C.V. Scott Heron M.Mus (Performance) with Distinction, B. Mus (hons), A.T.C.L., Dip ABRSM.
Scott Heron was born in Belfast and began studying the cello with David Burrowes at the age of ten. At the same time Scott was a chorister at Bangor Parish Choir, and later went on to study with Neil Martin and then at the City of Belfast School of Music with Janet Ferguson & John O’Kane. As Principal cellist of the Youth Orchestra he performed Faure’s ‘Elegy’ in France and Holland.
After leaving Bangor Grammar School in 1989, he was awarded a scholarship to study the cello with David Strange at the Royal Academy of Music, London, where Scott’s grandfather had studied the organ. He then transferred to the University of Ulster, Jordanstown, where he completed his undergraduate degree in Music, studying cello with Graham Nelson and Aisling Drury Byrne In Dublin. In 2006 Scott completed his Masters in Performance, at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama, where he obtained a distinction and won several prizes, while studying with renowned cellist Robert Irvine.
Scott is also interested in contemporary music . He recorded Bill Campbell’s ‘Shift’ in 1998 with violinist John Fitzpatrick. In 2002 Scott was invited by the composer to record and perform Ian Wilson’s ‘The Falling Upwards off Things with the BBC. Scott was invited by the composer Peter Rosser to perform his Pied No.1-5 for Soprano and cello at ‘No Alibi’s’ bookshop in Belfast. Scott performed Simon Mawhinney’s ‘Qalban Tahiran’ at The Harty Room & Antoine Rivoire’s ‘Metropolis’ in Londonderry in 2004. . Whilst at the Royal Academy, Scott was given the opportunity to play with the ‘Hebrides Ensemble’ in the Academy’s ‘Side by Side’ project in a performance of Ligeti’s ‘Chamber Concerto’in 2006. While there he performed the Korngold Cello Concerto (from the 1946 movie Deception)with ‘The Royal Scottish National Orchestra.’He was a member of the contemporary music group ‘The Brian Irvine Ensemble’ for 11 years, a contemporary music band with 14 members. They. Made 2 albums and appeared in many international festivals and toured Great Britain, Ireland, France, Portugal, Poland, Belgium, Cyprus, Malta, Russia, & the USA, including the Library of Congress in Washington DC in 2007. In 2008 Scott was invited to take part in ‘Stringfest’ along with his teacher Robert Irvine. They performed Vivaldi and also ‘The Tree o’ Licht’ by William Sweeney, which was a world premiere. In 2013 Scott arranged and composed the epic ‘Dr Who Meets the Martians’ with Matthew Lenaghan for cello orchestra, band, choir . He improvised with the use of a Boss RC-300 loopststion.
As a freelance player in Ireland, Scott has played with numerous orchestras including the RTE Symphony Orchestra, RTE Concert Orchestra, Ulster Orchestra, and Castleward Opera & has performed at the Wexford Opera. Scott was a member of Barry Douglas’ ‘Camerata Ireland’ and traveled with them to London, Finland, Mexico, France and Dublin. He has worked on many shows including West Side Story, The Wizard of Oz, Sunset Boulevard (on tour from London), and Gilbert & Sullivan. Scott has played in the string sections of Daniel O’Donnell & Mary O’Hara. Scottwas on the first Celtic Woman Show In 2004 and was part of the orchestra that recorded the ‘Celtic Woman A New Journey Live at Shane Castle’ dvd. Scott has played Continuo in St John’s and St Matthew’s Passion in the Ulster Hall.
Scott has played the Dvorak Cello Concerto with ‘The University of Ulster Orchestra’, and the Dvorak and Elgar concertos with ‘The Studio Symphony Orchestra’. He played the Elgar Cello Concerto with The Worth Abbey Symphony Orchestra and performed Faure’s Elegy & Bruch’s ‘Kol Nidrei’ with The New Irish Orchestra in the Waterfront Hall. He performed the Vivaldi ‘Double’ Cello Concerto and a cello duo arrangement of Paganini’s ‘Moses’ Variations with his teacher Robert Irvine in 2005. In 2008 Scott performed Tchaikovsky’s ‘Rococo’ Variations with The Glasgow Sinfonia. Scott performed the Brahms ‘Double’ Concerto with The City of Belfast Youth Orchestra and violinist Alan McClure. Scott played the Vivaldi Violin & Cello concerto in B flat Major, RV547 with violinist Rebekah Durston and the Ballymena Chamber Orchestra (2008). At Stringfest in 2008 at The Royal Academy of Music in Glasgow, Scott performed as part of a ‘Cellobration’ cello quartet with his teacher Robert Irvine, Gary Walker, and Colin Carr. Scott has participated in many masterclasses/lessons with Steven Diane, Phlllis Young, Lionel Handy, Alexander Baillie, Julian Lloyd Webber, Pierre Doumenge, Louise Hopkins, Johannes Goritzsky, Don McCall, Clive Greensmith, John Chillingworth, Rupert Anthony Thompson, Troy Stewart.
