Abigail Young – violinist

Abigail Young is a freelance violinist and artist based in Glasgow. Having graduated from the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland in 2019, Abigail has worked with many of the professional orchestras and ensembles in Scotland, including the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, the Royal Scottish National Orchestra and the Scottish Ensemble. Abigail is a member of Turadh String Quartet, who gave their first performance at The Purcell Room in February 2020, and the Broen Ensemble, a young Glasgow-based ensemble committed to exploring string repertoire and commissioning new works. Throughout 2020/21, Abigail has been writing and recording new music based on Scottish traditions, together with her duo partner, cellist Balazs Renczes. Abigail is a self-taught artist, having picked up a paintbrush for the first time in 2020. She is fascinated by the relationship between music and art, and is excited to see where this connection takes her in her career.

What has creating art meant to you over the last year?

In March 2020, like many other freelancers, I had over a year’s worth of work wiped from my diary. Work as a musician is so much more than just a job, it’s an opportunity to express oneself and make sense of the world around you. The loss of being able to connect with others in performance has been very difficult to get used to. Discovering and developing my ability as an artist has provided me with a creative outlet where I can explore a new means of communicating my emotions during this difficult time.