School in New York and has taken part in masterclasses with Dorothy Delay. Roderick has worked as a violinist with many leading ensembles including the Scottish Chamber Orchestra, Scottish Ensemble, Edinburgh Quartet, Halle, Northern Sinfonia, Northern Ballet, English Symphony and String Orchestras and the Northern Ballet Orchestra. He appears frequently as a soloist and chamber musician and in this capacity has broadcast on BBC Radio. He has also worked in many different mediums of music and crossover styles with artists as diverse as Ally Bain, Phil Cunningham, Capercaillie, Dougie McLean, Horse, Mogwai, Lorna Luft and Lyle Lovatt. He is passionate about music education and has worked frequently as a conductor and orchestral coach for the National Youth Orchestras of Scotland, Scottish Schools Orchestra Trust and West Schools Orchestra Course. He is Head of Strings at St George’s School for Girls and Principal Violin Teacher at Fettes College. In the summer of 2014 he travelled to Bosnia to work with and teach children affected by the flooding there.
Vinnie Violin’s Musician – Sue Muir studied violin performance at the Royal College of Music in London. Following her studies and another year of Post Graduate studies she went on to gain a Diploma in Orchestral Studies at the University of London Goldsmith’s College. She took up post with the Scottish Ballet Orchestra for several years before moving to France with her husband. She returned to Aberdeen a few years later with her family where she played in many chamber groups, quartets and orchestras. She also became the Orchestral Manager to Haddo House Opera Society and taught in many of the private and regional schools as well as at Aberdeen University. Sue set up her own very successful Wedding and Events Quartet which has been running for 20 years and also has a Ceilidh Band which she enjoyed for many years. Sue is a very versatile violinist and studied for 2 years at St Andrews University, gaining the Scottish Certificate in Jazz, and the Advanced Diploma in Jazz. She is also passionate about the Theatre and has worked with many theatre groups, including Theatre Alba and Theatre Objectiv, composing her own music and touring the UK and abroad. Since recently moving to Edinburgh, Sue has become very involved in singing and is a member of the small section of tenors in the A Cappella Ladies Barbershop choir Forth Valley Chorus. The chorus have won the regional UK Competition several times and Sue accompanied them to Las Vegas in 2017 where they were 11th in the International Competition. Sue is competing again with the chorus in the International Finals in 2019 which are taking place in New Orleans.
Giovanni Guitar’s Musician – Joe Williamson is one of the most active members of Glasgow’s vibrant jazz scene. Joe is a versatile musician, well-versed in the jazz tradition, but also drawing on influences from all kinds of contemporary guitar music. Known for his melodic and creative improvising, Joe was awarded the title of Young Scottish Jazz Musician Of The Year in June 2018.
Gustavo Guitar’s Musician – Mike McGeary. As a young boy, Michael learned to play the mandolin and performed regularly with the Edinburgh Ukrainian Mandolin Orchestra. At the age of 11, he took up guitar and in 1978 became the first guitarist to study at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama, now the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland. Michael has performed numerous recitals throughout the UK as a soloist, accompanist and member of the Edinburgh Guitar Quartet, as well as giving concerto performances. He has broadcast on both BBC and commercial radio. Several original works have been dedicated to him, most notably Threnody (1990) by the Turkish Armenian composer Gilbert Biberian. Throughout Michael’s illustrious teaching career, over 30 of his students have progressed to full-time musical studies at conservatoires and universities in the UK. In 1999, he was nominated for Yamaha Instrumental Teacher of the Year. In 2004, Michael was appointed Head of the Instrumental Music Service in Edinburgh and managed 80 instrumental teachers. He was also responsible for the musical education of around 5,000 pupils. As chair of the Heads of Instrumental Teaching Scotland, he organised an education conference (2008) which attracted over 1,000 teachers from all over Scotland. Michael’s introductory guitar book The Guitar Tree was first published in 2009 and to date has sold almost 3,000 copies. In 2012, he returned to full-time teaching and hopes to write new didactic material. He now teaches in Edinburgh schools, for the Royal Conservatoire’s Junior Conservatoire and St. Mary’s specialist music school.