Shetland-Music.com

Harris Playfair was born in Lerwick, and attended the Anderson High School in Shetland until joining St. Mary's Music School, Edinburgh where he studied piano and composition with Colin Kingsley and Geoffrey King.

Harris Playfair

In 1980 Harris attended the Royal Academy of Music and Drama in Glasgow where he trained in classical piano with Gustave Fenyo winning many prizes and awards. After graduating with a BA.Mus.Ed., Harris went on to become a postgraduate student at the Royal Northern College of Music, Manchester as a piano student of Derrick Wyndham for the following three years. During this time he graduated with a Diploma in Advanced Musical Studies and finally with a PPRNCM, gaining an award with distinction for his programme of all 20th century piano music.

In 1990 Harris started a career in teaching, firstly in Orkney and subsequently in Kelso in the Scottish Borders as a member of the High School music department. In the two years prior to this, he travelled the world on cruise ships gaining performing experience playing a wide variety of musical styles, and also learning new skills as music director of shows and other on board productions.

After Orkney, where he re-connected with the Scottish and particularly Islands culture, Harris has continually strived to develop traditional music in Kelso High School, and in September 2003 the Kelso High School Celtic Group under Harris' musical direction performed at the inaugural BBC Traditional Music Awards Ceremony at the Queens Hall. This performance received a standing ovation and was broadcast on Radio Scotland. Since then groups and soloists from Kelso High School have performed on national television and on national and local radio. He also teaches at Newcastle University as a tutor on the Degree Course in Traditional Music and also regularly directs workshops both at local events and at national summer schools, including Folkworks Durham, and Tinto Summer School in South Lanarkshire.

Over the years Harris has performed in just about every conceivable line up and played most styles of music, from cotton club obig bands , to rock bands, performing as soloist with amateur orchestras to jazz ensembles and as of late, playing predominantly traditional music, as both an accompanist and ensemble director. Having said this, he still maintains a strong connection with Shetland and its musicians, and still regards the Lounge Bar, Lerwick and Perrie Willie Johnson as two of the most enduring influences on his life and approach to music!

In 2005 harris accompanied Jenna Reid on her debut album "with Silver and All" and is currently official accompanist for the BBC Young Traditional Musician of the year, and to make sure the grass doesn't grow under his feet he performs with Kilter Ceilidh Band every weekend!
Future projects for Harris include continuing to promote the exciting young borders band Junction Pool, who have just recorded their eponymous debut album which has received outstanding reviews.
Other exciting projects include "Ceol Mor" - Scotlands junior answer to the Unusual Suspects folk big band, which had an extremely successful debut performance at the Aberdeen International Youth Festival in August.
This group are set to make as big an impact as their more senior counterparts. As music director, Harris hopes that this group will take their rightful place as Scotlands next national youth performing ensemble and give an invaluable experience to the collective of young musicians from around Scotland who are lucky enough to be involved.

Next year he has already been invited to teach at the sunshine coast summer school in Vancouver and hopes to organize a Junction Pool tour.

Maybe the year after he will take time out, but he doesn't count on it!