Biography
Roya MacLean, (17) from Muir-of-Ord in the Scottish Highlands, has been playing the accordion since the age of 7, under the tuition of Alan Roy. She originally started off in the traditional dance band scene and also playing classical accordion music. She has been competing at competitions throughout Scotland for a few years playing Scottish and Classical music and has been very successful winning competitions at both Junior and Senior level including the Senior Ladies Traditional Scottish Championship and the Senior Classical Scottish Championship. She has also won the Scottish Trio Championship for the past two years with Graham and Alison MacKenzie from Inverness.
In 2005, at the age of 15, she became the youngest ever nominee for National Accordion & Fiddle Club’s “Guest Artiste of the Year� which was voted for by the audiences of the clubs. In July 2005, Roya went to France (by invitation) to attend a course under the tuition of 2 previous World Champions Domi Emorine and Roman Jbanov, which really improved her classical technique. Summer 2005, she was in the Fèis Rois Ceilidh Trail run by Rita Hunter, which she found very enjoyable and it introduced her to a completely new style of traditional music and musicians which was of great benefit to her playing. Roya launched her debut CD in July 2005 called “Out of the Shadows�. The CD was recorded in Wick by Addie Harper Jnr in which Roya plays accordion as well as piano and is accompanied by Grant Lyall (from Wick) on drums.
Over the years, Roya has been influenced by many players including her grandfather, button box player Fraser MacLean and piano tutor Allan Leckie. She now plays as a solo Guest Artist at a lot of Accordion & Fiddle Club’s throughout the country and many other functions and continues to be involved with Fèis Rois as well as being an accompanist (2nd box and piano) in Scottish Dance Bands which she enjoys. She is currently studying her last year in school at ‘Sgoil Chiùl na Gà idhealtachd’ in Plockton, as she is hoping to have a career in music.