A world-renowned north-east percussionist has hit the right note and will be handed an honorary degree from one of the world’s top music and drama schools.
Dame Evelyn Glennie will be made a doctor of music on July 4 at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland.
She will join two other stars, Darcey Bussell CBE and Professor Mícheál Ó Súilleabháin, who will also be receiving awards on the day.
The distinguished trio will be joined by nearly 300 students who are graduating from Scotland’s national conservatoire across the disciplines of music, drama, dance, production and film.
The institution – which is celebrating its 170th anniversary in 2017 – is one of the world’s top three performing arts institutions.
Professor Jeffrey Sharkey, principal of the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, said: “It gives me great pleasure to announce the three outstanding and inspirational individuals in the worlds of music and dance as recipients of our 2017 honorary degrees.
“It is an honour to welcome Darcey Bussell, Dame Evelyn Glennie and Mícheál Ó Súilleabháin to our community and celebrate their exceptional achievements. Our honorary graduands have excelled in their chosen art forms and they embody the values and spirit of the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland – they are dynamic and creative individuals who have made significant contributions to the cultural landscape.”
Dame Evelyn, who grew up on a farm near Methlick, has been profoundly deaf since the age of 12 and learned to “listen” to music via vibrations through parts of her body.
She was taught how to lip read and her percussion teacher at Ellon Academy, Ron Forbes, taught her to “hear” notes in her head.
Despite the disadvantages she faced compared with other budding musicians, her unique talent won her a place at the prestigious Royal College of Music in London.
She later became the world’s first professional solo percussionist.
The 51-year-old was made an OBE in 1993 and, as well as her achievements in the music world, she has lectured and designed her own range of jewellery.
The virtuoso percussionist has played with some of the world’s greatest composers and has more than 80 international awards to her name, including three Grammies.
In 2012, she played a leading role in the opening ceremony at the 2012 Olympics in London.
She now lives near Cambridge but remains a regular visitor to the north-east, where her family still reside.
