PRESS CUTTINGS 2008






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WHAT THE PEOPLE SAY...

Here are some of the comments the public have written (via youtube.com) to Phamie about her music....

"Chinese people say "i shin den shin" which means "from my heart to your heart"... as a candle lights an other candle. I think that your music is like that, direct to the heart. What you give is not just music, it's bread, food for the hungry.
I went with some friends to a show you gave in Chile, and I can tell you that everyone was happier after hearing your music, which makes you travel with the imagination to other places, and the most important, into the depths of oneself. Thanks!!"

"Phamie you´re not of this world... you re an angel..."

"Wow Phamie you are an amazing musician. You are extrodinarily talented and your sound is very beautiful. Thank you!"

"Wow this is some of the most beautiful music I have ever heard, it takes you to a different world."

"Phamie Gow is a godsend. Long may you compose!"


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PHOTOS (for High Resolution photos please email: mail@phamiegow.com)











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NEWSPAPER ARTICLES





"A dream come true as Phamie makes a date with a legend."

The Evening News. 6th February. 2008

By JOANNA VALLELY

HARPIST Phamie Gow could hardly believe her eyes as she scrolled down the lengthy text message from her dad. He had just had a call inviting his young Edinburgh-based daughter to perform at New York's famous Carnegie Hall with Oscar nominated composer Philip Glass.
The 28-year-old had met the composer of soundtracks for The Hours, starring Nicole Kidman, and Martin Scorsese's Kundun, through a mutual friend just weeks before. But working with Glass, who has been cited as an influence by rock stars David Bowie and Brian Eno, was something of which Phamie, a talented composer herself, had only dreamed.

Speaking from Montpellier, France, where she is giving masterclasses in the harp, Phamie exudes excitement: "It was like something out of a dream when my dad texted me. I'd always hoped that I would one day have the opportunity to play at Carnegie Hall. It will be my biggest gig so far."

Appearing in next Wednesday's Tibet benefit concert, directed by Glass and featuring stars including Ray Davies of The Kinks, is the latest high in Phamie's career, which has seen the self-taught harpist rise from playing at a school concert aged 12, to performing on Broadway with hit Celtic tap show Tapeire.

It was her co-star in Tapeire, fiddle player Ashley MacIsaac, a long-time friend of Glass, who introduced them. "Ashley and I were in East Village, where Philip lives, so we called in on him at his house," explains Phamie, "It is really big, with a grand piano in the living room. On his bookshelf the whole of world music is covered and there's a big photo of Philip with the Dalai Lama."

Seeing the holy man's picture reminded her of when she performed in front of Tibet's spiritual leader at the Usher Hall during his visit to Edinburgh in 2004. But modestly, she didn't mention the connection to Glass immediately. "I didn't tell him at that moment because when you meet someone so famous you don't want to talk about yourself. But I thought that was amazing," she confides.

After coming to see Tapeire, Glass invited Ashley and Phamie for lunch, and was able to give Phamie some useful advice. "He was asking me what I wanted to do and I told him it was my big dream to write music for movies and TV. He said I needed to be in the right place, which he told me was Hollywood. He was very easy to talk to and gave me his number and e-mail and said to keep in touch."

Despite Glass' advice to move to Hollywood, for the moment Phamie, who was born in the Scottish Borders, is maintaining her Bruntsfield flat and continuing to work to raise her profile in Europe. She spent nearly two years in Barcelona and has just recorded her fifth solo album which has a Spanish title, La Vida Buena, or The Good Life. "I love languages," she says, "I'm here in Montpellier to learn French but the main reason is to perform workshops. That's what I did in Spain to promote the music there."

She was back in the Capital for the Hogmanay festivities and played the electric harp in George Street for The Night Afore celebrations on December 30. Clearly used to performing for large audiences, nerves don't seem to be a problem for Phamie.

"I never get nervous. It was great seeing the streets filled with people."

The musician admits it was a delight to be back in the town to which she made a deliberate move in 2002. "I love the architecture," she explains, "I call Edinburgh home and I always come back here. Sir Patrick Geddes, who designed Ramsay Garden, has inspired me in life because he came up with the phrase: 'By creating we think, by living we learn'. I love that because that's how I live, by experiences."

