Dame Evelyn Glennie CH

Evelyn Glennie grew up on a farm in the north-east of Scotland. Despite the decline of her hearing from the age of eight, Evelyn studied percussion and piano at the Royal Academy of Music in London.

Evelyn paved the way for orchestras globally to feature percussion concerti when she played the first percussion concerto in the history of the Proms at the Royal Albert Hall in 1992.

Evelyn has commissioned more than 200 pieces from many of the world’s most eminent composers. She is also a double Grammy winner and BAFTA nominee. Her solo recordings currently exceed 40 CDs. She also curates The Evelyn Glennie Collection which includes more than 3800 percussion instruments.

One of her professional highlights was leading 1000 drummers at the Opening Ceremony of the London 2012 Olympic Games, where she collaborated with Director, Danny Boyle. The Evelyn Glennie Podcast was launched in 2020.

Evelyn was awarded an OBE in 1993 and has more than 100 international awards. She is only the third person to hold the title of President of Help Musicians and, since 2021, has been Chancellor of Robert Gordon University. She is the patron of several charities, and regularly participates in events to raise money and awareness for diverse causes.

Continuing her life-long mission to Teach the World to Listen, she founded The Evelyn Glennie Foundation in 2023, which aims to improve communication and social cohesion by encouraging everyone to discover new ways of listening to inspire, to create, to engage, and to empower.