A HELENSBURGH woman with a passion for playing and teaching the harp has been shortlisted for a prestigious award.

Pippa Reid-Foster, an accomplished performer and composer, has been nominated for tutor of the year at the MG Alba Scots Trad Music Awards.

Pippa, who lives in Helensburgh, and was brought up there and in Kilcreggan, is one of five people nominated in the tutor category.

A graduate of the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, she released her first album Driftwood Harp last year.

Pippa taught and performed at the Edinburgh International Harp Festival last year and was a BBC Radio Scotland Young Traditional Musician semi-finalist in 2014.

She said: “I’m absolutely delighted to have been nominated for tutor of year at the awards.

“To be recognised for all my hard work and passion teaching the harp is very exciting.

“I have over 70 pupils who I enjoy passing my knowledge and skills on to.

“The students are of all ages and every single one of them comes to their lessons excited and full of enthusiasm. Long may this continue!”

Pippa runs monthly harp workshops, called Harp Bazaar, for all abilities and ages in Helensburgh alongside fellow harpist Heather Downie.

She also runs annual children’s camps, adults retreats for keen harpists and last year she organised a children’s harp competition where the final prize was a Camac harp.

She hopes the community will support her with their votes in the competition.

Also in the running for an award at the annual ceremony which celebrates the best of traditional Scottish music is fiddler Ryan Young from Cardross.

As the Advertiser reported last week, Ryan has released his debut album with triple Grammy award-winning Jesse Lewis.

It is now up for album of the year in the awards and Ryan, who was voted “up and coming artist of the year” at the 2016 awards, is looking for the community to get behind him and vote.

The winners of the MG Alba Scots Trad Music Awards will be announced at a ceremony at The Lagoon Centre, Paisley, on Saturday December 2, as part of the city’s bid to become UK City of Culture 2021.

Bands performing on the night will include Elephant Sessions, The Shee Big Band, Siobhan Miller, Tidelines, Paisley Fèis, Snuffbox, The Seamus O’Sullivan Experience and Lori Watson.

To vote for Pippa and Ryan in the awards go to surveymonkey.co.uk/r/TradAwards2017

Meanwhile, Pippa took 12 of her harp students to the Royal National Mod in Lochaber last month – and was delighted to see several return home with prizes.

The local clarsach medal winners were as follows.

Post beginner solos – Charlotte Dougan (Hermitage Primary), silver medal; intermediate 2 solos – Jessica Noble (Hermitage Academy), bronze medal; advanced solos – Chiara Robertson (Lomond School), bronze medal; duets 13-18 - Chiara Robertson and Jessica Noble,silver medal; advanced adult solos - Morag Phillips (gold medal), Anne Stephen (silver medal); ensemble class - Harp Bazaar (gold medal).