Crieff violinist Briona Mannion performs before moving to Switzerland
A violinist who grew up in Crieff is said to be appearing on two local shows before moving to Switzerland.
Comrie-born and Crieff-raised Briona Mannion, 22, will perform solo sets of Beethoven’s music with the newly formed Caledonian Chamber Orchestra later this month.
Days later, Briona will leave for Switzerland to study violin at master’s level at the conservatory in Lausanne.
Her brother Finn Mannion, 20, has already completed his first year of cello studies in Basel, Switzerland, where he will return after playing in the orchestra for the shows in Comrie and Innerpeffray.
This feature looks at Briona’s background in music, how she coped with leaving home at the age of 11 and her thoughts on moving to Switzerland.
It is divided into the following sections:
- Violin group and folk pub
- Pains and gains of boarding school
- Switzerland and Royal Albert Hall
- Local shows and mother pride
Violin group and folk pub
It may come as a surprise that neither Briona nor Finn’s parents are classical music connoisseurs.
But Greg and Sarah got their kids involved Blackford Fiddle Group when they were about five years old. Here they saw musicians mastering traditional Scottish and Irish tunes by ear.
It was here that Briona picked up a violin for the first time when she was about six years old.
“Mom took me and gave me a tiny violin and taught me how to play Twinkle Twinkle,” she recalls.
Greg, who is Senior Lecturer in Environmental Studies at Stirling University, is a self-taught guitarist who has also taken her to traditional folk sessions The Tay Bank in dark
Pains and gains of boarding school
Bríona’s interest in music grew while visiting Crieff’s Ardvreck schoolwhere Sarah is an elementary school teacher.
She fondly remembers the music lessons given by Audrey Mattner, who discovered her gift for the violin and suggested that she audition for a music school.
briona duly auditioned for a place Music school St. Marien in Edinburgh. She was successful.
“I don’t think my parents expected me to come in,” she said. “When I was offered the job, they let me make the decision. I said I wanted to try it.”
That meant boarding 60 miles away at the age of 11, which some parents might have found awkward.
But Sarah said: “I work at a boarding school so I have experience of the kids settling in and I see how happy they are despite being separated from their parents.
“So it was never a problem to let my children on board.”
“I was really homesick”
At first it was still difficult.
“I was really homesick for the first year,” said Briona. “I was by far the youngest boarder.
“After the first year I settled in and got used to it a lot more. I had great friends there.
“There were only 35 boarders in the school so it felt like one big family and everyone looked after each other.”
A major influence in her years in Edinburgh was Professor Andrea Gajic,
“At St. Mary’s I was surrounded by all these people who loved classical music and were all so much better than me,” Briona added.
“It was really inspiring to watch and made me think maybe classical music would be something I could do with my whole life.”
“I try to create a sense of community”
She left St. Mary’s with three Advanced Highers and four Highers, all A grades but a C, but the top priority was music
Briona received a full scholarship to continue her violin studies at the Royal Academy of Music in London and graduated this summer with first class honours.
She said: “I studied with them Jack Liebeck which was amazing and completely changed the way I think about music.
“He always reminded me why we make music and what that means – especially during the pandemic when we weren’t playing in front of people at all.
“It was extremely helpful in inspiring me to keep going.”
So what is the meaning?
“It’s just about sharing beautiful music with as many people as possible and always trying to say something and tell a story with music,” said Briona.
“It brings people together and I try to create that sense of community.”
Switzerland and Royal Albert Hall
Next month, Briona will move to French-speaking western Switzerland and enroll in a two-year master’s program there Lausanne Conservatorywhere she is being tutored by a celebrated Ukrainian violinist Professor Svetlana Makarova.
“Because I’ve lived far from home I’m used to that part of it, but I’m still nervous about living abroad.
“My French still needs to be improved, but I’m very excited. Lausanne is very beautiful and is located directly on Lake Geneva. The whole of Switzerland is beautiful.»
She will also live in the same country as Finn, whose Alpine route also took him to Ardvreck and St Mary’s, but also via the Scandinavian cello school in Denmark.
“I’d like to perform a little more in Perthshire”
If moving abroad seems daunting, Briona has already proven she can conquer nerve on the biggest stages.
She has performed at some of the most prestigious venues in the world, including a Mozart concert I Musici di Parma and as a 15-year-old in the National Youth Orchestra of Great Britain for the BBC Proms at the sold-out Royal Albert Hall.
But Briona’s fondest memories are in the more intimate places.
“Often the most memorable concerts for me are when I can play with my friends and there are people I love in the audience. It’s often not about how many people are there,” she said.
“St John’s Kirk in Perth is a really nice place to play. I played a trio concerto with my brother and a pianist who is a very good friend.
“We did a concert there a few years ago and it was a great place to play. I’d like to do a little more performing in Perthshire – that would be really nice.”
Local shows and mother pride
Her wish will come true later this month when she will play a key role in two concerts of Beethoven music.
They will take place on Friday 26 August (7.30pm) at Comrie Parish Church and the following day at Innerpeffray Library (3pm).
The Caledonian Chamber Orchestra’s program includes the Coriolan Overture, Symphony No. 7 and the violin concertofor which Briona will make a solo effort
The orchestra is made up of around 20 young musicians, most of whom are graduates or are still studying at conservatories in the UK and Europe.
It is carried out by Edward LongstaffAcademic music teacher Purcell Music School. He is accompanied by tutors: Patrick Curlett and Rebekah Roberts.
The events are organized by Peter BanksHead of Science and Director of Studies at Ardvreck.
“Beethoven’s Violin Concerto is a great piece and one of my favorites,” said Briona. “The orchestra is fairly new. Peter Banks has managed to attract some great musicians, which is very exciting.
“One of his goals was to bring more classical music to places that don’t have as much or are too small to have as often. It’s an interesting program and something I think people will love.
“It’s going to be really incredible. My brother also plays and I have many friends and family who come. Comrie Church is literally across the street from where I was born and where I live. I’m really excited.”
“It suddenly became quiet in the house”
Sarah will be one of the proudest people in the room as she sees her kids in action this coming weekend.
“It’s not like we think they’re gifted or talented or brilliant or amazing or any of that,” she explained.
“We are proud to watch their work, their progress, their determination, their dedication and their ability to connect through their music.
“What we miss most when they live away is the sound of the music while practicing. I used to love walking around the house and listening to them practice any time of the day.
“It suddenly went quiet in the house. There used to be a cello in one room, a piano in one room and a violin in the other.
“Some of our old school teachers bought tickets to the shows. There’s really nice support for music in Crieff and Comrie.”
Click here to buy tickets for the shows
Already a subscriber? log in
[Crieff violinist Briona Mannion to perform before Switzerland move]
[[text]]