Congratulations to Ryan Young who has been nominated in Album of the Year sponsored by BirnamCD in the MG ALBA Scots Trad Music Awards 2024. Vote for Ryan Young now!. It’s going to be another great night at the MG ALBA Scots Trad Music Awards on Saturday 30th November in Inverness Leisure. Why not join us for a brilliant night of music and awards. Buy a ticket here.
We asked Ryan of Ryan Young the following questions.
Tell us about yourself
Ryan Young brings new and exciting ideas to traditional Scottish music, receiving international praise for his spell-binding interpretations on the fiddle. His debut album was recorded with four time GRAMMY winner Jesse Lewis (who has worked with the likes of Bela Fleck and Yo Yo Ma) and launched at Feakle Traditional Music Festival in County Clare, accompanied by renowned guitarist, Dennis Cahill (Martin Hayes; The Gloaming). Ryan was nominated for Live Act Of The Year at the 2023 MG ALBA Scots Trad Awards, and for Musician Of The Year at the 2022 Awards.
Ryan brings new life to very old, often forgotten tunes by playing them in his own unique way. He sings through the fiddle and his playing is often described as poetry without words. Ryan’s music is brimming with fresh melodic ideas, an uplifting rhythmic drive and a great depth of dynamics and precision. His sound is very distinctive and takes the listener on an emotional and adventurous journey in any performance.
Ryan holds both a first class honours and a Masters degree from the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, was twice a finalist in the BBC Radio 2 Young Folk Awards, and twice a finalist in the prestigious BBC Radio Scotland Young Traditional Musician of The Year. He was awarded ‘Up And Coming Artist Of The Year’ at the Scots Trad Awards in 2017, nominated for the Horizon Award at the BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards 2018 and awarded Folking.com's Musician Of The Year title, also in 2018.
Further MG Alba Scots Trad Music Awards nominations include Album Of the Year, and Folk Band Of The Year. Ryan Young was also the only UK artist selected to perform at the prestigious World Music conference, WOMEX, in 2019.
Why are you involved in Scottish music?
Scottish music, for me, is like speaking a universal language. I feel so fortunate to have travelled far and wide in recent years but the response to the old tunes I'm playing seems to remain the same. There's an unexplainable familiarity, even though you might never have heard the tunes before. It's like a gateway into another time. I love Scottish music because of the way it helps to transport both the players and listeners to a different place where time stands still and you can forget the world, if only for a while.
Any particular career highlights?
A very recent highlight of mine was performing at Celtic Colours Festival in Cape Breton. It was like being in 'the land of the fiddle' and hearing an older way of playing that very much spoke to and moved me. I genuinely love whenever I get to play and travel though, and feel so lucky to have visited and performed at so many amazing places. I started 2024 by performing at Woodford Folk Festival in Australia. I will never forget this experience and I'm already dreaming of when I might next get to return. It's a mystical, special place that I can't quite put into words.
What are your plans for the future?
I play to travel and perform as much as I can. You know the whole 'make hay while the sun shines' feeling. But, I'm very excited (and nervous) to record my third album which will not only be produced, but will also include some duets with fiddler, Martin Hayes, my musical hero.
Ryan Young Social Media
Website: http://ryanyoung.scot
Facebook: @RyanYoungFiddle
Twitter: @RyanYoungFiddle
Instagram: @ryanyoungfiddle
YouTube: @RyanYoungfiddle
TikTok: @ryanyoungfiddle
The 2024 MG ALBA Scots Trad Music Awards are on the 30th November 2024 in Inverness Leisure Centre! You will be able to watch it live in person (buy a ticket here). Watch it live in the UK at 9pm (GMT) on BBC ALBA and and around the world here. Bands performing on Saturday 30th November include Julie Fowlis, Skipinnish, Laura Wilkie and Ian Carr, Highland Young Musicians and Arc Fiddlers, An Dannsa Dub, BBC Radio Scotland Young Traditional Musician Award winner 2024 Calum McIlroy and more!
If you would like to support Hands Up for Trad in their work with Scottish trad music and musicians why not become a friend of Hands Up for Trad. In addition to our high profile events like the Scots Trad Music Awards, we also deliver a less well known, education programme for young people from 8yrs right through to young adults at the start of their careers. Read more here.
