Phamie Gow

Phamie Gow is a composer, singer, harpist, pianist, accordionist and recording artist.[3]

Phamie Gow
BornScottish Borders, Scotland[1]
GenresInstrumental, classical/Celtic crossover, folk, world, jazz
Occupation(s)Musician, composer, singer-songwriter, producer, musical director, creative director
InstrumentsHarp,(acoustic and electric), piano, voice[1][2]
Websitewww.phamiegow.com

Early life and education

Phamie was born in the Galashiels District of the Scottish Borders.[4] She first publicly performed at Moffat Academy at the age of 12 after teaching herself to play the Celtic harp in 6 months using a tutor book and cassette.[2] In her teens she later studied piano with famed composer and concert pianist Ronald Stevenson. At only 16 years old Phamie was one of the first to be accepted to study a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Scottish Music at The Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama (now the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland) in Glasgow, Scotland whilst continuing to study classical piano. Her first commission as a composer was at the age of 16 for a local short film on the Millenium when she wrote 'Annandale' which is featured on 'Moments of Time' cd. . Phamie left home at the age of 17 and soon was one of the first winners of the 'Danny awards' in Glasgow's Celtic Connections festival which resulted in Phamie's second commission as a composer and wrote 'Lammermuir' featuring the likes of Alasdair Fraser, Eric Rifler, Mairi Campbell etc. She also performed centre stage in the main hall at the Glasgow Royal Concert Hall opening for Seaumus Heaney and Liam O Flynn. 'Lammermuir'later became Phamie's second album which she licensed at the time to Greentrax from Wildfire Records, of which she is CEO of now.[1]

Music

Phamie released her debut album, Winged Spirit, when she was 19.[5] She has been invited as a headlining musician to perform all over Europe, the United Kingdom, North and South America (Brazil, Chile, Argentina, Paraguay) Canada, and China, She has lived in London (England), Barcelona (Spain), Montpellier (France), New York (USA) and Edinburgh (Scotland).

Her latest album, 9th release, ‘’Beyond the Milky Way’’ was chosen for Classic FM's Drive Discovery, and was described on Alan Titchmarsh' show as being his Great British discovery. The piano solo composition ‘’Sweet Frederik’’ reached over 10 million plays on digital platforms in less than a year. Her eighth album, Softly Spoken, was chosen as "Album of the Week" by John Suchet at Classic FM. Her seventh, released in August 2012, The Angels' Share which includes The Edinburgh Suite, was a commissioned work featuring Classic Brit Award winners, the Royal Scots Dragoon Guards and the London Metropolitan Orchestra, recorded in Metropolis Studios, Chiswick, London.[6] A composition from the album was incorporated and choreographed for The Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo in 2012, and was also broadcast on BBC 1 TV. Phamie's work has been featured on the BBC 4 TV documentary about Royal Scots Dragoon Guards.

Phamie has performed around the world on such occasions as the Opening of the fourth session of the Scottish Parliament in Edinburgh in July 2011,[7] where Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom was present; the Closing Ceremony of the London Olympics 2012 in Scotland House, Pall Mall, London, commissioned by the Scottish Government and Creative Scotland. Phamie has performed for the Dalai Lama; Princess Anne and sang with The St Giles Cathedral Choir for The Order of The Thistle Her Majesty the Queen.

She had previously starred in Tapeire, a sell out show on Broadway, which led to her performing on the Regis and Kelly Show in the USA. Phamie has worked and collaborated with many international artists such as Philip Glass (USA), Carlos Núñez (Spain), Marisa Monte (Brasil), Ashley MacIsaac (Canada), and Alan Stivell (France).

Phamie was commissioned to write and musically direct the Vox Motus production of The Infamous Brothers Davenport, which had a run of 32 performances in Edinburgh's Royal Lyceum, Glasgow's Citizen's Theatre and the Eden Court Theatre in Inverness.[8]

Phamie is founder and chief executive officer of Wildfire Records and Publishing,

Her piano piece War Song has been released on numerous Classic FM/Universal compilation albums and is probably her more famed composition. Her works on piano are regularly given airplay on Classic FM.[3]

She was officially the number one most played Artist in Caffè Nero for over two years.

