Eva is Northern Ireland’s ‘Young Musician of Year’

The final of the competition, which is sponsored by the Rotary Clubs of North Down, was held in the Harty Room at Queen’s on March 9.

Adjudicator Edwin Gray, head of music at Strathearn Grammar School, was impressed by the high standard of the entrants, but felt that Eva’s “breathtaking” performance of Julie-O, a modern piece for unaccompanied cello composed by the Californian cellist Mark Summer, made her the clear winner.

Over the last year Eva’s outstanding ability has been recognised in the instrumental championships at various musical festivals up and down Northern Ireland, most recently at Ballymena Festival where she won the prestigious Beggs and Partners instrumental competition.

She was also asked to play for the International Soroptimists at their convention in the Waterfront Hall Belfast last autumn.

Eva set off on her cello career at the age of nine while a pupil at Broughshane Primary School, where she was taught by Mrs. Heather Kyle.

Over the past five years she has continued her cello studies under the well-known soloist and NEELB tutor Mr. Scott Heron, and has gained additional experience in the Ulster Youth Orchestra and National Youth Orchestra of Ireland, in which she won a place at the age of 13.

Eva is the latest in a remarkable succession of local young people who have won the Northern Ireland Young Musician award, starting with Darren Scroggie (2002). Sam Law, also from Ballymena Academy, was the 2006 winner, and Cambridge House pupils Stephen Rankin and Craig Lutton achieved this distinction in 2009 and 2010 respectively, testifying to the remarkable musical talent in the borough and the quality of music teaching both in and out of local schools.