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."

Posted on Wednesday, February 06, 2008

Photo gallery (for high resolution photos please email)










Posted on Monday, January 14, 2008

'Westruther harpist's new album hailed a masterpiece'

Taken from, The Berwickshire News. 9th January, 2008.

Phamie stars in Edinburgh event

BORDERS instrumentalist and composer Phamie Gow appeared on the main stage of the 'Night Afore' pre-Hogmanay bash held on December 30, in Edinburgh's George Street.
Phamie, who lived in Westruther but is now based in Spain, was the guest of Canadian maestro of the fiddle Ashley MacIsaac, described as 'the world's best fiddler', who introduced Phamie as a world famous musician. Phamie's ancestor Neil Gow, is regarded as the father of Scottish fiddle music.
Phamie has just returned from a successful tour of Canada and three weeks on Broadway, rounding off with concerts in Miami. While in New York she met up with Philip Glass, one of the most influential composers of the late 20th century and friend of Paul Simon and David Bowie.
Phamie's latest album 'Moments of Time', a piano solo album of her original hand penned works, was featured on BBC Radio 3 in December and the album is scheduled to be featured on Classic FM.
She has been described by Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC The Planet) as a 'young prodigy' who is a singer, pianist, harpist (acoustic and electronic), accordionist, whistle player, composer and producer. Still in her 20s Phamie already has four CDs under her belt, has performed with the likes of Carlos Nùñez, Alasdair Fraser, Davy Spilane (Riverdance), Eric Rigler (uillean pipest), Karen Matheson (Capercaillie), Phil Cunningham, Pete Seeger, and many more.
She is a previous winner of the 'Danny award' in Celtic Connections (1999) the 'prix de composition de la ville de Dinan' - composition award 2002 - France, and the Tap Water Award - 'best music act in the Fringe 2002' August 2002. Winner of the 'Matt McGinn' award 2003, 'Best newcomer'.
Phamie performed in Broadway, New York with many International artists including the living legend Pete Seeger. She was asked to play for the Dalai Lama, in a sell -out concert in Edinburgh`s Usher Hall to an audience of 2,500 people.
This young musician/composer has been commissioned for film, dance and theatre companies, has given many workshops in festivals and conservatoires around Europe. Her piano compositions have been used in university studies and concert halls, and Phamie is a part time tutor for piano at the Royal Academy of Music and Drama, Glasgow where she graduated in 2001. One of Phamie's song was sung by the Young Traditional Musician of the year 2004, James Graham, and was featured on his debut album, Suibhal. Phamie also conducts masterclasses and workshops on how to compose.
Critics have described her second album 'Lammermuir' (Greentrax Recordings) as 'a masterpiece of Scottish music' (Willi Rodrian - Radio Lora. Germany), 'full of sparky originality and sends a tingle up your spine'. While they say of her third self produced album, 'Dancing Hands' that it demonstrates Phamie's full breadth and depth of musicianship.

Posted on Thursday, January 10, 2008

Review on Moments of Time cd. 2007




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

Posted on Saturday, August 18, 2007

Press article. August, 2007

For recent press articles, please check out:

http://www.berwickshire-news.co.uk/leisure?articleid=3111633

and also, interview in Castellano for a South american celtic website:

http://www.americacelta.com/phamiegow/200705-entrevista.htm

Posted on Thursday, August 16, 2007

Dancing Hands (La Vida Buena CD release date: 2008)

Review of 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."


Dancing Hands - Phamie Gow

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'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

Posted on Saturday, July 28, 2007

Phamie ' live' performing Gitano

Posted on Saturday, July 28, 2007

Press quotes

  • 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.

    Posted on Friday, December 01, 2006