Scott also does chamber music recitals and performances around Northern Ireland, including The Brahms E minor & Bridge sonata at the Harty room, the Antrim Choral Society in 2019, and various church recitals. He featured in BBC’s ‘Compose Yourself’ series, and has recorded for the BBC, and was a solo artist on John Toals ‘Sounds Classical’ for Radio Ulster. In the Summer of 2005, Scott was awarded a full scholarship to attend the Applehill Centre for Chamber Music, USA. While at The Royal Academy of London, Scott had chamber music classes with the 2nd violinist of the Amadeus String Quartet, Siegmund Nissel. Scott was a founding member of The ‘Dennison’ String Quartet for over 20 years. They made 2 tours of the UK with Sir Yehudi Menuhin’s ‘Live Music Now!’ scheme and were part of Music network’s Musicwide scheme, sponsored by E,S.B., and performed around Ireland. They were approached by the eminent Irish composer James Wilson to premiere his 2nd string quartet. They appeared frequently on both radio and television, and recorded the music for the award winning film “The Field of Bones” for UTV, and “Fatal Extraction” for the BBC. They recorded and performed for several artists including the rock group ‘Leah’, singer/songwriter/author ‘Stephan Hanvey”, Ken Haddock.
Scott was a regular tutor on annual summer chamber music courses for Nikki Johnston for 11 consecutive years and also with Rebekah Durston in Ballymena.
Scott was a conductor for the Intermediate Chamber Orchestra ( ICE ) and the String Orchestra at the scott of Belfast School of Music, conducting in the Ulster Hall. He also took the cello sections rehearsals for the Training Orchestra and has been a cello tutor with the Education Authority, North Eastern Youth Orchestra for the past 9 years.
As a session musician Scott has appeared as soloist, in string quartets, and with orchestras, in many cd’s, appeared on radio, and frequently appeared on UTV’s ‘Kelly Show’ with visiting artists such as ‘Secret Garden’, Martine McCutcheon and Robson & Jerome. Scott also recorded with Irish Film Orchestra, under the baton of Elmer Bernstein. Scott has recorded with many orchestras including Camerata Ireland, The RTE National Symphony Orchestra and the Ulster Orchetra. Scott was part of Phil Coulters band in his ‘Timeless Tranquility’ album in 2008, and in live shows and has recorded with Brian Kennedy. Scott often records ‘A’ level and Higher National Diploma music student compositions at the Metropolitan Tec, Belfast, Bangor, and Antrim Grammar School, as well as composers setting music to film at The Tolbooth Theatre, Stirling with Brian Irvine.
Scott is a committed teacher. As a freelance tutor he taught at the City of Belfast School of Music for 14 years and in primary, secondary schools, also 3rd level institutions ( Queens University Belfast). In 2010, Scott became a member of the the NEELB Music Service as a peripatetic instrumental tutor, and currently teaches in 11 schools within the Board. Since 2003, Scott has been the director of the ‘Spike People Choir’ – an innovative ensemble of approximately 90 student cellists and bassists – which he has run privately and in conjunction with the NEELB for many years. In 2017 Scott created ‘String Maestro’, an online string community, with videos on Youtube & Facebook specialising in ABRSM & Trinity exam repertoire.
Scott is also a committed member of the worship team at Dunmurry Presbyterian Church. He works frequently with Johnny Rea of New Irish Orchestra in recordings and concerts. He has also recorded for ‘Songs of Praise’, worked with Ian White & Andy Flannigan and Brother David Jardines Prayer Healing Ministry
