Biography
Erin Thomson (b. 2000) is a Scottish composer from the outskirts of Glasgow whose work has recently been performed by the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Martyn Brabbins and was awarded the Musicians’ Company Silver Medal in 2022 at their installation dinner in Goldsmiths Hall, London. She is currently working on a new commission for the Malamatina Quartet which was premiered with the Glasgow Barons in March this year, which was kindly supported by the PRS Foundation's Open Fund. This exciting opportunity will include concert tours and recording projects in the UK and Canada.
Erin thrives for education and community outreach projects. This passion was sparked by her participation in Sir James MacMillan's Cumnock Tryst Festival, supporting Advanced Higher pupils to create their own compositions which were publicly performed by Mr McFalls Chamber. Erin was selected as one of the participating composers on the Engaged Composer Professional Development opportunity with Sound and Red Note, where she worked alongside 6 other UK based composers to enhance their knowledge and skillset and further curate their own community project in early 2022. Following this experience, Erin has continued to participate in numerous outreach programmes, supporting Sound Scotland and Red Note Ensemble in their work across Aberdeen and in Methil and Edinburgh.
Alongside her achievements with the BBC SSO and the Musicians’ Company, Erin was also awarded first prize for the 2021 Walter and Dinah Wolfe Memorial Composition Award for her work ‘Linger to Sea’ and she is the 2022 recipient of the Kimie Composition Prize, where she composed a new work, “The Graceful Art of Walking on Stilts” for the Campus Trio with support from Live Music Now and the Kimie Trust. This piece brought together her passions for composition and community work and was composed for children with additional support needs. Erin’s work has been performed across Scotland, in the prestigious Glasgow City Halls, Edinburgh's Usher Hall, in Aberdeen, St Andrews and Orkney. Erin's work has also received international acclaim, having collaborated with soprano Stephanie Lamprea to create “Dúthchas” which was performed at Roulette Intermedium in New York City in 2022.
Erin graduated from the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland in July 2021 having studied composition under the tutelage of Dr. Linda Buckley, she earned a first-class honours degree with an endorsement of Music Education with Distinction. Erin is currently studying her Masters in Music specialising in composition at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland under the tutelage of Dr Colin Broom which is kindly supported by the Scottish International Education Trust, the Cross Trust, the Caird Trust and an RCS Scholarship.