Matthew Shiel
Artistic Director and Concert Pianist
'Matthew Shiel shone' (Three Weeks) and 'Matthew Shiel 'composed' a most enchanting concert. 5 stars!' (Edinburgh Guide) - reviewers are applauding Matthew for his unique, creative and fresh approach to music performance which push the boundaries of what a piano recital can be. Matthew Shiel is an award-winning concert pianist, Usher Hall and Live Music Now Scotland emerging artist who has performed at Usher Hall, The National Portrait Gallery of Scotland, St Gile's Cathedral (Edinburgh), The Glasshouse International Centre for Music (Newcastle) and Glasgow City Halls. Matthew is a graduate of the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland and has collaborated with festivals including the Åben Festival (Copenhagen), Music at Paxton (Berwick) and a sold-out show at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe.
Emma Shen
Artist-in-Residence
Emma Shen is a Chinese visual artist currently resident in Edinburgh, Scotland. She has collaborated with Disney, BBDO, FCB, Ogilvy and her illustrations, installations and paintings are exhibited internationally. Emma aims to capture the essence of emotions and imagination on canvases. Utilizing both traditional and digital tools, she uses luminescent colors, creative composition to unveil unique perspectives on the ordinary. Emma's illustrations, installations, and paintings are regularly showcased in exhibitions and commercial events internationally. Her work is a testament to the boundless possibilities of imagination and the ability to transform the mundane into captivating visual narratives.
emmayitongshen.com
Alastair Sim
Author-in-residence
Alastair Sim BA(Hons) (Oxford) MA MPhil FRSA is the acclaimed author of two internationally published novels: ‘Rosslyn Blood,’ a fast-paced thriller set round the mysteries of Rosslyn Chapel, and ‘The Unbelievers’ is a detective novel set in Edinburgh and the Highlands during the 1860s. Alastair has just completed a third novel of drug-smuggling and the occult on a Scottish island. After a senior career in government and universities, most notably the Director of Universities Scotland, he now enjoys leading ghost tours that unveil the secrets of Edinburgh Old Town to tourists. He has also performed as an actor in several successful stage productions, following in the footstep of his great uncle, the celebrated British actor Alastair Sim who played Scrooge in the original Dickens film ‘A Christmas Carol’ (1951).
Alfredo Caponnetto
Composer-in-residence
Dr Alfredo Caponnetto PhD studied music at the Conservatorio Vincenzo Bellini di Catania (Italy), Hochschule für Musik und Theater Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy (Germany) and The University of Edinburgh (UK), where he was awarded a PhD in composition. Alfredo has lectured at The University of Edinburgh and Edinburgh Napier University and composed the film score for Gregory Crosbie’s horror film ‘In Extremis’ (2014). Alfredo was a co-founder of the publisher Europa Edition and the Edinburgh Contemporary Music Ensemble, where he was appointed Director and Chairman. The Society for the Promotion of New Music shortlisted Alfredo as one of the best emerging talent in the UK and he is the recipient of a Dewar Arts Award.