Such is Phamie's fascination with the well-known Scot that he has even influenced her current choice of temporary abode. "That's part of the reason I chose to come to Montpellier. Geddes designed the College des Ecossais, or Scottish School, here. I researched it before coming. I love finding connections and that's a very strong one for me."

A graduate of the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama, Phamie plays the Celtic modern lever harp – acoustic and electric – piano, accordion and whistle, as well as singing. Her first big break came when she was 19 and won an award in the Celtic Connections Festival, which allowed her to make a wish list of musicians to work with. She chose fiddler Alisdair Fraser and seven others, who collaborated on her second CD Lammermuir, which was a New Voices commission for Celtic Connections and was recorded live at the Glasgow Royal Concert Hall.

At the moment, between giving workshops, the multi-talented musician, who has worked with top names in piping, including Galician "gaitero" Carlos Nunez and Irish Uilleann piper, Davy Spillane, is busy promoting her current album, a piano CD called Moments in Time.

Fast gaining international acclaim, Phamie performed on the electric harp before Christmas with her Tapeire co-stars on major US breakfast television show

, Regis and Kelly. On that occasion she got to meet Hollywood actor Vince Vaughan, star of Wedding Crashers, who was standing in for usual presenter Regis. She says: "We all met Vince. He introduced himself during the ad breaks. It was so surreal. I was walking down Broadway afterwards and there were huge billboards everywhere with him."

She can start getting used to the good life, for Phamie will be flown first class next week to New York, where she is looking forward to meeting Glass again. "He's so approachable. I'll be there for five days and I'll definitely ask him about the industry. After meeting him before I was kicking myself for not taking a photo. I had a camera in my pocket but there wasn't the right moment during lunch. I'll make sure I do after the concert," she laughs, adding: "I've always had big dreams and aspirations. If you have vision, anything is possible."

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"Phamie debuts her new collection"

Westruther musician returns home


Phamie Gow in Edinburgh to launch her new album.

"The album springs from a deep love of Scotland"
Phamie Gow
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Published Date:
15 August 2007
By Simon Duke
FRESH from her success all over the world, a Westruther musician headed home to Scotland last week for the release of her new album.
Phamie Gow, most famous for her work on the harp, chose the Coda Music Shop in Edinburgh as the venue to debut her latest collection, 'Moments in Time', which has already received the seal of approval from Classic FM after it found its way onto their playlist.
What is probably most surprising, is that rather than display her criticially acclaimed playing of the harp, on 'Moments of Time' every track is a solo piano piece.
However, it was the piano that gave Phamie her first venture into the world of music when she had her first lesson at the age of eight.
And despite taking to the harp like a duck to water, Phamie has never turned her back on the piano and is a visiting tutor of piano and composition at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama on her periodic trips back from Spain, where she has spent the last 18 months living in Barcelona, playing many concert halls, performing on radio and even having the honour of her show being broadcast live on nationwide television.
In fact Phamie has gained many fans not just in Europe but all over the world including America where she heard one of her songs played on the radio and in Italy when she was recognised when she was walking down the street.
However, so far widespread success in Britain has proved elusive, although Phamie is hoping that the Scottish influences in 'Moments of Time' and increased interest in her music will help her to make more of an impact.
Talking about her new album, Phamie said: "The album has a classical feel to it yet springs from a deep love of Scotland, it's places, people and history.
"Hopefully with 'Moments of Time' scheduled for playlisting on Classic FM this will increase public awareness of my work in the UK."
. Although Phamie has travelled all over the world and had a taste of many cultures and traditions, a lot of her influences can be traced closer to home.
One of the tracks on the new CD is 'The Night Fold', the name of a field at Fingerpost Farm in Westruther and one of her most successful albums to date is 'Lammermuir', which is heavily based on Phamie's upbringing in the Borders.
Following the album launch on Friday, Phamie returned to Spain in San Sebastian which she was really looking forward to. However, it won't be long before Phamie is back over to these shores as she joins the line-up for an Edinburgh event at the end of the month.
"San Sebastian is a beautiful location and they put me up in a fairytale castle set high on a hill," she said.
"It's really magical, particularly as the sun goes down.
"After that I'll be back in Edinburgh for a solo concert on August 26 as part of the InterFaith Festival at St John's, Princes Street.
"I was honoured to play for His Holiness, the Dalai Lama two years ago at the Usher Hall and Interfaith sets out to break down barriers and unite humanity, so I'm pleased to be a part of that."
And Phamie's busy summer doesn't stop there. After her stint in Edinburgh, Phamie will then be setting off for a tour with the highly acclaimed TapEire which sees her travel to Canada, Broadway, Miami and London's West End before heading off for Johnannesburg.

