On this page, Aileen introduces herself in her own words, and shares links to her music, her website, and her social media platforms. We warmly invite programmers and commissioners to take a closer look at Aileen's work, and please be in touch with us if you would like to connect with her.

About Aileen

'Hello! :) I’m Aileen, a composer and accordionist born and bred in Glasgow where I live and work now as a musician. I was brought up around Scottish and Irish folk music and dancing from a very young age which sparked my initial love of music. I first started learning tunes on the tin whistle before desperately begging to learn the accordion. My love of folk music has always stuck with me. I still play in folk bands and I think the fun and vibrancy that is naturally part of folk music's DNA seeps into my writing when composing for classical ensembles and orchestras. Despite other nonmusical interests influencing my music such as cosmology, nature and folklore, my music still seems to carry that energetic, folk-inspired flavour.

My musical tastes are always evolving and expanding, and nowadays artists like Anna Meredith really inspire me. She seems to effortlessly straddle genres and has a really infectious approach to music making which I really admire. Going forward, I can’t imagine myself fitting perfectly into a particular style or role. I see myself somewhere in between folk music and classical music, composer and performer, the concert hall and a gig venue, and I’m looking forward to cultivating this nomadic approach to music-making.'

Highlights

• Aileen's Accordion Concerto 'Winter' written for Neil Sutcliffe and The Glasgow Barons won the The PRS for Music Award for Large-scale Work at the Scottish Awards for New Music 2023.
• In 2023, Aileen's new work 'Glisk' was commissioned and performed by The City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra as part of their centenary celebrations.
• Described as a 'Rising Star' by BBC Music Magazine, 2022.
• Throughout 2022, Aileen worked with Britten Sinfonia on a new work for String Orchestra and a Percussion Concerto performed by Owen Gunnell.
• Aileen's other successes at the Scottish Awards for New Music in 2021 saw her piece 'Above the Stars', performed by The London Philharmonic, Orchestra, win the The PRS for Music Award for Large-scale Work, and her podcast Ear to the Ground, co-hosted with Ben Eames, win the RCS award for 'Making it Happen.'

Find out more

If you are interested in finding out more about Aileen, hearing and and keeping up to date with her work, take a look at her website and social media below:

• Website
• Twitter
• Instagram

The 2024 RPS Composers programme is made possible with support from RPS Members, Delius Trust, The Fidelio Charitable Trust, PRS Foundation's The Open Fund, the Radcliffe Trust, the Susan Bradshaw Composers' Fund, the Vaughan Williams Foundation and several anonymous donors.