Amy to return home for two concerts with seven-piece band
The talented piano player will perform a suite of Shetland-inspired music
AWARD-winning Shetland pianist Amy Laurenson returns to her home islands this weekend for a brace of concerts with a seven-piece band.
They will be performing a suite of isles-inspired music she composed last year and gave its first public airing before a packed audience at Glasgow’s Royal Concert Hall in January.
It comes as Laurenson’s professional touring career continues to go from strength to strength, including a nomination in the musician of the year category at next month’s MG Alba Scots Trad awards.
She will be bringing cellist Su-a Lee, violinist Matthew Tighe and percussionist Gregor Black with her from the Central Belt for shows at Mareel on Saturday night and at Hymhus in Bigton on Sunday.
They will be joined by Shetland-based Seth Travins on double bass, her uncle Norman Willmore on saxophone and Maggie Adamson on violin.
Laurenson’s solo career was kickstarted by her debut album Strands in 2024, and the septet will be dipping into new string arrangements for some of that repertoire along with almost an hour’s worth of music she composed for New Voices.
“Three people are chosen each year to write a New Voices commission or Celtic Connections,” she explained.
“I was lucky enough to get the shout about writing a New Voices last August (2025) – so spent the next five months putting together the band and writing 50 minutes of original music.
“My comfort zone has very much been in arranging music over composition so this was definitely a huge challenge for me.
“I knew I wanted it to be inspired by Shetland purely because Shetland is such a big part of my identity and I feel so much draw to this place I call home.”
Laurenson said the process was mixed, with some tunes built from improvisation, others from chord sequences, and other tunes that “came to me pretty complete”.
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“Loads were initially written over December last year looking out over Hoswick and after loads of sea swims at St Ninian’s.
“From there I finalised harmony then got to work writing string parts for each set, and a rough sketch for saxophone to be added.”
She added that some of the material voices “how I see the isles: there’s dark and dramatic sections, but also pretty open and sparse moments”.
“A few sets are also more trad-inspired with a tune focus and harmony that takes on some Shetland and Scandi flavours,” Laurenson added.
It is fair to say 2026 has been another hectic but rewarding year for Laurenson, 27, who is one half of the traditional duo LÉDA and has been performing in many different guises on a packed touring schedule that has taken in festivals from Estonia to Canada via France and Denmark.
Next year she plans to develop more new music with the trio Flit, also featuring Will Pound and Guro Kvifte Nesheim, and duo material with Norman.
She also hopes to record the New Voices music for release when time and money allows.
Thanks to this weekend’s two shows folk can hear how this flourishing musician – who has already earned nationwide recognition for her contributions to Scottish culture – has been inspired by her home islands’ natural world.
Neil Riddell of local non-profit promoter Ragged Wood, which is presenting the shows in association with Shetland Arts and the Bigton Collective, said: “Amy is incredibly hardworking and anyone who has seen her before will know what a dazzling and innovative musician she is.
“We’re excited and absolutely privileged that she’s bringing such an outstanding cast of players together. We’re also hugely grateful to everyone at Mareel and Hymhus for their support in making these unique shows possible.”
A limited number of tickets are still available for Amy Laurenson’s seven-piece ‘New Voices’ concerts at Mareel on Saturday (7 November) and Sunday (8 November) afternoon here.
Both shows will be opened by young trad group Forget Me Notes.
People can also vote for Laurenson in the 2026 Scots Trad Awards musician of the year category here.
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