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Seonaid Aitken

Seonaid ([i]pronounced "Shona"[/i]) Aitken is an award-winning Scottish violinist, vocalist, pianist, composer, orchestrator, and broadcaster. Classically trained at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama (London), Seonaid has played regularly with the Orchestra of Scottish Opera. She was awarded ‘Best Vocalist’ at the 2017 & 2018 Scottish Jazz Awards and, specialising in Gypsy Jazz, she performs extensively with her Scottish Jazz Award-winning ‘Best Band’ (2018) Rose Room, and as a guest with the Tim Kliphuis Sextet, Tokyo Django Collective, Swing 2020 and top jazz fingerstyle virtuoso, and former guitarist of Stephane Grappelli, Martin Taylor MBE. As a busy session musician, playing in classical/folk/country/jazz styles, Seonaid has recently appeared with Scottish artists Deacon Blue, Carol Kidd MBE, Hamish Stuart (Average White Band), Blue Rose Code, The GRIT Orchestra, James Grant and Eddi Reader and played violin/viola in the 2019-2020 touring production of Disney’s ‘The Lion King’. As an accomplished arranger and orchestrator, Seonaid’s work is featured in the BBC/Richard Curtis film adaptation of Roald Dahl’s ‘Esio Trot’ (starring Dame Judi Dench and Dustin Hoffman), the National Theatre of Scotland’s production ‘Dragon’, and has been commissioned by the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Scottish Chamber Orchestra, English Rock and Roll Orchestra, Capella String Quartet, Clockwork Sessions, Blue Rose Code, Roddy Woomble, John Goldie and the Red Hot Chilli Pipers. Seonaid also hosts a two-hour weekly jazz program on BBC Radio Scotland.