First Residency at Grinneabhat

Our first residency starts this week with the arrival of Glasgow based Lithuanian composer and researcher Ruta Vitkauskaite.

Ruta’s work spans from ensemble and orchestral, to collaborative opera in the dark, to experimental projects for one listener. Her interest in community projects resulted in Walking Opera and currently she is running CoMA – Contemporary Music for All, Glasgow branch. She has recently received a PhD in Composition at the Royal Academy of Music in London.

The two-week residency is hosted by Grinneabhat and run by An Lanntair. Ruta will be working collaboratively with Shawbost-based musicians and composers James and Katie Mackenzie as well as hoping to learn more about Gaelic culture and traditions. James is a graduate of the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland's Piping Degree Course. In 2019, James won the Silver Medal for Piobaireachd at the Northern Meeting Piping Competition. A former member of folk band ‘Breabach’, James is also a member of ‘Tryst’. He has produced three solo albums. His latest album ‘Fìbhig’ was released in December.

Katie is a Gaelic singer and harpist. She studied at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, specialising in Gaelic Song with Kenna Campbell. Katie has released one album to date, The Lassies Reply, which was nominated for Album of the Year at the Scots Trad Awards.

The residency will culminate in a concert featuring Ruta, Katie and James at Grinneabhat on 5th February. For more details please contact jon@lanntair.com.