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Aberdeen Harpist Wins Top BBC Young Musician Award
2 Feb
Summary
- Aberdeenshire harpist Rachel Groves won the BBC Radio Scotland Young Traditional Musician award.
- The prestigious award was announced at Celtic Connections festival in Glasgow.
- Groves' prize includes a recording session and performances at major music events.
Rachel Groves, a harpist from Aberdeenshire, has been awarded the BBC Radio Scotland Young Traditional Musician title for 2026. The announcement was made during a live broadcast from the Celtic Connections festival in Glasgow, featuring six talented finalists.
Groves, who also leads the Scolty Harp Ensemble and teaches the lever harp, expressed her surprise and delight at winning. She began playing the clarsach in primary school and has since studied music at the University of Edinburgh and Berklee College of Music in Valencia.
Now based between Edinburgh and Aberdeen, Groves incorporates jazz, classical, and global folk elements into her Scottish traditional music. Her prize includes a recording session with BBC Radio Scotland and appearances at the Scots Trad Music Awards and the Hebridean Celtic Festival.
The BBC Radio Scotland Young Traditional Musician competition, established in 2001, aims to elevate the profile of Scottish traditional music and nurture emerging talent aged 18 to 27.
