Biography

Born and brought up in Aberdeenshire, Lliam is described as ‘a prodigious talent’ and ‘an irrepressible musician, both intellectual and practical’ possessing ‘artistic generosity’.

Lliam was a pupil first at Dyce Academy, Aberdeen and later at Edinburgh’s St Mary’s Music School where he studied composition, piano and horn. As a pianist, Lliam has been successful in competitions and festivals across the country and is considered to be a fine and gifted accompanist. He also plays the French horn to orchestral standard.

However, it is in his work as a composer where his prodigious musical talent is particularly evident. Lliam won a place on the National Youth Orchestra’s Composers’ Course for 2008-09. His compositions have been performed at the Sage, Gateshead, Leeds Town Hall, Aldeburgh, Royal Festival Hall, London and the RCM. In 2009 he won the Meadows Chamber Orchestra Commission Prize, who subsequently performed his piece at the Queen’s Hall, Edinburgh. In 2008 he won the Isobel Dunlop Composition Award. Both the Meadows Commission prize and the Isobel Dunlop Award were judged by James MacMillan.

Lliam is currently studying on the Music Tripos course at Fitzwilliam College, Cambridge. He has performed with the Cambridge University New Music Ensemble, given a solo piano recital in the Fitzwilliam College Chapel and in early 2010 will perform his commissioned piano trio with the contemporary ensemble CB3. The Fitzwilliam College Chapel Choir performed his Ave Maria in 2009. Lliam is currently working on a large-scale choral work for the Gordon Forum for the Arts.

How the Award Helped

The Dewar Arts Award will support Lliam’s studies at Cambridge.

After a busy and productive year during which Lliam was awarded the Padley Repetiteur Scholarship, the second prize in the Alkan Piano Competition and received numerous commissions for new compositions, his funding has been continued for a further year. After demonstrating progress in his second year, Lliam’s funding was extended for a third and final year.