Six exceptional musicians selected for the Celtic Connections final
Following a brilliant semi-finals weekend at BBC Pacific Quay in Glasgow, we’re thrilled to announce the six finalists for the BBC Radio Scotland Young Traditional Musician Award 2027.
Congratulations to all twelve semi-finalists, who delivered outstanding performances and showed the remarkable depth of talent in Scotland’s traditional music scene. Everyone played so well that the judges had a very hard time reaching a decision. The finalists are:
- Bailey McCoo – Piano (Glasgow)
- Emily MacDonald – Gaelic Song (Sleat, Skye)
- Emma Hill – Bagpipes (West Coast of Scotland)
- Eòin Cumming – Accordion (Wester Ross)
- Fionnlagh Mac A’ Phiocair – Scottish Smallpipes and Voice (Grimsay, North Uist)
- Kisna Panesar – Concertina (Glasgow)
Our thanks go to this year’s judging panel: Jack Smedley (head judge), Steven Blake, Kim Carnie, Kevin Murphy and Roslin MacCuish.
The final will be held on Sunday 31st January 2027 in the City Halls, Glasgow, as part of the Celtic Connections festival. Buy tickets here: https://www.celticconnections.com
The 2027 Finalists
Bailey McCoo – Piano (Glasgow)
Bailey is a pianist from Glasgow, currently studying Traditional Music at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland. Introduced to traditional music at high school, he has gone on to explore how contemporary trad piano can tell stories and connect with audiences, staying rooted in the tradition while pushing creative boundaries. He is part of the four-piece band Lussa and has performed at festivals including Celtival in Italy, Semley Music Festival and Celtic Connections, as well as at Edinburgh Castle, Downing Street and Dumfries House. He also teaches at his own music school several nights a week, and hopes to contribute to the continued evolution of Scottish traditional piano through creativity and strong musical storytelling.
Emily MacDonald – Gaelic Song (Sleat, Skye)
Emily was raised in a strong Gaelic-speaking community in Sleat, Skye. She began singing in primary school through weekly lessons with Christine Primrose, building a large repertoire of Gaelic song, and started writing her own songs at the age of eight. She won the Gold Medal for her age category at the Mòd in Oban in 2016 and went on to join Sgoil Chiùil na Gàidhealtachd. She has opened Seall Small Halls events for artists including Duncan Chisholm and Sian, and regularly performs for visiting tour groups on Skye. Emily takes pride in sharing local Gaelic songs with her community and beyond, whether at weddings, funerals, cèilidhs or the local care home.
Emma Hill – Bagpipes (West Coast of Scotland)
Emma grew up on Scotland’s West Coast and was drawn to the bagpipes after starting out on piano and fiddle. She was taught by Angus McColl, whose distinctive style shaped her own playing, often described as having the “Argyll swing”. At the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland she was drawn into Glasgow’s traditional music scene and began performing alongside singers and instrumentalists. She has played at Celtic Connections, Piping Live!, the Aspen Music Festival and Basel Tattoo, and works as Clubs Producer at the National Piping Centre, developing piping clubs and pathways for young people. Increasingly drawn to collaborating with musicians from different backgrounds, Emma sees the competition as a chance to keep developing her own musical voice.
Eòin Cumming – Accordion (Wester Ross)
Eòin grew up as a Gaelic speaker in Wester Ross, where traditional music and Gaelic song connected him to language, place and community. His main instrument is the accordion, though he also sings and plays guitar and piano. He trained at the National Centre of Excellence in Traditional Music in Plockton under Sandy Brechin, then studied Music at the University of Edinburgh, and toured three times with the Fèis Rois Ceilidh Trail. He now performs with the six-piece band Meallan, combining Gaelic song with contemporary arrangements, and has appeared at the Orkney, Cambridge and Sidmouth folk festivals and the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. Eòin has twice been a finalist in the Traditional Gold Medal singing competition at the National Mòd, and works in Gaelic arts development alongside teaching at Fèisean and community projects.
Fionnlagh Mac A’ Phiocair – Scottish Smallpipes and Voice (Grimsay, North Uist)
Fionnlagh grew up on the Isle of Grimsay in North Uist, immersed in Gàidhlig and traditional music from an early age, first through song and then the chanter, tutored by the late Norman MacLean and later Iain MacDonald of Glenuig. Competitive Highland piping was his main outlet until he joined the National Centre of Excellence in Traditional Music in 2018, where he first picked up the smallpipes and began singing tuition with Rachel Walker and James Graham. He graduated from the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland as the first student to do so with bellows pipes as a primary instrument. He now works as a freelance musician alongside running his own pipe-making business specialising in Scottish smallpipes, and has performed Scottish traditional music around the world, from America to Denmark.
Kisna Panesar – Concertina (Glasgow)
Kisna grew up in an Indian household where the sounds of dhol and tabla were the soundtrack to her childhood. Attending the Danny Kyle Awards introduced her to traditional music and inspired her to take up the concertina. She graduated from the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland with a First Class Honours degree in Traditional Music Performance and has performed at Celtic Connections and festivals across Scotland. In 2025 she won the Castagnari Loric Accordion Trophy at the Festival Interceltique de Lorient, becoming the first concertina player ever to receive the award. She has also tutored and performed at the Aberdeen Button Boxes & Moothies Festival. Drawing on influences including Michael McGoldrick and Cormac Begley, Kisna hopes to create music that brings different cultures together through the shared language of traditional music.
About the Award
The BBC Radio Scotland Young Traditional Musician of the Year remains the premier award for young traditional musicians in Scotland. Previous winners include Anna Massie, Hannah Rarity, Mohsen Amini of Talisk and Imar, Michael Biggins of The Canny Band, Kristan Harvey of Fara, Eryn Rae, Calum McIlroy, Ellie Beaton and last year’s winner Rachel Groves.
For more information visit www.bbc.co.uk/youngtrad