Evelyn Glennie

Evelyn Glennie is the first person in history to successfully create and sustain a full-time career as a solo percussionist, performing worldwide with the greatest orchestras, conductors, and artists. Besides playing the first percussion concerto in the history of The Proms at the Albert Hall in 1992, Glennie has also been a leading commissioner of new works for solo percussion with more than 200 pieces to her name. She has worked with esteemed musicians such as Steve Hackett, Bela Fleck, Bobby McFerrin, and Mark Knopfler, and even collaborated with Björk on the album Telegram, co-composing "Oxygen."

Glennie's solo recordings, which now exceed 30 CDs, are as diverse as her career on stage. Notably, she has engaged in various film and theatre works, composing music for the film Sound of Metal directed by Darius Marder, the Royal Shakespeare Company's production of "Troilus and Cressida," and collaborated with Underworld and Danny Boyle on the soundtrack to the Opening Ceremony of the London 2012 Olympic Games, where she also performed. Her musical contributions extend to charity work, as she is a patron of the music charity Sound World and composed a new piece called "The Grace of Silence" for their Coronavirus Fund for Freelance Musicians.

Over her prolific career, Glennie has been recognized with numerous prestigious accolades, including the Polar Music Prize in 2015, the Léonie Sonning Music Prize in 2023, a double Grammy award winner, and a BAFTA nominee. She also received an OBE in 1993, was promoted to Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire (DBE) in the 2007 New Year Honours, and was appointed to the Order of the Companions of Honour (CH) in the 2017 New Year Honours. In 2021, she was named Chancellor of Robert Gordon University.

Beyond her music, Glennie has also written an autobiography titled "Good Vibrations" and appeared on television shows such as "ZingZillas" and "Sesame Street." Known for her commitment to music education and advocacy, she conducts master classes and consultations and engages in motivational speaking. She is an Ambassador of Sistema Scotland, President of Help Musicians, and was appointed Music Rights Champion by the International Music Council in October 2016. Nowadays, Glennie is focused on creating the Evelyn Glennie Archive Collection, aiming to open a center that embodies her mission to Teach the World to Listen.