Biography
Judith Peacock stands out as a leading authority on the clarsach, Scotland’s traditional harp, having forged a distinctive path that unites the folk heritage of the Celtic Isles with the concert-hall tradition. As a founding member of the Whistlebinkies—one of the earliest ensembles to merge fiddle, bagpipe, and clarsach—she has appeared as soloist with the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, the Scottish Chamber Orchestra, and the Royal Scottish National Orchestra. During the late 1990s she joined forces with the renowned violinist Yehudi Menuhin for a special program devoted to Scottish fiddle repertoire. Additional partnerships have taken her into the classical sphere alongside the a cappella ensemble Capella Nova, the Glasgow Festival Strings, and the Scottish Ballet Company, while her studio credits include work with David Essex and Cutting Crew.
Raised in a Gaelic-speaking community outside Glasgow, Peacock began violin lessons at seven. Eight years afterward she turned to the clarsach and immediately recognized her truest musical identity. Following studies in early and modern Irish at Trinity College, Dublin, she moved to the Royal Academy of Music and Dance, where the late harper Sanchia Pielou guided her training. There she completed both a bachelor’s degree in music performance and a postgraduate certificate. She later pursued further study at Trinity College of Music in London, supported by scholarships from the Caird and Leche Trusts.
Raised in a Gaelic-speaking community outside Glasgow, Peacock began violin lessons at seven. Eight years afterward she turned to the clarsach and immediately recognized her truest musical identity. Following studies in early and modern Irish at Trinity College, Dublin, she moved to the Royal Academy of Music and Dance, where the late harper Sanchia Pielou guided her training. There she completed both a bachelor’s degree in music performance and a postgraduate certificate. She later pursued further study at Trinity College of Music in London, supported by scholarships from the Caird and Leche Trusts.