Another commissioned work by Hector Christie was to compose The Death of Tibbie Tamson to raise awareness of this Scottish Borders' story.[9]

Charity Concerts

Phamie was the first World Peace Tartan Ambassador promoting peace in the world from the heart of Scotland.[10][11] She is an ambassador for Nordoff-Robbins music therapy.[12] In 2010 Phamie organised benefit concert 'A Cry Out for Chile', with the money raised going to the Chilean Red Cross and the Victor Jara Society to help victims of the earth quake and tsunami there.[13] In 2008 Philip Glass invited her to take part in the 'Tibet House Benefit Concert' at the Carnegie Hall in New York. She performed with Band of Horses, Marisa Monte, Ashley MacIsaac, and Ray Davies.[2]. She also sang in Mahler's Symphony no 8 in the Carnegie Hall, New York in January 2013.[14] In 2015 she won the kindred spirit award for music.

Commissions
  • 1997: commissioned to write for the opening of the extension to Edinburgh Airport. 'Highflyer'
  • 1998: commissioned to write the sound track to a short film about Dumfries and Galloway. 'Annandale'
  • 1999: New Voices Commission for Celtic Connections, Glasgow, Scotland. 'Lammermuir'
  • 1999: commissioned to write the musical score for The Winters Tale theatre production directed by Hugh Hogart at The Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama. Glasgow. Scotland
  • 2000: commissioned to write a song for the Gaelic Choir of Edinburgh, Scotland.
  • 2000: commissioned to write the music for Le Roi Cerf by Le Petit Pied Theatre Company, Paris, France, directed by Josephine de Meaux
  • 2001: commissioned to write a composition for Real CD and wrote Death of Tibbie Tamson
  • 2001: commissioned to write sound track for Morpheus Theatre production of Pilot
  • 2002: commissioned to write the sound track for film Across the Waters by director Sana Bilgrami
  • 2011: commissioned to write The Edinburgh Suite by Tim Hollier of Atlantic Screen Music
  • 2012: commissioned by Vox Motus to write the sound track to the theatre production of The Infamous Brothers Davenport

Discography
  • 1999 – Winged Spirit
  • 2001 – Lammermuir
  • 2005 – Dancing Hands
  • 2007 – Moments of Time
  • 2008 – La Vida Buena – The Good Life
  • 2011 – Road of the Loving Heart
  • 2012 – The Angels' Share
  • 2013 – Softly Spoken
  • 2018 – Beyond the Milky Way
  • 2018 – "The Peace Farmer" (single-digital)
  • 2019 – ‘'The Sea Inside of Me' Single and EP
  • 2019 – ‘’Bu Tusa An Gaol’’
  • 2019 – ‘The Traveller’’
  • 2019 – ‘’In the Bleak Midwinter’’ single and EP

References
  1. Vallely, Joanna (6 February 2008). "A dream come true as Phamie makes a date with a legend – The Scotsman". The Scotsman. Retrieved 16 December 2013.
  2. "Gow, Gaga and Galloway". Daily Record. 25 February 2011. Retrieved 16 December 2013.
  3. "Phamie Gow: "I'm so in love with the piano!"". Classic FM.
  4. Scotland's People search for Phamie Gow (810/00 0020) http://www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk
  5. Veevers, Brendon (12 June 2011). "Album review: Phamie Gow – Road of the Loving Heart". RenownedForSound. Retrieved 16 December 2013.
  6. "The Angels' Share". Phamie Gow.
  7. "Information on the Open Afternoon on 1 July". Scottish Parliament.
  8. "2012: The Infamous Brothers Davenport in amongst many more commissions as a composer for theatre". Vox Motus.
  9. ""Scotland the Real": the Representation of Traditional Music in Scottish Tourism" (PDF). Glasgow University.
  10. "World Peace Tartan Ambassador". Phamie Gow.
  11. "World Peace Tartan 2014". Celtic Life International.
  12. "The American-Scottish Foundation® – Events". American Scottish Foundation.
  13. "A Cry Out for CHILE benefit concert : Edinburgh 13 March 2010". Hands Up ForTrad.
  14. "Gow wakes up and smells the coffee with Nero deal". Berwick Advertiser.


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