Congratulations to Blair Parham who has been nominated in the MG ALBA Scots Trad Music Awards 2025. Vote now! It’s going to be another great night at the MG ALBA Scots Trad Music Awards on Saturday 6th December in Aberdeen Music Hall. Why not join us for a brilliant night of music and awards. Buy a ticket here.
We asked Blair of Blair Parham the following questions.
Tell us about yourself
I’m the Director of Music and Conductor of the Scottish Fiddle Orchestra and founder of Scotia Arts, which runs projects including the Scottish Music Academy and collaborations with overseas networks, expanding the reach of Scottish Music. I am also one of the directors of the new Fresh Ayr Folk Fest, and have organised other non-trad music festivals and events in the past. Most of what I do sits somewhere between performance, education, and event management – making sure Scottish music keeps moving forward while staying rooted in what makes it ours.
Scotia Arts came about because I had a tonne of ideas and no real outlet for them. It pulls together people who can make things happen: musicians, teachers, promoters, agents, technicians, funders, and I try to build projects that actually reach an audience. That might mean setting up a new folk festival in Ayr, touring Scottish artists overseas, or building an online space for people to learn traditional music properly. Think of it as creative, organised chaos.
I’m fairly practical by nature. I like clear plans, working with good people, and seeing things done properly. I get a kick out of seeing an idea that started on a bit of paper turn into a full hall of people having a great night. The aim’s simple: keep Scottish music visible, sustainable, and taken seriously, without taking ourselves too seriously in the process.
Why are you involved in Scottish music?
I got involved in Scottish music because I couldn’t really avoid it. It’s what I grew up around and what I enjoyed the most.
It started with the Ayrshire Fiddle Orchestra, when I joined as a 10 year old, and then transitioned into spending years helping young players find their way. Once you’ve seen a hundred young people manage to play in tune, at the same time, you start to think anything’s possible. From there, it grew: more projects, more musicians, and gradually a life built around trying to give Scottish music the platform it deserves.
I’ve never been one for talking about preserving tradition. I’d rather see it played, taught, argued over and reimagined. If we’re still debating what counts as “traditional,” it probably means it’s alive and well.
So I suppose that’s why I’m still at it. It keeps me busy, keeps me learning, and keeps Scotland sounding like Scotland.
Any particular career highlights?
There have been a few moments that made me stop and think, “Well, that’s pretty cool.” Playing at the White House was one of them. Shea Stadium in New York was another – not the usual spot for a cellist from Ayr!
Performing in China to several thousand people was equally surreal, but the real highlight came later, standing in the audience in Shijiazhuang, watching 25 Scottish artists I’d brought together through Scotia Arts play their hearts out. Seeing that many top performers representing Scotland, halfway across the world, in a ‘small’ city of 12 million people, felt like a full-circle moment. To see the artists swarmed by an army of enthusiastic Chinese fans afterwards was something else!
Closer to home, I’m immensely proud of helping shape the Scottish Fiddle Orchestra’s growth, and seeing our latest album longlisted for Scots Trad Music Awards Album of the Year, (a first for the SFO), as well as launching Fresh Ayr Folk Fest. They’ve brought folk together, given new artists a stage, and proven that tradition doesn’t need to stand still.
There’s no single “best” bit, really. The best bits are the people you meet and the daft places the music takes you.
What are your plans for the future?
Most of what I’m planning is a continuation of what’s already working, just a bit bigger and hopefully a bit smarter.
With the Scottish Fiddle Orchestra, it’s about keeping standards high and audiences engaged. We’ve got players who care deeply about the music, and my job is to bring the best out of them, making sure everything works together.
Scotia Arts is where a lot of the new ideas live. I want to keep building partnerships that connect Scotland’s traditional music with audiences around the world, whether through collaborative tours and festivals, the Scottish Music Academy, Fresh Ayr Folk Fest, or projects that haven’t been invented yet.
There’s plenty of talent coming through, and if I can contribute even a tiny bit to help create the space and structure for it to thrive, that’ll do. Beyond that, I’ll keep doing what I’ve always done: try to make good things happen, and hopefully avoid too many disasters along the way…
Blair Parham Social Media
Website: https://scotiaarts.com/
Facebook:
Instagram:
YouTube:
TikTok:
The 2025 MG ALBA Scots Trad Music Awards are on the 6th December 2025 in Aberdeen Music Hall! 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. Hosted by Scottish personalities Alistair Heather and Mary Ann Kennedy, the night in the Granite City will also welcome live performances from some of the brightest lights on the thriving trad scene today including beloved singer Hannah Rarity, UK folk legends The Poozies, trad pop band Mec Lir and BBC Radio scotland Young Traditional Musician and Scots Performer o the Year Ellie Beaton and many 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.