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CD REVIEWS

Moments of Time




Scotland on Sunday 19th August 2007
PHAMIE GOW
Moments Of Time
****
Wildfire Records gow003, £10.99
The Borders small-harp maestro releases her fourth album - and it's of her own piano music. Recorded over a few hours one day in Glasgow 'as is', with no corrections or overdubs, it succeeds in Gow's desire to capture the eternal present, the now. Dedicated to her mentor, piano virtuoso Ronald Stevenson, and played with great skill and expressive musicality, these dozen, often simple, pieces are laced with emotion, lyricism and an underlying sense of peace.
Alexander Bryce



Review on Dancing Hands album from the CIAO website, released 2005, Wildifre Records and Publishing.

"Dancing Hands is a sensational album which shows the multi-instrumentalist Phamie as an outstanding musician and composer. In this vibrant album Phamie plays the piano, the harp, the accordion and the whistle. Dancing Hands is quite different from Phamie Gow's previous work being more contemporary and up beat. International influences such as Indian and African filter through but a deep Celtic accent permeates and yet steps outside the realms of the purely traditional. The quality and variety of this album is so good that I find it impossible to pick out a favourite track. It is a Phamie Gow album which should rank as a classic and time will not diminish its appeal or strength."

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VIEDOS

Dancing Hands - Phamie Gow

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War Song (as heard on Classic FM) taken from Moments of Time. Track chosen for The Smooth Classics - The Ultimate Collection (UNIVERSAL/Classic FM). Video directed by Izu Troin. 2008











directed by Iz˘ TROIN



2008 Phamie Gow productions




'Rackwick Bay' taken from Moments of Time, as heard on Classic FM.
"a definate rising British star", Classc FM



El Pilar, Zaragoza, Spain.





Live in Buenos Aires, Argentina



Phamie featured in US news flash



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PRESS QUOTATIONS

  • a definate rising British star. Classic FM.

  • Phamie Gow is one of the few composers I know of writing today whose tremendous knowledge of innumerable music traditions is equally matched by her own exceptional creative energy and originality’, continuing, she has developed from being a child prodigy to being a composer of remarkable stature.

    writes Peter Seivewright, Classical International concert pianist.

  • " A young woman who brings a vivid imagination to her writing, Gow pours herself into a performance, balancing the ethereal and philosophical content with a determined, earthy and engaging attack"

    Rob Adams, The HERALD.

  • 'One of the major composers of the next generation'

    Sylvia Woods. USA    .


  • 'A virtuoso who can tickle and glide across the strings just as majestically as Harpo Marx once did, her enthralling and slightly unnerving music was enough to give even Mike Oldfield goosebumps.'

    Barry Gordon. The Evening News. The Scotsman.

  • 'Phamie Gow - remember this name. Harpist, pianist, vocalist, and composer extraordinaire.'

    Rob Weir - Sing out Magazine.


    EN CASTELLANO



  • "Phamie Gow- recuerda este nombre. Arpista, pianista, acordeonista, vocalista y extraordinaria compositora."

    Rob Weir Sing out Magazine.

  • ?Una de los mejores compositores de la próxima generación?

    Sylvia Woods. (Estados Unidos)


  • ?Una artista virtuosa que juguetea sobre las cuerdas de forma tan majestuosa como Harpo Marx hizo en su momento, su música maravillosa y estimulante bastó para ponerle la piel de gallina incluso a Mike Oldfield.? Barry Gordon. The Evening News. The Scotsman.

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    AWARDS

    These are some of the awards made to Phamie in recent years

    • Matt McGinn Award - Best Newcomer 2003

    • Tap Water Award Winner - 'Best Music Act in the Fringe 2002' August 2002

    • Winner of the Trophee Carolan - Prix de Composition de la Ville de Dinan - July 2002 (International Harp Festival - France)

    • Award Winning Artist - Danny Award - Celtic Connections 1999



    Posted on Wednesday, December 10, 2008