Evelyn Glennie facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Dame Evelyn Glennie CH DBE
Glennie at Moers Festival 2004
Background information
Birth name	Evelyn Elizabeth Ann Glennie
Born	(1965-07-19) 19 July 1965 (age 59) Methlick, Aberdeenshire, Scotland
Occupation(s)	Musician
Instruments	Percussion
Awards	Polar Music Prize (2015) Léonie Sonning Music Prize (2023)

Dame Evelyn Elizabeth Ann Glennie (born 19 July 1965) is an amazing Scottish musician. She is famous for playing percussion instruments. She was given the Polar Music Prize in 2015, which is a very important award for music.

Evelyn Glennie's Early Life

Evelyn Glennie was born in Methlick, a town in Aberdeenshire, Scotland. The traditional music of northeast Scotland helped her become the musician she is today. She first learned to play the piano and the clarinet. Later, she studied at Ellon Academy and the Royal Academy of Music in London.

She was part of the National Youth Orchestra of Scotland. She also played in the Cults Percussion Ensemble, which her teacher Ron Forbes started in 1976. They even toured and recorded an album!

Evelyn Glennie's Music Career

Evelyn Glennie travels all over the world. She performs as a solo artist with many different orchestras. She also works with electric musicians. Evelyn teaches music classes and gives inspiring talks. She often asks composers to create new music just for percussion instruments.

Did you know she also plays the Great Highland Bagpipes? She even has her own special tartan pattern! It is called "The Rhythms of Evelyn Glennie."

In 2012, Evelyn performed at the Opening Ceremony of the Olympic Games in London. She led a thousand drummers in the first song, And I Will Kiss. She also played a special instrument called the Glennie Concert Aluphone. This was during the part of the ceremony when the Olympic cauldron was lit.

Evelyn Glennie supports a music charity called Sound World. In 2021, she became the Chancellor of Robert Gordon University. This is a very important role at a university.

How Evelyn Glennie Hears Music

Evelyn Glennie started losing her hearing when she was 8 years old. She has been profoundly deaf since childhood. But this does not stop her from performing! She often plays barefoot during concerts and recordings. This helps her feel the music through her body.

Evelyn believes that people often misunderstand deafness. She explains that her teacher, Ron Forbes, taught her to "hear" with other parts of her body. For example, she could feel the high drums from her waist up. She felt the low drums from her waist down. Evelyn has written about her experiences in an essay called "Hearing Essay" on her website. She also gave a TED talk called "How To Truly Listen." Her speeches and writings are in her book Listen World!.

Working with Other Musicians

Evelyn Glennie has worked with many famous musicians. She played on Icelandic singer Björk's album Telegram. They performed a song together called "My Spine." Evelyn also helped write a song called "Oxygen."

She has also collaborated with musicians like Steve Hackett (from Genesis), Bela Fleck, Bobby McFerrin, Mark Knopfler, and Kodō.

In 2012, she worked with the band Underworld and Danny Boyle. They created the music for the Opening Ceremony of the London 2012 Olympic Games.

In 2018, Evelyn composed music for a play called Troilus and Cressida. This was for the Royal Shakespeare Company. She also started touring with an experimental jazz group called Trio HLK.

In 2020, Evelyn worked with the charity Sound World again. She wrote a new piece called "The Grace of Silence." This music helped raise money for musicians during the Coronavirus pandemic. She also composed music for the film Sound of Metal.

Evelyn Glennie has a huge collection of percussion instruments. She owns over 3500 instruments from all over the world! She is always adding to her collection.

Awards and Honors

Evelyn Glennie has received many awards for her amazing talent:

• Royal Philharmonic Society's Best Soloist of the Year (1991)
• Grammy Award (1989)
• Scot of the Year (1982)
• Queen's Commendation prize (1985)
• Leonardo da Vinci International Art Award (1987)
• Scotswoman of the Decade (1990)
• Best Studio and Live Percussionist from Rhythm Magazine (1998, 2000, 2002, 2003 & 2004)
• Walpole Medal of Excellence (2002)
• Fellowship of the Royal Academy of Music (2002)
• Honorary Doctorate from Heriot-Watt University (2002)
• Honorary Fellowship from Homerton College, Cambridge (2016)
• Musical America Instrumentalist of the Year (2003)
• Sabian Lifetime Achievement Award (2006)
• Percussive Arts Society: Hall of Fame (2008)
• Polar Music Prize (2015)
• Grammy Award (2014)
• Léonie Sonning Music Prize (2023)

She has also received 29 honorary doctorates from universities. She was made an Officer of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (OBE) in 1993. Later, she became a Dame Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (DBE) in 2007. In 2017, she was appointed to the Order of the Companions of Honour (CH). These are very high honors in the United Kingdom.

Discography (Albums)

Films and Books

• Touch the Sound (2004): This film is about Evelyn Glennie and her music.
• Good Vibrations: My Autobiography: Evelyn's own story.
• Listen World!: A collection of her speeches and writings.
• Listen: How Evelyn Glennie, a Deaf Girl, Changed Percussion: A children's book about her life.

Television Appearances

• ZingZillas (2010): She appeared in two episodes, playing tubular bells and the waterphone.
• Sesame Street (2001): She played percussion with Oscar the Grouch's band.
• 2012 Summer Olympics opening ceremony (2012): She led a group of 1,000 drummers.

Images for kids

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See also

In Spanish: Evelyn Glennie para niños